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CDL Chief Sustainability Officer Ms Esther An said CDL achieved a 24% reduction in carbon emissions intensity in 2022 (from 2016). The company remains on track to meet its Science Based Targets initiative-validated target of a 63% reduction (Scope 1 and 2) by 2030. From 2012 to 2022, CDL reported over S$38 million savings from energy-efficient retrofitting and initiatives across its commercial buildings.
Esther An
Shares
Her Passion
On Driving
Climate Change,
Green Building
And Sustainability
Adoption

Adding another feather to the cap, CDL’s own Chief Sustainability Officer Ms Esther An, a sustainability practitioner for over 20 years, has made it to the inaugural ‘TIME100 Climate List’ of the world’s most influential leaders driving business to real climate action.

Created by Time Magazine, a renowned American news magazine based in New York City, the list was assembled by TIME editors and reporters who sought out measurable and scalable achievements by individuals who have been making significant progress in fighting climate change. Ms An shares more about her passion on driving climate in an interview with Time Magazine, first published on 16 November 2023.

 

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government, needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

2023 is set to be the hottest year on record. In the next year, accelerating the transformation of sustainable cities and communities remains critical to advancing global climate action. Fifty-six percent of the global population lives in cities, representing 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Rapid urbanization has come at the expense of climate, nature, and the economy. Forty-four percent of global GDP in cities is estimated to be at risk of disruption from nature loss. As a global real estate company committed to “conserving as we construct” since 1995, CDL will continue to accelerate innovative and impactful climate action through collaborations with the public, private, and people sectors. Our climate will not change for the better without a critical mass to drive sustainable policies and practices towards a sustainable future.


Taking pride in driving corporate climate activism: Ms An is pictured here with senior management and staff from CDL and the Hong Leong Group of companies in a tour of the “Melting Ice, Sinking Cities” Climate Action Exhibition, opened in June this year at the CDL Green Gallery

Where should climate activism go in the next year?

I take pride in advancing corporate climate activism to raise awareness about and adoption of green building and sustainability in our large community of stakeholders. Next year, activism should focus on waking up individual consumers’ consciousness on responsible consumption. When the demand for green products rises, responsible production will accelerate. We need to reach out to the masses for collaborative action. CDL’s zero-energy Singapore Sustainability Academy and Green Gallery are pioneering ground-up facilities that have effectively reached out to hundreds of thousands of stakeholders to support climate action.

What’s the most important climate legislation that could pass in the next year?

Nations that make net-zero pledges should have their commitments regulated so that stakeholders are empowered to scrutinize corporate sustainability initiatives and push for more progress.

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