HCM CITY — CapitaLand Investment Limited has again been ranked the top property development company globally with first place in the 2022 Carbon Clean 200 (Clean200).
This is the fourth consecutive year that CapitaLand has been listed in the index, an annual recognition by Corporate Knights and As You Sow of the world’s publicly traded companies that lead the way to a clean energy future.
Solar panels atop Aviator building at the International Tech Park Bangalore
Ms Lynette Leong, the Singaporean company’s chief sustainability officer, CLI, said: “We integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into everything we do, from our investment process to our property design, development and operations.
“We are also using renewable energy in operating our properties, intensifying our global search for innovations through our CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge and stepping up our adoption of sustainable finance, among others.
“To guide our investment decisions, we have set a shadow internal carbon price since 3Q 2021 to gauge the environmental costs of each investment’s greenhouse gas emissions and take appropriate mitigation measures.
“We will continue to press on in our ESG efforts to deliver measurable outcomes and long-term economic value to our stakeholders.”
CapitaLand’s commitment to lowering carbon footprint
CapitaLand’s 2030 Sustainability Master Plan launched in October 2020 includes a carbon emissions reduction target which is validated by Science Based Targets Initiative.
The company has been increasing the use of renewable energy and installed solar panels atop seven buildings in Singapore with more in the pipeline. Energy generated through this renewable source will contribute to lowering CapitaLand’s carbon footprint.
6MWp rooftop solar installation at 40 Penjuru Lane, one of seven CapitaLand buildings in Singapore with solar panels. Energy generated through this renewable source will contribute to lowering CapitaLand’s carbon footprint.
This includes powering its corporate offices in Singapore since 2020. The solar panels will generate a total of 11,462 megawatt hours of renewable energy. It will help prevent over 4,676 tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to the energy required annually by over 2,400 households.
CapitaLand’s track record in sustainable finance
To measure the value created through its sustainability efforts, CapitaLand uses financial as well as environmental metrics such as carbon emissions, energy consumption and water usage. The company and its listed REITs and business trusts have partnered with 12 financial institutions to secure a total of S$7 billion (approximately VND117 trillion) through sustainable finance comprising sustainability-linked loans, green loans, green bonds and perpetual securities.
It will also redeploy interest rate savings from its sustainability-linked loans in its green initiatives.
Consistently recognised as a global sustainability leader by international indices
Besides Carbon Clean 200, CapitaLand has also won numerous other honours for its sustainability leadership like being listed in the
• Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index
• Global Sustainability Yearbook
• Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark
• Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
• Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index
• MSCI ESG Leaders Index
• FTSE4Good Index Series
CapitaLand's sustainability efforts in Viet Nam
CapitaLand Development, a development arm of CapitaLand Group, has five green-certified buildings in its portfolio in Vietnam, d’Edge Thao Dien, Feliz en Vista and Vista Verde in HCM City and Mulberry Lane and Seasons Avenue in Hanoi.
Heritage West Lake in Ha Noi and DEFINE in HCM City, two of its latest developments, are set to be green-certified after having received the Green Mark (Provisional) and Green Mark Gold (Provisional) awards respectively from Singapore’s Building & Construction Authority.
Through CapitaLand Hope Foundation, CapitaLand’s philanthropic arm, it has also built CapitaLand Hope Schools with green features. CapitaLand Tan Tay Hope Kindergarten in Long An Province was built in 2019 with local sustainable materials, comprising a two-storey classroom block with good ventilation and natural lighting for energy efficiency.