A forerunner in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) integration, carbon disclosure, sustainability reporting and gender equality, CDL ushered in the new year with a big bang, leading in three top global sustainability benchmarks.

BLOOMBERG’S GENDER-EQUALITY INDEX

On 16 January 2019, CDL was selected to be on the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), in recognition of its commitment to transparency in gender reporting and advancing gender diversity in the workplace. Since the global index was launched in 2018, CDL is the only Singapore real estate management and development company to be listed for two consecutive years.

Tracked by investors, the GEI uses a standardised reporting framework for public companies to disclose information on how they promote gender equality across four separate areas – company statistics, policies, community engagement, as well as products and services. Based on the extent of disclosures and achievement of best-in-class statistics and policies, reporting companies that score above a globally-established threshold are included in the GEI.

“In a traditionally male-dominated industry, CDL is honoured to be listed on the GEI for the second consecutive year. A diverse workforce enables us to make better decisions and achieve superior outcomes. Our diversity across genders, age groups, cultures and geographies has given us a strong strategic advantage and we will continue to support the professional development of all employees within our Group,” Mr Kwek said.

GLOBAL 100 MOST SUSTAINABLE CORPORATIONS IN THE WORLD

CDL has emerged the top Singapore company in the 2019 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World ranking, taking 25th place. This also makes CDL the first and only Singapore company to be listed on the Global 100 for 10 consecutive years.

Conducted by Corporate Knights, a Toronto-based international media and investment research firm, the Global 100 ranking is recognised as the world’s preeminent sustainability equity index and gold standard in corporate sustainability analysis. Announced on 22 January 2019 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, companies listed on the 2019 Global 100 ranking were selected from some 7,500 publicly listed companies—each evaluated on a set of up to 21 ESG indicators relative to their industry peers using publicly available information.

Mr Sherman Kwek, CDL Group CEO, said, “In the face of climate change and its devastating impact, businesses must embrace sustainability as one of their top priorities to mitigate climate related risks. We need to conscientiously strike the required balance between financial performance, environmental stewardship and community engagement.”

“It is a tremendous honour for CDL to be recognised as the most sustainable Singapore company in the 2019 Global 100 ranking. For over two decades, strategic ESG integration has complemented our growth and continues to unlock value for our business. We must consistently explore sustainable alternatives to improve the way we operate. Looking ahead, CDL will drive innovation to develop more sustainable buildings, increase resource efficiency, and engage our stakeholders to build a sustainable future.”

CDP GLOBAL A-LIST FOR CORPORATE CLIMATE ACTION

Also announced on 22 January 2019, CDL was the first and only Singapore real estate company on the 2018 CDP A-List, for its steadfast action on climate change and robust carbon strategy. CDP is an international non-profit that drives companies and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Every year, thousands of companies submit data about their environmental impacts, risks and opportunities to CDP for independent assessment against its scoring methodology. In 2018, companies were requested to do so by over 650 investors with over US$87 trillion in assets.

CDL’s ‘A’ score reflects the company’s comprehensive understanding of its climate-related risks and opportunities, its proactive efforts to mitigate climate change, and adoption of sustainability best practices and strategies to reduce GHG emissions.

“As governments across the world step up their commitment to climate action, businesses must also urgently transit to a low or zero-carbon economy. CDL is honoured to be recognised as a global leader for corporate climate action. We have been steadfast in our climate and carbon management strategies to reduce our carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuel. We will continue to actively engage our stakeholders to collectively reduce our environmental footprint. Together, we can accelerate climate action,” Mr Kwek said.

Please visit these links for more information on CDL’s sustainability efforts, Bloomberg GEI, Global 100, and CDP.