Sustainability Report 2024

As a conservation organization, doing no harm to the environment is a core principle. It’s a value that guides everything Singapore Wildcat Action Group (SWAG) does.

To demonstrate our commitment and to help us understand where we need improvement, Tim Foote (a sustainability leader) helps to track and reduce our emissions as a trusted in-house consultant. 

Our activities are tracked and measured along with mitigation efforts such as planting trees. Tim conducts a sustainability evaluation with SWAG Directors and provides guidance so that we can continue our journey as a carbon neutral organisation.

This report focuses on the two critical areas necessary for a sustainable world: 

1. Protecting and Supporting Biodiversity

2. Stopping Climate Change

Protecting and Supporting Biodiversity

SWAG’s founding mission is to conserve all species of wildcats in the world, with a special focus on ensuring the survival of the critically endangered Malayan tiger. Wildcats are apex predators and by concentrating activities designed to protect them, we also protect their prey species and their habitats that face similar threats. 

The “A” in SWAG stands for “Action”! Below are actions taken by SWAG to protect and support biodiversity.

1. Action to patrol wildlife corridors to deter poaching activities

SWAG assists the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) to recruit volunteers from Singapore to participate in citizen conservation CAT Walk Plus patrols at the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor in peninsular Malaysia. These patrols benefit the rural communities living in tiger habitats and protect the Malayan tiger’s only connection from Malaysia’s Taman Negara National Park to the Main Range (Banjaran Titiwangsa). 

In 2024, these citizen patrols picked up pace and we organized 14 groups with 92 volunteers who walked more than 80 kilometers of trails. From January through December, our level of patrolling activity reached a level of frequency greater than pre-covid levels. 

2. Action to raise money for protecting wildcat habitats

SWAG raised and contributed more than SG$25,000 for MYCAT’s conservation and protection work in Malaysia. These funds go to financially supporting Orang Asli anti-poaching patrol operations in the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor. Funds also support re-wilding and other operational support needs. 

3. Actions to educate the public in Singapore to protect Southeast Asia’s biodiversity

• Organized webinars and film screenings that educated the public on the state of our biodiversity – particularly in the environments for wildcats.
• Organized and led 206 people on night walks on Pulau Ubin in search of Singapore’s last remaining wild cat – the leopard cat.
• Conducted outreach activities such as hosting information booths at Pesta Ubin and Festival of Biodiversity, storytelling at public libraries and speaking at schools and organisations in Singapore.
• Engages in outreach via social media platforms inlcuding:
• The SWAGGER newsletter – 878 subscribers
• Facebook – 1,400+ followers
• Instagram – 2,799 (+268 from 2023) followers
• LinkedIn – 172 (+58 from 2022) followers
• SWAGCAT.ORG – thousands of unique visitors weekly

 4. Action to eliminate illegal wildlife trafficking

• Monitored and advocated alongside local nature organizations for stronger protection for wildlife and stronger penalties against violations of wildlife laws. 2024 was a big year for progress here. On August 30^th the Singapore government announced that wildlife crimes will be classified as “organised crime activity” allowing for significantly enhanced powers to investigate and prosecute offenders.
• Participated in meetings organized by United for Wildlife and ADM Capital to share how the transportation and financial sectors could play a role in combatting illegal wildlife trade.
• Posted frequently via social platforms the ongoing battle against illegal wildlife trafficking encouraging the public to get active in stopping this trade.

Stopping Climate Change

The latest climate science indicates rising global temperatures must be limited to 1.5°C to avoid the most significant impact of climate change. As a responsible organization, SWAG measures our carbon emissions to allow for control and reduction.

SWAG is graded as a Climate Positive Organization.

Climate Positive is defined as: activities go beyond achieving net-zero carbon emissions to create an environmental benefit by removing additional CO2 from the atmosphere. The "Plus" indicates the additional carbon-capture level is above 25% of annual emissions. 

• Overall Environmental Impact

In 2024, our emissions were largely associated with CAT WALK PLUS activities. The emissions estimate for all Scope 1, 2 and 3 activities stands at just over 5,025 kilograms. This was double the emissions in 2023. 

The Climate Positive grade was possible due to the continuing growth of trees planted by SWAG in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 as well as planting projects in 2024. In comparison to prior years, SWAG emissions increased due to the increased trips to Malaysia supporting our CATWALK PLUS program. The increased transport to Malaysia and the use of air transport for 2 events in the year were the main sources for emission increases. 

Additional emissions in 2024 also came from the many Leopard Cat Quest night walks in Pulau Ubin, when 17 bum boats were hired. 

• Offsetting

Planting trees is the primary activity SWAG undertakes to offset emissions. Tree-planting is done by SWAG volunteers either in Malaysia’s Sungei Yu Corridor or in cooperation with Singapore National Parks Board’s One Million Trees Project. 

SWAG continues tree planting in Malaysia during the CAT WALK Plus tours done in 2024. This alone though did not provide enough carbon off-setting for the emissions that we generated. Both tree planting and maintenance activities were therefore done in Singapore during the year. The estimated volume of carbon captured by trees planted in just this year by SWAG is 3,061 kilograms (this is nearly triple the year before!!). 

Though unable to fully offset 2023 emissions in the same year, SWAG trees from prior years are still continuing to drink carbon from the air. Because of those plantings, SWAG continues to keep positive – thank you trees!!

• Operational Reduction Takes Will

As a 100-percent volunteer-run organization, SWAG operates out of private residences with no headquarter emissions!

We do not manufacture any goods ourselves. Whenever possible, we sell fundraising items that are manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner and we account for the emissions produced in the items’ production. Delivery of our goods is provided by Singapore Post, which delivers more and more using an electric vehicle fleet.

Knowing that CAT WALK Plus trips to Malaysia would require transportation to the Sungei Yu corridor, leaders of SWAG decided in early 2022 to use only ground transportation from Singapore. This reduced the carbon footprint on CAT WALK activities substantially. Previously flights were usually taken to Kuala Lumpur for all “Cat Walkers”, before a van transport would take over as transport for the rest of the journey. By reducing the use of air transport, a significant source of emissions was cut. 

SWAG works to “operationalize green” in their procurement and operational processes. More can be learned about this approach in Tim Foote’s article “Dreams to Reality – Operations Builds a Green Future”.  – Operations Builds a Green Future”.