In Pursuit of Excellence in Sustainability: Marina Bay Sands Contributes More Than $1.1 Million to the Mandai Wildlife Centre

In late July, Marina Bay Sands announced a donation of more than $1.1 million over three years to the Mandai Wildlife Centre, Singapore’s newest rehabilitation facility for rescued native wildlife.

The donation is one of Marina Bay Sands’ largest contributions to biodiversity conservation, reflecting the depth of its commitment to protecting wildlife and strengthening ecosystem resilience as part of its broader sustainability goals.

Operated by Mandai Nature, the nonprofit conservation arm of Mandai Wildlife Group, the center provides a purpose-built environment to improve outcomes for Singapore’s rescued native wildlife and supports research and knowledge-building in veterinary and wildlife care.

Over the next three years, Marina Bay Sands also will work with Mandai Nature to extend nature education beyond the center by developing bespoke experiences and learning opportunities for international guests and community partners to deepen their awareness of wildlife conservation and the importance of protecting biodiversity in urban environments.

“We are delighted to support partners such as Mandai Nature in protecting Singapore’s native biodiversity,” Meridith Beaujean, assistant vice president of sustainability and ESG at Marina Bay Sands, said. “As a world-leading hospitality destination, we depend on healthy environments and vibrant biodiversity to create places that people value and want to experience. Supporting the center aligns with our belief that long-term destination success and wildlife conservation are closely linked, and that the hospitality sector has a responsibility to contribute meaningfully to both.”

 Marina Bay Sands’ contribution to the Mandai Wildlife Centre is the latest example of the many partnerships Sands and its regions have cultivated to advance sustainability on its properties, and promote conservation and education in its regions. The Sands ECO360 global sustainability team spearheads these relationships to address environmental topics such as emissions-reduction, water stewardship, waste reduction, incorporation of sustainable materials and resources, and biodiversity protection.

Amplifying Sustainability Through Multidisciplinary Approaches

Earlier this summer, Marina Bay Sands announced a two-year partnership with the SG Eco Fund to raise awareness and galvanize community action on environmental sustainability and climate resilience in Singapore. The partners kicked off the first initiative on June 11 with an exclusive screening of trailers that are part of the Sustainable Futures Film Festival running through Aug. 31 at ArtScience Museum.

The curated program of films explores climate change and biodiversity conservation in line with Singapore’s Year of Climate Adaptation, which draws attention to the impacts of climate change and brings together multidisciplinary approaches and voices at the intersection of art, science and sustainability.

The launch event also featured complimentary booths for recipients of the SG Eco Fund – Witteveen+Bos, Pasarfish and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency. These organizations showcased climate adaptation projects focused on food resilience and flood and coastal protection in Singapore. Launched in 2020, the $39 million SG Eco Fund operated by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment supports ground-up projects that involve the community and advance environmental sustainability in Singapore.

The two-year partnership between Marina Bay Sands and SG Eco Fund also will include interactive exhibitions centered on biodiversity and sustainability themes at ArtScience Museum. As part of these exhibitions, the resort will collaborate with SG Eco Fund grant recipients to incorporate booth, art installations, learning tours, and hands-on sustainability workshops for students and the wider public.

Partnerships to Advance Conservation through Responsible Hospitality

Marina Bay Sands also has had a long-standing partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore since 2015. What began with strengthening responsible seafood sourcing has evolved into broader initiative to drive transformation and positive outcomes throughout Marina Bay Sands’ supply chain. This effort includes traceability studies and aquaculture and fishery improvement projects across the region.

The resort currently is working with the nonprofit to explore the hospitality industry’s relationship to supply chain deforestation. The program has included a comprehensive deforestation and conversion risk assessment across Marina Bay Sands’ supply chain, focusing on high-risk commodities such as palm oil, cocoa, coffee, beef, soy, paper and timber.

Risk assessment involved reviewing procurement data; engaging suppliers to better understand sourcing practices, certifications and traceability; and establishing a baseline of potential risks and opportunities. Guided by global frameworks and best practices, the engagement focused on strengthening supply chain transparency, raising awareness of deforestation risks, and encouraging suppliers to explore pathways that reduce deforestation and promote conversion-free sourcing.

In addition, Marina Bay Sands began work with conservation nonprofit Hutan on its initiative to restore wildlife corridors across palm oil monoculture landscapes in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, last year. Hutan’s reforestation program aims to revive habitats for endangered species.

As part of this initiative, Marina Bay Sands provided yearlong underwriting for the work of four indigenous Orang Sungei women whose salaries, benefits and operational costs were funded as part of Hutan’s reforestation team. The approach enabled continued advancement of ecosystem restoration while empowering women through sustainable income opportunities and underpins the integrated resort’s regenerative approach to hospitality.

 The Drop By Drop Project

One of Sands’ longest-standing sustainability partnerships is with The WASH Foundation on The Drop By Drop Project, which provides grants for innovative water stewardship programs in Macao and Singapore to increase water resiliency, reinvigorate ecosystems, incubate new water solutions and engage the community in these areas.

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) is the program’s current grantee in Macao. USJ’s Drop By Drop funding is supporting its Sponge City Macao project, which explores how mangrove restoration and sponge city principles can work together to create a sustainable urban water management framework for Macao. Blending research with hands-on community engagement, the project aims to boost flood resilience, improve stormwater retention and support long-term ecological balance in the city’s urban environments.

To support the greater region in and around Singapore, The Drop By Drop Project is funding two programs. Reef Check Malaysia received funding for its Mabul Clean Water Initiative, which enables safe, sustainable water access through rainwater harvesting systems for 100 low-income households on Mabul Island, Sabah. The program is designed to end dependence on costly imported water.

The Drop By Drop Project also is supporting The International SeaKeepers Society’s Orang Seletar Sungai Temon Project, which provides resources for the indigenous Orang Seletar community in its efforts to rebuild a storm-damaged community hall and undertake water quality monitoring to address declining mussel yields. Together, these phases work toward protecting the community’s cultural heritage, building local stewardship and strengthening long-term economic resilience.

Hong Kong Sustainable Seafood Coalition

Sands China has been a member of the Hong Kong Sustainable Seafood Coalition (HKSSC), which advances the sustainable seafood market in Hong Kong, Macao and the wider region through responsible sourcing practices. Most recently, Sands China supported HKSSC’s outreach efforts around World Oceans Day on June 8 by providing specially curated sustainable seafood dishes in four Sands China restaurants. Marina Bay Sands’ also supported HKSSC’s World Ocean’s Day awareness program at its signature buffet restaurant, RISE.

“We’ve aligned with these leading environmental organizations because we are committed to advancing sustainability in all aspects of our business and in our regions,” Katarina Tesarova, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer, said. “Our partners help us be a better environmental steward, while we help our partners deepen their impact and advance their missions. Our relationships have been mutually beneficial, with the ultimate goal of finding new and better ways to protect the environmental ecosystems and natural resources in our regions.”

To learn more about Sands ECO360 environmental initiatives, read Sands’ latest ESG report:  https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/.