Women in Sustainability & Environment WISE is a registered Singapore society under the Registrar of Societies incorporated in June 2021 following the announcement of Singaporeʼs Green Plan in Feb 2021 by the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment and in response to the conclusion of COP26 in Glasgow.
WISE was officially launched in November 2021, by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, at the Singapore Management University WISEʼs knowledge partner). We were the first womenʼs society in Singapore formed to focus concerted gender action towards Singaporeʼs Green Plan 2030 and UNʼs Sustainable Development Goals. Singapore, as a global hub for finance and transport, as well as a top location for regional Asian headquarters for global MNCs, is in a unique position to impact climate finance and global supply chains.
The mission of WISE is to support and advance the contribution of women in the multidisciplinary fields of sustainability and the environment, leaning in on issues where women play a pivotal role or are disproportionately impacted, towards more decisive and effective climate action 1.
Our mission is guided by the results of numerous global studies showing that:
- Companies with more diverse boards have lower exposure to environmental policy risks and are more likely to establish dedicated committees to oversee such risks IMF Working Paper, Jul 2024.
- Women tend to be more sustainable consumers and are more sensitive to ecological, environmental, and health concerns OECD study on Gender and the Environment, 2021.
- Eliminating the gender gap in climate tech VC investing could deliver an additional US$12 billion in annual returns Rocky Mountain Institute, 2025. Female founders also take a relatively broader approach to addressing climate challenges, working on adaption & resilience offerings in addition to mitigation PWC, Mar 2025.
- About 75% of displaced persons caused by climate-related disasters globally are women. Women are overrepresented in low-income groups and face greater barriers in accessing finance, education and resource, limiting their capacity to prepare for and respond to environmental shocks OECD study on Gender and the Environment, 2021.
We believe that women are a positive, accelerating force for a more sustainable world across policymaking, academia, business, investment and consumption; and that gender-conscious perspectives are needed particularly at senior, decision-making levels to press for a just transition.
