Fairprice Names Chan Tee Seng as First Chief Sustainability Officer
Fairprice Group, the largest food retailer and supermarket operator in Singapore, has recently appointed Chan Tee Seng to the position of chief sustainability officer (CSO). He will be in charge of overseeing and putting into action the company's sustainability initiatives.
NTUC Fairprice, a Singapore-based grocery store chain, has appointed a dedicated sustainability function to its team. The company is the largest food retailer in the country. It is a social enterprise with more than 100 supermarkets and 160 convenience stores. The new position, effective January 2023, is meant to help the company contribute more effectively to Singapore's national sustainability agenda.
Chan Tee Seng has held various leadership roles within NTUC, Singapore’s trade union confederation, and NTUC Enterprise, including being the CEO of NTUC First Campus, a childcare chain operated under NTUC, from 2009 to 2020.
Chan said: “Sustainability is at the core of our business, along with our social mission to moderate the cost of living for our customers.”
The Fairprice Group currently has a sustainability framework that outlines its three main goals, which are: to provide affordable and healthy food for the population, to support the Singapore workforce and enable the underprivileged, and to build a circular and low-carbon economy by ensuring that its product sourcing, production and consumption practices are sustainable.
As per the company's 2021 sustainability report, it aims to halve its carbon footprint and food waste, as well as save 60 million plastic bags by 2030. The company was one of the first food retailers in Singapore to start charging for plastic bag use. This year, all major supermarket chains in Singapore are expected to start charging shoppers at least five cents for each disposable bag they use.
Source: Eco-Business
