7 February 2022

1. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) and the Economic Society of Singapore (“ESS”) today launched the 5^th CCCS-ESS Essay Competition. The topic for this year is “Environmental Sustainability: The role of competition and consumer protection laws and policies”.

2.         Environmental sustainability is one of the most important priorities facing many economies today. Sparked by heightened global awareness of the effects of climate change, achieving sustainability goals requires cross-industry collaborations and responses from government, businesses and consumers.

3.         In Singapore, a whole-of-nation approach is adopted to drive sustainable development. Businesses are encouraged to make the shift towards more sustainable practices as well as to capture opportunities in the green economy. For example, some businesses are moving towards reducing carbon emissions by adopting the use of sustainable alternatives, while others are looking to maximise energy efficiency to cut costs. Consumers championing a green environment are also changing their consumption behaviour, which may impact businesses and government. 

4.         The essay competition invites contestants to examine the role of competition and consumer protection laws and policies in supporting environmental sustainability in Singapore. Specifically, contestants may discuss, among others, how businesses can collaborate yet compete fairly in achieving sustainability goals, how “externalities” to the society accruing from sustainability should be accounted, and how consumers can be better protected against ‘greenwashing’ in our journey towards achieving environmental sustainability.

5.         The essay competition has two categories:

a. “School” category: all post-secondary students (regardless of nationality) studying in Singapore in polytechnics, Centralised Institutes, international schools and junior colleges may apply. This includes students currently enrolled in the Integrated Programme (Year 5/6) or in the International Baccalaureate diploma programme. Current full-time national servicemen and/or students who have recently completed their education in the above-mentioned schools/programmes, and Singaporean students in such institutions/programmes (or equivalent) overseas may also participate.

b. “Open” category: all individuals living in Singapore as well as Singaporeans living overseas (excluding those who qualify under the “school” category).

6.         The following awards will be given for the three best essays of each category:

7.         The terms and conditions as well as entry forms for the CCCS-ESS Essay Competition are available on the CCCS website. The closing date for the submission of entries is 27 May 2022.