Hisense, the global consumer electronics and appliances corporation, has been named in Fortune China’s ESG Influential Listing for the third consecutive year for its outstanding efforts in environment improvement, employee care and community engagement.
Hisense is advocating for the establishment of a comprehensive green and low-carbon production system that encompasses the entire energy utilisation process, including research and development design, supply chain, manufacturing, sales, and after-sales, as well as recycling and comprehensive product utilisation.
Taking TV products as an example, the overall recycling rate of raw materials for Hisense Laser TVs has now reached 92%, and a 100-inch Laser TV can save more than half of the energy of LCD TVs of the same size. Furthermore, through more advanced and environmentally friendly design, Hisense ULED TVs have reduced the weight of their shells by 8%, resulting in a saving of 1,133.07 tons of plastic and 100 tons of steel in 2023 in comparison to 2022, whilst also improving resource utilisation.
As of today, Hisense has 26 R&D centres, 34 industrial parks, and 64 overseas companies and offices worldwide. Hisense is actively establishing a global Supply Chain Management Center and utilising overseas companies and marketing platforms to realise the synergistic benefits of overseas layout and supply chain, reduced logistics costs and energy consumption. Hisense also employs local employees, contributes tax revenue, promotes local economic and social development, and achieves altruistic and win-win results through global coordination.
As the official partner of UEFA EURO 2024™, Hisense also aims to provide football fans with an immersive game-watching experience through eco-friendly TVs, and the company will continue to adopt carbon-neutral practices in its globalisation strategy.
‘Fortune’ highlighted that Hisense has established 13 National Green Factories in China, and its photovoltaic power generation projects are progressively releasing a “low-carbon dividend” with an annual power generation capacity of about 70 million kWh, of which 12.85 MW was newly built in 2023. Today, photovoltaic power generation contributes to over 11% of Hisense’s overall electricity consumption.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) has attained the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Industry Criteria for Hotels certification for its Singapore properties, also achieving the largest number of GSTC-certified room stock and certified properties (hotels & serviced suites) in Singapore – solidifying the Group’s commitment to sustainability and reinforcing its position as a leader in environmentally-conscious hospitality.
The GSTC Criteria is the global standard for sustainable travel and tourism. The GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotels fosters sustainable tourism practices across four key areas: effective sustainability planning, maximising social and economic benefits for the local community, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing negative impact to the environment.
In February 2024, Pan Pacific Hotels Group attained the GSTC Multi-Site certification for all eight of the Group’s properties in Singapore. Additionally, seven of its properties – Pan Pacific Singapore, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering, Singapore, PARKROYAL on Beach Road, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Orchard, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road, and PARKROYAL Serviced Suites – have obtained ISO14001 certification, an internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems (EMS). Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore is in the process of securing ISO14001 certification.
“Attaining the GSTC certification reaffirms PPHG’s commitment to sustainability and responsible business conduct,” said Mr. Choe Peng Sum, CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels Group. “At PPHG, sustainability is imperative and I am grateful for our teams’ immense efforts to attain the GSTC Multi-Site certification. This achievement is aligned with Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 and the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) Hotel Sustainability Roadmap – which aims for 60% of hotel room stock in Singapore to attain internationally-recognised sustainability certification by 2025.”
PPHG, with its PARKROYAL COLLECTION brand at the forefront, integrates sustainable practices throughout its operations and hospitality design. This encompasses green building design, cultural immersion, and community engagement to balance economic growth with social responsibility and environmental stewardship. By engaging guests in eco-conscious travel experiences, PPHG has become the first Singapore hotel group to achieve GSTC multi-site certification. The group invests in energy-efficient technologies, water-saving practices, and waste management strategies, such as LED lighting, recycling programs, and filtered tap water in rooms, to reduce its environmental footprint and promote responsible consumption.
In our exclusive interview with Lakshita Wijerathne, CEO of Eutech Cybernetic, we unravel the dynamic intersection of sustainability, technology, and real estate. Wijerathne, the driving force behind the transformative iviva platform, shares insights on navigating the urgent need for carbon reduction in the real estate sector. Join us as we explore how innovative technologies are reshaping buildings, reducing operational costs, and aligning the industry with global climate goals. This interview promises a concise yet illuminating glimpse into the strategies and innovations driving a sustainable future for the built environment.
1. In the context of the real estate sector’s commitment to reducing emissions, how does iviva contribute to the transformation of existing buildings to meet net-zero targets by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050?
Buildings generate 39% of energy-related carbon emissions worldwide; 28% from the energy needed for operations, and the remaining 11% from their materials and construction, according to the International Code Council. When the high carbon emissions of new construction is viewed against the backdrop of the global imperative to combat climate change, demolishing old buildings and erecting new ones is not more sustainable.
Approximately 80% of today’s buildings are anticipated to remain in use in 2050. To enhance efficiency and meet net-zero objectives, there is a pressing need to transform these buildings into smart ones. According to a recent report, the smart building market is projected to grow more than fivefold from USD 103.91 billion in 2022 to USD 538.45 billion by 2030. The most effective approach to environmentally retrofitting older buildings involves implementing a cost-effective technological upgrade, outfitting them with smart devices.
The iviva platform empowers building owners, operators, and occupants to retrofit their buildings and workspaces cost effectively through a combination of information technology, operational technology, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. For one, the utilisation of digital twin technologies allows for the simulation and prediction of building upgrades without interrupting real-time operations, allowing continued revenue and preventing costly errors in the implementation of upgrades.
Technologies that enable energy savings through smart cooling, ventilation, and lighting are only half the battle. Building users also have to make a conscious effort to use these smart systems to reduce their individual and organisational carbon footprints. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are used to provide all building stakeholders with insights into their energy usage, as well as the means to lessen it.
The same technology is also available to building owners and operators to enable intelligent predictive maintenance. Systems like air conditioning and lighting operate at peak efficiency for longer periods while reducing the number of maintenance activities.
2. Upgrading existing buildings for operational efficiency is a key focus. Could you share specific success stories where iviva has made a significant impact on reducing carbon footprints and operational costs simultaneously?
The Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ), a Green Mark Platinum-rated mixed development by LendLease, uses its iviva-powered Open Building System Integration (OBSI) platform to connect all of the systems and equipment within its retail mall, three commercial towers, and three residential blocks.
Aside from integrating all of the development’s smart systems, the OBSI has a digital twin that allows building operators to conduct predictive maintenance. Instead of having routine maintenance activities which cost more and may come at times when it is not yet necessary, maintenance teams at PLQ only have to work on systems when necessary. This ensures the latter remains at peak energy efficiency while reducing operational costs.
3. As the commercial real estate market experiences structural changes, how do you see these shifts influencing decisions on constructing new buildings versus upgrading existing assets? What role does sustainability play in these decisions?
Sustainability has emerged as a critical consideration in business decisions, reflecting a broader trend towards environmental consciousness. This is especially true in Singapore where carbon emissions, though a minor fraction globally, are exceptionally high (about twice the global average at 12 tonnes annually) when viewed on a per capita basis.
While energy-efficient technologies have led to reductions in carbon emissions, the real estate sector also needs to reduce what is called “embodied carbon” or those that arise from the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials. This makes the replacement of existing buildings with new, more energy-efficient ones a non-option.
4. From an economic standpoint, how can sustainability initiatives, particularly those involving upgrades to existing buildings, be framed to attract investors and asset owners, considering the challenging landscape of valuations and rents in the current hybrid work environment?
While sustainability initiatives are often seen as a cost, they can also be framed as an opportunity to take advantage of growing demand from tenants for sustainable and energy-efficient buildings, as well as government policies that reward green real estate developments. Simultaneously, the same technologies that enable the cost-effective implementation of smart, energy-efficient systems can also be leveraged to improve operational efficiency and lower operational costs for building owners and operators.
One source of savings for building owners and operators is the reduction of energy consumption. The upfront costs of installing energy-efficient systems are more than offset by the long-term savings generated from them. Another source of savings is the reduction in scheduled maintenance activities through the implementation of intelligent preventive maintenance.
By cutting back on costs while improving their developments’ user experience, building owners and operators can improve the yields and valuations of their properties.
5. In the realm of greenwashing and mandatory sustainability reporting, how can the real estate sector genuinely differentiate itself by adopting technologies that not only meet compliance standards but go above and beyond in creating sustainable and efficient spaces?
Equipping buildings with smart technologies is only the first step in creating sustainable and efficient spaces. Building owners and operators need to concretely measure the impact these technologies have on their developments’ energy usage, carbon emissions, and other metrics of sustainability. Not only is this important for ensuring compliance with government regulations, but it also enables enterprises to maximise the impact of their sustainability initiatives.
Thus, the installation of smart systems should be complemented with a technology platform that integrates the latter under one pane. By having better data capture, consolidation, analytics, and visualisation, decision-makers can streamline their facilities management processes towards meeting their developments’ sustainability targets.
Data visualisation serves as the optimal management tool for people who manage buildings. It is important for the various stakeholders including the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Finance Officer, facility managers, and sales or marketing professionals, to possess the ability to customise and analyse specific data pertinent to their respective roles without incurring additional expenses. This quick and cost-effective dashboard customisation enables them to conveniently access the required data respectively.
6. Collaboration is key in addressing climate challenges. How can stakeholders in the built environment sector work together to amplify the impact of sustainability initiatives, and how does iviva facilitate such collaborative efforts?
To amplify the impact of sustainability initiatives, stakeholders such as owners, operators, tenants, and users must collaborate effectively. A crucial element in improving collaborative efforts is providing all stakeholders with the platform, tools, and know-how to participate.
iviva’s platform is designed with a low-code/no-code approach, enabling all individuals, from company leaders to facility management staff, to engage with it. Through this inclusive model, everyone has access to the data necessary for informed decision-making.
Moreover, iviva’s platform fosters a culture of sustainable behaviour among building users. The platform visually presents individual usage and its impact on energy consumption and carbon emissions. This visualisation enables users to understand the connection between their actions and environmental consequences. By making this connection transparent, iviva encourages building users to adopt sustainable practices.
The technologies needed by building owners and operators to achieve sustainability goals are readily available. But to put them together in a way that also enhances operational efficiency, reduces costs, and improves the bottom line requires the seamless integration of these individual technologies. The best way to achieve the seamless integration described above is through an open platform that can effortlessly connect with any smart building system while remaining accessible to those with minimal to no experience with coding.
AboutLakshita Wijerathne
With a 25-year career in the Software industry, Lakshita has extensive experience in the field of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), design and development of generic communication modules, and possesses a detailed understanding of integration
mechanisms, controls, and protocols. He is a highly skilled technical professional with proficiency in programming in C, C++, Visual Basic, Object-oriented design and development of enterprise solutions, Project Management, Software design, development, Quality Control and Quality Assurance.
A few of his past and present projects include the design and development of a generic communication module for a vendor in the USA specialising in fire protection systems, managing deployment of a central control station for multiple building sites in Korea, implementation of integrated SCADA and facility management solutions for commercial buildings in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Vietnam, and managing the deployment of a facility management solution for a smart precinct in Sydney, Australia.
He is passionate about the use of technology and AI infrastructure for smart building and smart facilities management to improve building performance, reliability, resilience, occupant productivity and health and wellbeing. After a successful 20+ year career within the Eutech group, Lakshita is, since April 2023, Eutech Cybernetics CEO.
The pressure to meet global climate targets has never been greater and with buildings accounting for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is an urgent need to advance sustainable building technology to help enterprises meet net zero goals while accommodating for continued growth. “The Smart Building of the Future,” a new paper from Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) outlines how smart buildings equipped with advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, IoT, cloud and cybersecurity will help enterprises create a future where our buildings integrate with human and environmental ecosystems. Smart buildings offer a harmonized environment that prioritizes both well-being and sustainability, using technology to adapt and unlock potential, support productivity and drive peak performance of building occupants.
“Never has it been more important for organizations to consider advanced and efficient ways to reduce their carbon footprint – especially in the buildings industry, which is the single largest source of our planet’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Johnson Controls Chief Technology Officer Vijay Sankaran. “The smart building of the future offers new and more effective ways to help companies meet critical climate goals, reduce costs, enhance daily operations to achieve business growth and improve personalized experiences. When a building ‘comes alive’ with smart technology, all stakeholders benefit from the integrated approach that ultimately creates a healthier, safer and more productive environment.”
Several factors are converging to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced building systems technology. As building owners work to respond to challenges such as rising energy costs and changes in occupancy patterns, among others, sophisticated IoT devices and the implementation of data analytics and AI have become more important than ever.
The report also offers building managers key insights into the major technology enablers of advanced smart buildings, including:
Ubiquitous connectivity through cloud-based services on the edge breaks down barriers between siloed and integrated devices, enabling the flow of real-time information that business leaders can analyze for insights and continuous improvement.
AI-enabled autonomous smart buildings will be at the core of the next generation of smart buildings, driving efficiencies, enhancing the user experience and enabling advancements in sustainability. AI at the edge reduces privacy, compliance and cyber concerns by allowing data to be securely processed and stored within the building operator’s network.
Digital twins enable a continuous feedback loop between the physical and the virtual by facilitating the integration of AI, IoT and cloud technologies to generate strategic recommendations for improving building performance and user experience.
As many of the technical foundations required to turn buildings into smart buildings already exist, organizations should take additional action to prepare for and improve their future building operations. This includes developing a strategy that includes user experience, partnering with IT and cybersecurity teams, establishing partnerships with external consultants, investing in education and training, and running pilot projects.
This report builds on recently announced survey results from Johnson Controls and Forrester Consulting that show widespread acceptance of sustainability as a business priority and a firm recognition that partners are essential to realizing 2030 sustainability commitments. The survey found building operators believe smart buildings are important in helping organizations accelerate sustainability initiatives and that adding or upgrading building automation and digital technologies to optimize energy use are among the most impactful sustainability investment areas. The survey also found that most leaders seek partners, like Johnson Controls, who can provide a digital platform across sites and use cases, which Johnson Controls provides.
As a one-stop-shop for creating smart buildings, Johnson Controls has developed a three-step process to transform buildings into strategic assets – design, digitalize, deploy. The journey starts when we design and roadmap solutions that achieve efficiency, sustainability, decarbonization, resiliency and energy transition in accordance with our customer’s goals. Next, we digitalize to make buildings smarter through solutions like our OpenBlue Enterprise Manager – Net Zero Advisor, connecting infrastructure, distributed generation and the grid so we can access data that is critical to making informed decisions to solve for cost and carbon. We then deploy our solutions through a one-source, turnkey delivery model that leverages best-in-class efficiency, electrification and renewables solutions. Operations, service and maintenance underpin our “as-a-service” offerings to maintain peak operating conditions, protect customer’s investment and achieve the lowest lifecycle costs.
The cornerstone of this smart building strategy is Johnson Controls OpenBlue, an industry-leading ecosystem of connected technologies, digital solutions and services. OpenBlue reads the live activity of a building and continuously adapts to optimize performance. Combining data from across the building’s systems and using advanced digital tools like AI, we can provide insights that save more energy and emissions than possible with isolated systems. OpenBlue is recognized in the building industry as a `powerful enabler of measurable outcomes and earlier this week, Johnson Controls was named a leader in energy management software by Verdantix in its Green Quadrant: Energy Management Software report.
The built environment was centre stage during the ‘Multilevel Action, Urbanisation and Built Environment/Transport’ day at the UN Climate Summit COP28. The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), a global network of 75+ national Green Building Councils (GBCs), and leading businesses in the buildings and construction sector presented a unified call to action to political leaders, stressing the critical role of the built environment to deliver climate solutions.
The Open Letter was accompanied by a policy briefing that laid out the regulatory outcomes urgently needed to scale up action and deliver on the sector’s huge potential. It also supported the Buildings Breakthrough (a high-level political announcement that was launched and endorsed by 25+ countries in the context of the Breakthrough Agenda global process), calling for ‘near-zero emission and resilient buildings as the new normal by 2030’.
The statement
The Open Letter went beyond simply mitigating the negative impacts of the sector’s emissions, and made bold claims about its potential for enormous contributions to social equity and financial prosperity. The letter highlighted that beyond the opportunity to reduce 37% of total carbon emissions, the building and construction sector could also create $1.5 trillion in sustainable investment opportunities in emerging markets, and lift 2.8 billion people out of energy poverty.
The letter was fronted by signatories of WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (a leadership initiative in the sustainable built environment arena), WorldGBC corporate partners (including ARUP, Buro Happold, CEMEX, Saint Gobain, Signify, Siemens, Skanska, Stora Enso, Schneider Electric, Knauf Insulation, WSP) and Green Building Councils (representing 46,000 private and public sector members around the world). A total of over 350 organisations and businesses put their support behind the letter and the numbers are growing daily. These leaders operate across every region on the planet, both on a local and global scale.
The challenge
The building and construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions. It is a huge industry nexus and demand sector, with cities consuming 70% of all global resources. Whilst awareness of the sector’s impact and its potential as a climate solution is rising, so are its operating emissions, which have grown by an average of 1% year on year from 2015 to 2021.
The resilience of the global building stock is insufficient to cope with a growing population alongside the impacts of climate change. Flooding and extreme heat pose an imminent risk not only to human life, but also to social cohesion and economic stability.
Last but certainly not least, the financial stakes are high. We saw companies that are not treating decarbonisation as a serious business need and are therefore already paying a carbon premium in the short term; in the long term, they will miss out on emerging opportunities to secure market share, faced with shifting decarbonisation investment and regulatory environments.
The Open Letter ask
The WorldGBC network and its partners are calling for:
Strong political leadership to scale the sustainable transformation of the built environment.
Climate Mitigation: Parties commit to the integration of building codes, sub-national policy and commitment within their Nationally Determined Contributions, and pledge to double their energy efficiency improvements and triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
Climate Adaptation: Parties agree on a global goal for adaptation and recognise the role of buildings in anticipating, adapting, and responding to climate impacts and commit to making greater efforts to integrate resilience and adaptation into existing policies and programmes, including within the building sector.
Climate Finance: Parties agree to increased funding for energy efficiency improvements and Loss and Damage, and support a global reform of financial institutions for more just, equitable and effective debt lending and borrowing.
The Global Stocktake: Parties to commit to the Buildings Breakthrough as a platform for collaboration between national governments and stakeholders to accelerate action and optimise the role of buildings in closing the gaps identified in the Global Stocktake.
Cristina Gamboa, CEO, WorldGBC, said, “Climate Action is often misunderstood as human efforts to save the planet. In fact, it is humanity’s effort to save itself and the environment we have created to facilitate prosperity, equity and growth. It’s about every government that wants to maintain stability and cohesion, every business that wants to remain successful and financially viable, and every person who enjoys the comforts of modern life. In the built environment, we are falling short of the goals that will preserve us. And we don’t need to. Solutions already exist to secure a better future. We can still get back on track. To do that, we need an enabling policy environment, industry ambition, and finance to leverage the huge potential of the built environment. The numbers of industry leaders backing our Open Letter make a powerful statement to send to policymakers. The industry is ready for change. The world is calling for change. This COP28 can be the moment where leaders uphold their commitments and set out an energy-efficient, regenerative, and just transition for the building sector. Are you ready?”
Find out more here or follow the campaign on social media at #BuildingTheTransition.
Global real estate company Lendlease has thrown down the gauntlet at Climate Week NYC – calling on industry peers to expand their decarbonisation efforts by addressing the largest source of the sector’s carbon emissions value chain or Scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions that occur in an organisation’s value chain and often make up the majority of an organisation’s carbon footprint. They are especially challenging to address in the real estate sector due to limited guidance on Scope 3 reporting boundaries. The built environment currently contributes approximately 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. In Southeast Asia, the sector accounted for almost a quarter (23%) of emissions, according to a report by PwC. Markets in Asia are also taking steps to create greater transparency and accountability for managing carbon emissions by the built environment sector.
In Singapore, listed and non-listed companies may soon be required to report climate-related disclosures based on International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards. In Japan, plans are being made to draft sustainability disclosure standards based on the ISSB framework. Lendlease is on track to achieve Net Zero Carbon (Scope 1 & 2) in Asia by 2025. With approximately 90% of total carbon emissions by Lendlease globally attributed to Scope 3 emissions – from upstream activities, such as the manufacturing of building materials and downstream activities, such as emissions from the use of electricity and natural gas by building tenants – Lendlease is turning to tackle scope 3 emissions in its journey to reach Absolute Zero by 2040.
To help accelerate the pace and scale of decarbonisation and contribute to the conversation on establishing consistent and comparable Scope 3 reporting boundaries across the real estate sector, Lendlease has launched its Scope 3 Protocol during discussions at Climate Week NYC. With the launch of the Protocol, Lendlease is calling for others in the industry – including developers, builders and construction material manufacturers – to turn their focus to addressing Scope 3 emissions, accelerating the shift to a low-emissions future. Lendlease is also calling for an industry-wide data-sharing platform to enable the secure exchange of digitised, verified Scope 3 emissions data across vast value chains.
“The Protocol is a seminal piece of work on our pathway towards Absolute Zero – with no offsets – by 2040. To know where to focus our decarbonisation, we need to first know how we are accounting for our Scope 3 emissions – what is material and therefore, what is in and out of scope. We want the Protocol to spark conversation and engagement across our sector, to help drive to a consensus on how to account for and report on Scope 3 emissions. If we can achieve this, then we can collaborate as an industry to solve the two big systemic challenges: the decarbonisation of harder-to-abate materials, and the digitisation and sharing of Scope 3 emissions data. The Protocol is intended as an important first step towards that outcome,” said Cate Harris, Group Head of Sustainability & Lendlease Foundation, Lendlease.
“Carbon is a new currency that the built environment sector is only beginning to grapple with. It is wonderful that Lendlease is taking the lead with active efforts to address and eliminate Scope 3 emissions without the use of offsets. This will send a strong message to the entire value chain and create the lead demand for low-carbon materials, as well as catalyse more industry collaborations to comprehensively and collectively address built environment carbon emissions. SGBC looks forward to supporting Lendlease’s efforts with our growing toolbox of carbon-centric initiatives, such as the newly launched Embodied Carbon in Buildings Calculation Guide,” said Yvonne Soh, Executive Director, Singapore Green Building Council.
International design practice, 10 Design, which is part of Egis Group, is pleased to reveal the vision for Bintaro Jaya West District in Indonesia. Located along Bintaro Boulevard in South Tangerang, 15 kilometres from the Jakarta Central Business District, the development will become the western gateway to Bintaro Jaya Township, an emerging economic centre in the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Area. The 36-hectare greenfield land has been reimagined into an innovative community promoting sustainable living and wellness, with enhanced connections to the natural environment.
The master plan follows the 15-minute city framework, ensuring a walkable environment to encourage residents and visitors to explore and immerse themselves in the cityscape, creating a lively, human-centric community. A vibrant mix of residential, mixed-use commercial, retail, and recreational elements are strategically placed for proximity and accessibility is enhanced through design and redefining what urban life looks like.
“There’s a growing need for restorative and resilient urban environments where people can connect, and feel inspired, our vision for Bintaro Jaya West District helps to achieve that,” shares Principal of Master Planning, Peter Barrett, “the sustainable and inclusive environment, integrates complementary land uses with generous multi-purpose green spaces to create a memorable, vibrant, and self-sustainable community where you can live near where you work, with a rich array of experiences and activities, always connected to nature.”
At the heart of Bintaro Jaya West District is ‘The Oval’, a publicly accessible green space anchored by a grand lawn and multi-functional landscaped amphitheatres, serving as a space to bring the local community together through music, art, and events. A multi-faceted community experience, cafes, restaurants, retail, interactive water gardens, and public artwork seamlessly weave throughout, encouraging exploration. An elevated pedestrian walkway, boasting 360-degree views, provides a sheltered connection to the diverse functional spaces, whilst enticing visitors to The Oval.
The master plan creates a series of interweaving greenways, parklands, and linear parks to form an interconnected network of urban spaces. Existing rivers and creeks have been preserved, reimagined and integrated, creating recreational opportunities, such as water-touching experiences and riverside promenades for jogging and cycling, all seamlessly connected to the wider Bintaro cycling loop.
Resilience has been built into the masterplan, to help mitigate the impact caused by extreme weather and climate events. Open green spaces, including The Oval, are designed as part of a dry pond system to manage stormwater, and localised flooding, and facilitate groundwater recharge. Supporting infrastructure for the new Bintaro Jaya West District started construction in early 2023.
The first fully electric construction machines from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) have arrived in Singapore and were formally launched for the Southeast Asia market at a gala event on 7 June 2023 on Sentosa island. More than 100 guests gathered to celebrate the landmark moment and see the exciting new technology up close. At the launch event for the first electric construction machines in Singapore were senior leaders from the country’s most important building and construction companies, as well as Volvo CE dealers from across the Southeast Asia region, and Volvo CE leadership from Asia. Tomas Kuta, President Region Asia for Volvo CE, kicked off the launch by sharing insight on the sustainability goals of Volvo CE.
“Our company wants to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, and as part of that and our commitment to science-based targets, we want to reduce emissions from our product line by 30% by 2030, as well as reducing emissions from our own operations by 50% in the same timeframe. For the Singapore construction equipment market – change starts here. Singapore is a natural market for electric construction machines with a strong focus on sustainability, efficiency, and safety in its construction industry. We are launching our first electric machines in Southeast Asia, and we believe it will act as a launchpad for further sales, both in Singapore and the wider regional market.”
Volvo CE aims to have 35% of the machines it sells powered by electromobility by 2030. It already has the widest range of electrically powered construction machinery available today. To begin in Singapore, the company has launched three models: the ECR25 Electric compact excavator, the L25 Electric compact wheel loader, and the EC55 Electric excavator.
Jenny Egermark, Chargé d’ Affaires a.i. at The Embassy of Sweden in Singapore, was among the VIPs at the event, and she paid tribute to Volvo CE’s ongoing drive for change: “I am delighted to see Volvo’s innovative Swedish construction machines launching in Singapore. They are excellent additions to Singapore’s robust construction industry. Both Sweden and Singapore have ambitious goals toward sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, and the launch of Volvo’s first electric construction machines brings us one step closer to achieving these common goals.”
EVs head off-road
Electric construction machines have the power to change the way construction sites and material handling industries are run. They offer the same productivity benefits as diesel equivalents but with less noise, fewer vibrations, and no exhaust fumes. They can help industries meet sustainability requirements or regulations. It also allows companies to use the machines in new locations, such as indoors, or in other sensitive environments.
In Singapore, the country has set ambitious targets to enable sustainability across the building and construction value chain through its Singapore Green Building Masterplan (SGBMP). This includes introducing mandatory sustainable construction practices. Using electric machines on construction projects will go some way toward helping contractors meet their sustainability objectives.
AM Muralidharan, Head of Productivity & Retail Development Asia, said: “Using Volvo CE electric machines offers all kinds of advantages to owners. Of course, it will boost the sustainability of their own operations, but it’s also about creating a nicer environment for the operator and others on site. The lack of engine noise and fumes removes a lot of the distraction that can come from working around equipment and allows much better focus on the job at hand. It’s also kinder to the local community.”
Technical details
The ECR25 Electric compact excavator is a 2.6-2.8 t capacity machine with a 22.3 kN breakout force. It is equipped with an onboard charger for general charging, an external quick charger (optional for indoor/outdoor specifications), and a 20-kWh battery array, allowing for 3 to 4 hours of work per charge.
The machine is equipped with an excavation bucket (0.074 m 3 ) with a quick coupler, a standard arm, spare piping, and a ROPS standard canopy. There is very little noise, resulting in a very low environmental impact on the operator, surrounding workers, and neighbours. Operator comfort is further improved because there are no fumes from the electric operating system. And unlike a diesel excavator, the ECR25 Electric consumes almost no energy while idling thanks to an inbuilt stop/start system, so it only consumes energy during the minutes it works. It has a slightly higher operating weight than its diesel equivalent but also delivers more continuous motor power.
The L25 Electric compact wheel loader features a 2.1 t payload, a maximum speed of 20kph, outstanding lifting height and 100% parallel movements. The machine comes with a 40kWh battery pack and is expected to deliver 6 to 8 hours of work per charge. Again, operator comfort is enhanced by near-silent operation, and there’s an automatic park brake with hill-hold functionality and a range of customisable work modes. Like its electric sibling, the ECR25 Electric, the L25 Electric has a slightly higher operating weight than its diesel equivalent, but then has a higher static tipping load too.
The EC55 Electric excavator is a 5.5-t electric machine built at the Volvo CE facility in China, which is currently the world’s largest market for e-mobility equipment. The EC55 Electric is based on its diesel-powered counterpart, the EC55D, but delivers even better performance and controllability, as well as quiet operations and zero emissions. Power comes from two lithium battery packs of 400 V that work continuously for 4 to 6 hours per charge.
Colliers unveiled its third annual Impact Report earlier this month, highlighting the progress made globally towards a more sustainable and inclusive future. The report showcases Colliers’ commitment to creating healthy buildings, fostering a sense of community, and promoting mental and physical well-being.
Key 2022 performance highlights include:
Globally, Colliers achieved a noteworthy 10.1% reduction in emissions compared to the previous year.
Colliers Singapore has already reached its 2022 objective by obtaining the WELL Health-Safety rating 215 million square feet of green-certified properties under management.
285 green certifications held by Colliers professionals.
50% of Colliers’ Singapore workforce are women
Colliers’ commitment to sustainability extends beyond reducing emissions. Colliers integrates environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations as a standard approach to support occupiers throughout the real estate lifecycle. Colliers Singapore embraces these strategies and aligns them with the local context to deliver sustainable and inclusive solutions.
“In Colliers’ third annual Impact Report, we are proud to showcase our accomplishments in Singapore, where we have implemented groundbreaking strategies that foster a beneficial influence on our esteemed clientele, our dedicated workforce, and the environment,” expressed Bastiaan van Beijsterveldt, Managing Director Colliers Singapore. “Our unwavering dedication lies in expediting triumphs for our personnel, valued clients, and local communities.”
Colliers’ 2022 Global Impact Report adheres to rigorous reporting frameworks, including the Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure. This ensures strong governance of Colliers’ ESG programmes.
“We are on track to achieve our net zero and Science-Based Targets, both for ourselves and our clients,” stated Sean Drygas, Global Lead, ESG & Impact. “In addition to our focus on climate change, we prioritise diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the promotion of health and wellbeing among our workforce and the buildings we manage.”
Building Review Journal spoke with Ron Pressman, the Global CEO of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a global organisation focused on promoting responsible land use and sustainable communities.
As the world becomes more aware of the urgent need to address climate change, many industries are taking steps to become more sustainable. Real estate, which accounts for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, is no exception. But what does it mean for the real estate industry to be sustainable? And how can developers, investors, and policymakers work together to pave a more sustainable way forward? In this interview, Pressman shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities facing the real estate industry, the role of technology and policy in promoting sustainability, and the importance of engaging with local communities in sustainable development.
1. What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for the real estate industry in terms of sustainability?
Real estate represents around 40 percent of the annual carbon emissions. While very fragmented across trillions of square feet of global real estate, it represents the largest segment of addressable carbon emission reduction opportunities. So, it is important to galvanise focus on this. Two big reduction opportunities are running buildings more efficiently and building new projects more sustainably. Roughly two-thirds of the annual global emission footprint arise from operating existing buildings. There are many ways to reduce this via updated heating, cooling, and building management technology. New build embodied carbon from construction, materials, and transportation represents the other “third”. There are many new options to build to a more efficient standard embracing sustainable construction and materials leadership practices.
One of the biggest sustainability challenges for the real estate industry is navigating the regulatory and reporting environment, and then ensuring that the organisational metrics will result in accurate measurement against these regulations and standards. Transparency on sustainability is no longer optional – stakeholders across the industry expect the real estate sector to clearly report on their sustainability performance and progress against goals. The industry is dealing with an alphabet soup of climate regulations and policies that overlap, compete and differ by country and region. There is a lack of consistency globally, and waiting for one is not an option. Therefore, the sector must work together to successfully navigate the road ahead. Collaboration and a balance between ‘quality’ and ‘quantity’ should be the focus.
On the other hand, as the industry pivots to mitigating climate change risks, there are opportunities to bring competitive, cutting-edge buildings to the market. New projects now have ESG regulations and standards embedded by default, and legacy buildings are also being retrofitted to be up to date with the same standards amid the global push for greener buildings. Real estate owners and developers who are proactively incorporating sustainability opportunities into their assets are benefitting from the competitive advantage of green premiums like high-performance buildings, higher quality tenants, lower tenant turnover, and increased asset value.
2. How can real estate developers and investors incorporate sustainability into their decision-making processes?
Conducting a sustainability assessment is one of the ways sustainability can be incorporated in decision-making processes. This includes incorporating sustainability considerations into decisions regarding due diligence, property condition assessments, financing, building operations, and disposition.
Before investing in a property or beginning a development project, it’s essential to conduct a sustainability assessment. This involves evaluating the environmental impact (and associated investment needs) of the project, including factors such as energy consumption, water usage, waste generation, and carbon emissions.
Specifically, the investors should actively understand climate change adaptation needs for key markets. This requires investors to shift from an asset-centric view to a market-level appraisal of risk and resilience drivers. They should consider ways to leverage technical expertise to build the capacity of communities to absorb climate shocks and stressors. Building resilience against the impacts of climate change will require a cooperative ecosystem made up of public, private, non-profit, and academic institutions. To these ends, investors can support the creation of robust community resilience and recovery plans and should direct their investment to infrastructure and real estate asset classes that are climate responsive, adaptable to changing environmental conditions, and enhance the overall social and ecological resilience of communities.
A fundamental problem recognised in Europe is the failure of valuation processes to take account of climate transition risks. High values in an area of high demand can mask the potential for environmental underperformance to lead to an asset stranding while low values in secondary areas undermine the business case for retrofit. Values that reflected transition risk would help to embed sustainability in decision-making.
3. What role can technology play in creating more sustainable buildings and communities?
Aligning sustainability with innovation strategies is one of the key priorities for real estate companies in Asia Pacific, with ESG considered a significant factor in the decision-making for new technologies. PropTech solutions, and more recently ClimateTech solutions, offer tremendous opportunities to advance building decarbonisation and resilience.
By incorporating technology into their operations, building owners and developers can optimise energy usage, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve occupant health, bolster resilience against physical climate hazards, and improve the overall sustainability of their buildings and communities.
For example, building automation systems (BAS) can optimise the use of energy and the emission of carbon by automating various functions, including heating, cooling, and lighting, turning them on only when someone is in the room, or shifting some of the building’s energy load to times when the utility grid is cleaner.
4. How can urban planning and policy support more sustainable real estate development?
Urban planning and policy can play a critical role in supporting more sustainable real estate development:
Zoning regulations can enforce more sustainable development patterns, such as mixed-use development, transit-oriented development, and walkable neighbourhoods. Zoning regulations can also require the inclusion of green space, sustainable building materials, and energy-efficient features in new development projects.
Transportation planning can promote sustainable options such as public transit, bike lanes, and pedestrian-friendly streets. This can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality by going car-lite or even car-free.
Community engagement is also a crucial element of sustainable urban planning and policy. Engaging with the public in the development process can ensure that the project meets the needs of the local community, respects their values and culture, and helps to create more liveable and sustainable neighbourhoods. It can also help to build support for sustainable development projects, which is essential for their success.
5. What are some examples of innovative and sustainable real estate projects that you have seen around the world?
One of the winners of the 2022 ULI Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence – Wesley Place (pictured above) – is a commercial office project on a 1.1-hectare site near Melbourne city centre, featuring a high degree of sustainability technology, including a thermally efficient façade, smart metering, rooftop solar, waste monitoring and recycling.
However, the project was designed with the S (social) in ESG in mind as well. The office building is complemented by a 5,000-square-metre, nicely scaled, landscaped plaza on the ground floor. The plaza retains 150-year-old trees and has 24-hour public access connecting to a variety of other buildings and amenities.
In addition, the project site incorporates a collection of five significant heritage buildings dating to 1837, including Wesley Church together with its associated Manse. Following long negotiations with Church authorities, the buildings and surrounding spaces have been extensively refurbished, with close attention to details such as restoring stained glass windows and sourcing appropriate masonry from as far away as Europe. The church has remained a place of worship, while the other buildings have been adapted to various commercial purposes, including a café/restaurant in the Manse building that has been integrated into the office-building lobby, creating a unique experience for occupants.
The exercise was successful not only as an example of urban heritage preservation carried out in a way that retains the density required by the CBD location but also as a template for leveraging the commercial value of the office buildings to carry out refurbishment in a situation where financing would probably not otherwise have been available. The theme of adaptive reuse is further strengthened – currently, a separate, rather anachronistic 70s-era building located nearby is also now undergoing refurbishment as opposed to demolition.
6. How can the real estate industry balance the demand for affordable housing with the need for sustainability?
It’s a common misconception that a building can’t be both affordable and sustainable. Affordable housing runs on thin margins, so meeting sustainability goals can require getting creative with funding, financing, and strategy. Depending on the regulatory environment of the locale – the availability of grants, incentives, technology, etc. – the level of difficulty would vary. Often, affordable housing runs on a master utility meter – so when the building reduces energy costs, it’s the owner who benefits from the savings. Residents benefit from higher performance and healthier living spaces, while owners benefit from lower operating expenses. District heat networks can bring similar benefits.
Another approach could be to view housing as part of a larger set of systems of mobility, access to jobs and services, and urban infrastructure. Energy, water, and food systems need to be considered as enablers for affordability, and in a context that enables liveability and equity for everyone who connects with it. All industry players should consider how affordable housing can be more than an independent goal – and explore how it can also contribute to a greener community in the long run.
7. How can the industry engage with and address the concerns of local communities when it comes to sustainable real estate development?
One of the pillars of sustainability is social – i.e., the well-being of the communities in which an organisation operates, or in this case, where the real estate project is being set up. Collaboration across the real estate value chain is proving essential to achieving global sustainability goals. This collaboration includes real estate working alongside governments, community members, tenants, and supply chains. It is an indication that the social element of ESG is genuinely being addressed. This engagement also ensures that new development’s amenities serve the needs of the local community – sometimes developers’ assumptions do not match actual desires.
One emerging topic is to view building utilisation as a solution to sustainability in the built environment. For instance, developers can explore how the surrounding community can use spaces to avoid duplication of amenities that already exist in an area, thereby optimising resources to create more diversified facilities and adaptable spaces. It goes without saying that directly engaging local communities to exchange feedback and address their concerns, such as through dialogue or briefing sessions, should also be of importance. This could mean, for example, carving out space on site for an open park, providing a community food garden (agrihoods), or adding additional EV charging parking spots.
8. What role do you see public-private partnerships playing in advancing sustainability in the real estate sector?
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can play a significant role in advancing sustainability in the real estate sector by combining the strengths and resources of both the public and private sectors. Private sector expertise and capital can be leveraged to address sustainability challenges that may be too complex or costly for the public sector to tackle alone. On the other hand, governments can help mitigate risks for developers; this, in turn, raises their willingness to invest in sustainable development. This way, the sharing of risks between both parties can produce win-win outcomes in PPP projects.
One such example in Singapore is Eco@Punggol (pictured above), Singapore’s first eco-town. The award-winning project was initiated by the Housing Development Board (HDB), Singapore’s public housing authority, in partnership with various private sector companies. The eco-town features a range of sustainable living initiatives and amenities that enable eco-friendly high-rise living, such as effective energy, water, and waste management. The development also includes a comprehensive network of pedestrian and cycling paths, as well as an extensive public transportation system to encourage the use of sustainable transportation options.
9. How can the industry measure and report on its progress towards sustainability goals?
Over the last 10 years, the avalanche of new ESG reporting requirements applicable to real estate has presented a significant challenge. Keeping up has not been easy, even for the most ambitious organisations with the greatest resources to allocate to the area. In addition, there are different views on what must be prioritised, disclosed, against which criteria, for what purpose and whether commitments will stand up to scrutiny.
It is important to understand the purpose of the different ESG frameworks and standards and the intended user of the information – there is no one-size-fits-all standard. Accordingly, an organisation will need to choose the right standards and metrics that appropriately reflect the requirements of their ESG strategy and their overall environmental impact and comply with minimum social standards throughout the entire real estate lifecycle in value and supply chains.
To help industry players navigate the vast selection of different regulations and standards, ULI has created self-assessing questions that organisations can use to map the core issues and foci of their ESG strategy to the required and appropriate standards and regulations. One of the greatest advantages of streamlining measurement and reporting is that it frees up time for action that we know is needed.
Wesley Place image courtesy of Cox Architecture Eco@Punggol image courtesy of HDB
