{"data":{"news":{"items":[{"title":"Mr.","date":"2025-03-28 22:21:42","id":5777,"author":"1","blurb":"","blurb_image_uid":"https://dxfpracgmlczp.cloudfront.net/2025/03/1743172481391_ESG-V2.jpg","blurb_expanded_image_uid":null,"article":"\n\t\n\n\n

A number of major contractors in Singapore – Expand Construction, Hi-Tek Construction, Kimly Construction, Ngai Chin Construction, Soilbuild Construction Group, Teambuild Construction Group and Wee Hur Construction – have leveraged ESGpedia in their environmental, social and governance (ESG) journey to achieve increased competitiveness in securing project tenders with sustainability criteria, amidst growing demand for a green built environment.

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“In Singapore where buildings account for 20% of national carbon emissions, the industry faces a lack of awareness, due to complex ecosystems and carbon emissions involved at every step of a building’s life cycle,” explained ESGpedia, a Singapore-based ESG data and technology solutions company serving the Asia region.

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“However, demand for greener buildings in both public and private tenders has grown significantly over the years, with the Singapore government including environmental criteria for government projects starting from 2024. Developers and construction companies face pressure to track and demonstrate their sustainability commitment, in order to maintain competitiveness in the industry and secure project tenders.”

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Benjamin Soh, founder and managing director of ESGpedia, said, “With project tenders increasingly incorporating sustainability criteria, we are delighted to have empowered these major home-grown built and construction companies in their sustainability reporting journey, boosting their competitiveness and driving their sustainability efforts with real-time data insights into their greenhouse gas emissions at a project level.

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“Greening the built environment requires collaboration amongst all developers and contractors. ESGpedia remains committed to supporting businesses in the sector towards ESG compliance and excellence.”

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Company-level sustainability reports

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Sustainability reports transparently communicate an organisation’s ESG efforts and impacts to stakeholders such as customers, investors, financiers and employees. To effectively navigate the complexities of sustainability reporting in alignment with international and local standards, Expand Construction and Hi-Tek Construction leveraged ESGpedia to generate their first company-level sustainability report, ensuring compliance with local and international standards such as GRI, ISSB, ISO and SASB.

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Having started its sustainability journey in compliance with ISO14001, Expand Construction – whose extensive portfolio includes Housing Development Board’s (HDB) public housing projects, and infrastructure projects like the ongoing NS Square at Marina Bay – was able to complete its 2024 sustainability report in approximately two weeks with ESGpedia.

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Kenneth Siew, executive director of Expand Construction, said, “ESGpedia provided us with an automated, guided and simple way to calculate our carbon emissions across Scope 1 to 3, converting operational data into emission figures, and allowing us to have better insights into our carbon emissions.”

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Hi-Tek Construction, which specialises in HDB Build-To-Order (BTO) and Home Improvement Programme (HIP) projects, also successfully completed its first inaugural sustainability report, which revealed opportunities for cost savings through technological implementation.

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Toh Chee Boon, deputy managing director of Hi-Tek Construction, explained, “We have enhanced our attractiveness and competitiveness in project tenders with ESGpedia as our sustainability reporting partner. This has led to higher success rates in securing projects, especially those with ESG requirements. Informed investment decisions are key to convincing stakeholders to invest in technologies and further sustainability initiatives, creating a roadmap for future improvement for Hi-Tek Construction.”

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Both construction companies were able to successfully publish their sustainability reports, gain better insights into their carbon emissions, work towards green certifications, and set active pathways towards their decarbonisation targets.

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Project-level embodied carbon reports

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Companies in the built environment are subject to project-level reporting, to account for the environmental impact of individual construction sites. However, the sheer scope poses complexity, with the multitude of factors that must be taken into consideration to properly account for a project’s embodied carbon, ranging from project type, to type of machinery or robots used, materials used, and more.

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Ngai Chin Construction as well as Soilbuild Construction, whose portfolio includes the Port of Singapore (PSA) Supply Chain Hub at Tuas, faced challenges in project-level reporting, from highly manual data collection methods involving excel-prone excel spreadsheets, and inconsistent data formats from suppliers and subcontractors.

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To overcome these data challenges and ensure the accuracy of disclosures, both construction companies embarked on embodied carbon emissions reporting and subcontractor engagement with ESGpedia, for their wide portfolio of projects.

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Using ESGpedia, Ngai Chin Construction was able to easily generate an embodied carbon report on a project level for an office refurbishment project it had carried out for a large corporate entity.

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Clifton Chong, sustainability lead of Ngai Chin Construction, said, “As an SME, we often lack resources and expertise to effectively measure our sustainability progress. With growing focus on sustainability from clients and the government, ESGpedia has empowered us on our sustainability journey.”

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Emission factors were seamlessly matched within the ESGpedia platform and existing environmental product declarations (EPDs) were used to ensure efficient and accurate carbon footprint assessments.

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Han Ren, executive director and group CEO of Soilbuild Construction, said, “We have always been forward-looking and interested in new clean technology that could further our decarbonisation goals on site. Having project-level reports will provide valuable insights and guide our next steps which we are excited to embark on.”

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Value chain decarbonisation

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The increased pressure on companies to manage their Scope 3 emissions and green their supply chains, has prompted construction companies to start engaging their subcontractors early to achieve full value chain visibility.

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Kimly Construction, which is involved in residential, commercial and institutional building projects, set out to work with ESGpedia with a goal to meet the regulatory deadline to disclose sustainability reports by 2027, but faced challenges in efficiently gathering data from various projects and partners.

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Teambuild Construction faced similar obstacles: collecting data from its residential projects such as Grove Spring at Yishun and Punggol at Northshore Edge was challenging for the company, complicated by the need to coordinate simultaneously with numerous subcontractors and suppliers.

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“The lack of industry benchmarks hindered our ability to effectively track and manage environmental impacts effectively,” shared Victoria Tan, deputy director of corporate development at Teambuild Construction. “The process was manually intensive, relying heavily on disparate data sources and time-consuming compilations.”

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ESGpedia worked with the construction companies to launch a co-branded portal (Kimly Construction - kimly.esgpedia.io, Teambuild Construction - teambuild.esgpedia.io, and Soilbuild Construction - soilbuild.esgpedia.io), which empowered these main contractors and developers to actively engage with their subcontractors.

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Justin Chew, senior manager of enterprise sustainability & corporate QA/QC at Kimly Construction, and head of Kimly Academy, explained that the co-branded portal allowed them to “streamline the process of empowering subcontractors to calculate their emissions, from onboarding and data collection to monitoring, overall helping us to gain better visibility and manage our full value chain emissions.”

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The construction companies were able to achieve manhour savings from reducing the need for manual data entry on behalf of their upstream vendors, and gain real-time updates for full value chain reporting.

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Ms Tan added, “ESGpedia empowered us to streamline our carbon accounting process and manage sustainability reporting more effectively. We can now actively engage our contractors, as well as collect and track their data, reducing the need for manual data entry and allowing for real-time updates and comprehensive full value chain reporting.”

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Scope 3 reporting

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HDB has announced plans to track and disclose Scope 3 emissions, with a focus on emissions from its contractors’ activities on the various HDB projects. This signals an industry move towards Scope 3 disclosures in the near future. Scope 3 emissions tracking can be a tedious process, involving companies’ subcontractors emissions.

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According to Soilbuild Construction, although it is tracking Scope 3 emissions for the first time for projects such as Tuas Port, the ESGpedia platform has made it easy to categorise carbon emissions, even breaking them down into the 15 sub-categories, which allows the company to easily identify areas of improvement.

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Kimly Construction has begun including its sustainability initiatives and reports when bidding for tenders, including its Scope 3 emissions tracking. Mr Chew said, “There are many other considerations such as price and engineering proposals that can influence the tender outcome. Nevertheless, I believe our collective sustainable strategies offer intangible advantages in recent tenders.”

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Wee Hur Construction has begun tracking Scope 3 emissions in compliance with reporting requirements for listed companies. Access to subcontractors’ sustainability data was a key challenge the team faced.

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Tay Hock Joo, chairperson of ESG committee at Wee Hur Construction, said, “ESGpedia has helped us to determine what type of data to collect for Scope 3, resolving the most challenging aspect for us. ESGpedia is a reliable platform for carbon accounting, allowing us to embark on Scope 3 reporting to fulfil tender sustainability criteria and comply with SGX listed company reporting criteria.”

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Moving forward, Scope 3 calculation and reporting will become an essential part of climate disclosures across all industries. Along with digital tools, collaboration across every stage of a business’ supply chain remains crucial for transparent and accurate disclosures.

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Growing demand for a green built environment

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In 2025, investors are expected to place a higher green premium on ESG-certified assets in Asia Pacific – especially when it comes to the acquisition and development of green buildings.

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As sustainability criteria continue to grow in government tenders, it is inevitable that these requirements will in due course spill over into the private sector, with the demand for green buildings and construction increasing over time.

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“ESGpedia has been instrumental in transforming [Teambuild Construction’s] approach to sustainability, by supporting our business in ensuring compliance with global sustainability standards,” said Ms Tan. “The enhanced accuracy in carbon footprint calculation has provided us a deeper understanding of our company’s environmental impact, enabling more efficient practices and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability in our operations.”

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It is crucial for both developers and contractors to take their first steps towards sustainability early to ensure compliance, and advantage in winning tenders and procuring business deals.

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During the Liebherr international construction trade press tour 2024, held recently in late October, the group shared more details about its sustainability strategy and showcased a number of lower-emission drive solutions as an alternative to the diesel combustion engine.

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“We want to provide our customers with carefully considered, economical and long-lasting viable alternatives to fossil-fuel engines, so that they can achieve both their performance objectives and their emissions targets,’ said Philipp Suhm, head of engineering technology coordination at Liebherr.

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Speaking to the trade media, Mr Suhm highlighted that the development work at Liebherr focuses on more than just the potential to cut CO2 emissions. Other aspects including technological maturity, availability of infrastructure, and costs of energy sources also determine how successful an alternative drive solution may be.

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“A holistic and technology neutral approach is required for future drive technology development,” he said.

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CO2 lever and technological maturity

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To identify the largest possible lever for reducing CO2 in its products, Liebherr has had the emissions of its machines scientifically analysed for their entire life cycle – right from the point of raw material extraction through to production, all the way through customer operation and on to decommissioning and recycling. Based on this analysis, the greatest cuts by far could be achieved in the operating phase. Therefore, Liebherr is concentrating its efforts and resources on developing alternative drive technologies for construction machines, cranes and mining machines.

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The breadth of alternative drive technologies is wide and Liebherr is exploring everything from HVO (hydrogenated or hydrotreated vegetable oils) and e-fuels to electrical solutions incorporating mains or battery operation and even hydrogen and ammonia. Some of these technologies are established enough that they are already in use in the short to medium term – including HVO, electric and hydrogen-based solutions. For other approaches, like ammonia, work is still needed to refine the technology.

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Infrastructure and costs

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When it comes to operating machines with alternative drives, the requisite infrastructure is a decisive factor. In the case of hydrogen, in particular, an extensive supply network and adequate filling stations are required. Electric drives also need a sufficient supply of charging stations. Liebherr is actively working to overcome these challenges. Together with its partners, the group is developing innovative solutions for mobile refuelling and a reliable supply of green hydrogen.

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The costs of the energy sources used are another key factor to be considered in the development of alternative drive solutions. According to Liebherr, countless studies agree in their predictions that ammonia will in the future be the most cost-effective, and e-fuels the most expensive, energy source. The costs for HVO, electric drives and hydrogen-based solutions fluctuate between these two poles.

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In that regard, the production of HVO is generally more cost-intensive than conventional diesel. Hydrogen technology, especially fuel cells and the infrastructure for distributing hydrogen is, by comparison, even more expensive at present. In the case of electric drives, the batteries required are cost-intensive, plus their performance can decrease over time, meaning they have to be replaced.

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In light of the influencing factors described, Liebherr is currently focusing its defossilisation efforts on its machines, especially on HVO, electric drives and hydrogen-based drives, so that they can offer a varied choice of drives to best suit the customer’s individual requirements, depending on the type and location of application of the machine in question.

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HVO and electric drives

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Most Liebherr diesel engines are already HVO-ready, meaning they can also be powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil, cutting CO2 emissions by up to 90%. For example, the group’s facilities in Germany (Liebherr-Hydraulikbagger GmbH and Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH) now deliver all machines with a tank filled with HVO.

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In terms of electric drives, the group offers a variety of solutions, such as the battery-operated L 507 E wheel loader, the ETM 1205 concrete mixer with electric drum drive, and the unplugged series of Liebherr deep foundation equipment, as well as various mains-operated machines as the material handling machines LH 40 M Port E and the LH 26 M Electric Industry. All these models produce zero emissions in operation; and if powered by renewable energy, they are completely carbon neutral in operation.

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Additionally, the Liduro Power Port (LPO) from Liebherr delivers the energy supply needed for the battery-powered machines. This mobile charging station allows electrically powered machines to be deployed even in fields of application that lack the necessary infrastructure.

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Liebherr is also working on pioneering solutions for the electrification of large machines in the mining sector, in collaboration with Australian company Fortescue. The latter recently took delivery of a total of 475 Liebherr mining machines that produce zero local emissions, making it the biggest contract in Liebherr’s 75-year history.

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Hydrogen drives

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Further to this, Liebherr is developing a hydrogen motor that facilitates zero-emission operation of machines and – if the hydrogen is generated using green electricity – can even be completely carbon-neutral in operation. In July 2024, the group introduced the L 566 H wheel loader, the world’s first prototype of a large loader with a hydrogen motor.

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Over the course of the development of the hydrogen wheel loader, Liebherr commissioned its own hydrogen filling station at its Bischofshofen, Austria plant. In partnership with the filling station developer Maximator Hydrogen, Liebherr is optimising its mobile refuelling options to allow construction machines to be supplied with hydrogen while on the building site. In addition to this, Liebherr is working with MPREIS to establish a reliable supply of green hydrogen, generated from wind, hydro or solar energy.

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At the press tour, the media had the opportunity to see the hydrogen-powered wheel loader in person. Liebherr, in partnership with construction company Strabag, is currently testing the machine in practical applications at a quarry near Graz, Austria. The project began in September 2024 and is expected to last for about two years. Over this period, Liebherr will gather valuable data in a field trial, which will serve to validate the use of hydrogen motors in large-scale construction machines.

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The potential of ammonia

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Liebherr is also researching the use of ammonia in alternative drives. Although the prospect of ammonia as a sustainable energy source is still some way off, the group believes it has the potential to play a major role in powering the world in the future. Plus, ammonia produced using green energy can serve as an efficient medium for transporting hydrogen.

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Going forward, Liebherr will continue to fine-tune its drive technologies and open up new ways of reducing CO2 emissions throughout the entire life cycle of its products. In close collaboration with its partners and the continuous further development of the infrastructure, the group is making significant investments in research and development work in all areas of drive technologies – both now and in the future.

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“We know there isn’t a one-size-fits-all drive technology,” concluded Mr Suhm. “We’re working with an open approach to technology on a wide range of different drive technologies across our portfolio of products.”

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Global formwork and scaffolding manufacturer Doka has played a key role in the development of minimum standards for calculating product carbon footprints (PCFs) – a milestone for the formwork and scaffolding industry and a further step down the road to decarbonising the construction sector.

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The PCF measures the total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) generated by a product across all its relevant material life cycle phases. It is an important tool for assessing the overall climate impact of a product and identifying levers to reduce emissions in the value chain.

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“Competitiveness, sustainability and transparency are becoming increasingly intertwined, and valid data is key to sustainable decision-makings. Two years ago, we set new standards in the formwork and scaffolding industry by fully calculating the product carbon footprint of more than 7,000 Doka products. We are proud that we have now also been able to make a significant contribution to establishing minimum standards in the industry for the first time,” said Robert Hauser, CEO of Doka.

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The Güteschutzverband Betonschalungen Europa e.V. (GSV), a European association of manufacturers, suppliers and users of formwork and scaffolding systems, set up a working group with the aim of developing a standard for the transparent quantification of a GSV product carbon footprint (GSV-PCF-Standard) for the formwork and scaffolding sector. The agreement on minimum standards, which has now been published after less than a year, is the result of intensive cooperation. With this step, Doka and its market partners are not only setting a new standard in the industry, but are also helping to establish the transparency on GHG emissions as a standard in the value chain.

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“We are delighted to have been able to contribute our many years of experience and our calculation methodology to the GSV joint working group. This industry-wide agreement between leading manufacturers brings us a big step closer to being able to better compare product carbon footprints, and thus to create a level playing field within the formwork and scaffolding industry,” added Julia Weber, head of sustainability at Doka. All PCF data for Doka formwork already complies with the GSV-PCF standard.

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For more than two years, Doka has been providing its customers with transparent data on the GHG emissions of its products. “When it comes to sustainability, facts count, not gut feelings,” emphasised Ms Weber. This is precisely the focus of Doka’s PCF initiative, which aims to support customers in their sustainability efforts – from more sustainable purchasing decisions and public tenders with CO2 budgets to calculating their own corporate carbon footprint (scope 3 emissions).

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At the same time, the PCF is an important pillar of Doka’s sustainability strategy. “We are consistently pursuing our goal of net-zero emissions by 2040, and in the long term we are striving for ever lower-emission product strategies. The data obtained from the product carbon footprint is already an integral part of the innovation process at Doka,\" said Ms Weber. “After all, transparent data is the key to sustainable construction.”

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All images: Doka

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SCG Smart Living (SCG Cement-Building Materials Co Ltd) and Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya PCL) have formed a strategic partnership to leverage each other’s strengths and expertise in accelerating actions towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and driving Thailand’s transition to a low-carbon and environment-friendly economy.

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Both partners share an objective to jointly study, develop, explore and disseminate the technological knowledge on net-zero building materials, construction solutions and platforms suitable for Thailand, in support of the national net-zero emissions goal. The knowledge will include the decarbonisation of building materials, the development of carbon sink-based products, and the development of construction solutions that significantly reduce overall carbon footprints. The results will be integrated for an improvement in the overall ecosystem, to achieve concrete reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and enhancement in the quality of life of the people.

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Wiroat Rattanachaisit, president of SCG Smart Living Business, said, “The collaboration perfectly matches SCG’s ESG guideline. SCG Smart Living aspires to explore and create innovations on low-carbon building materials and living solutions that enable energy saving among homeowners or developers as well as alternative construction platforms that can further reduce carbon emissions.”

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“The signing today marks the beginning that SCG Smart Living and Krungsri will combine and leverage our strengths in achieving the net-zero emissions goal, which becomes a global agenda,” continued Mr Rattanachaisit. “We expect the action plans based on this project will play a significant role in bolstering the knowledge and technology on building materials that improves the living standards and promoting the production of low-carbon materials. This may guide government agencies or organisations towards new policies or action plans that demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable planet.”

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Pairote Cheunkrut, chief strategy officer of Krungsri, also pointed out that this collaboration “will strengthen the process where new solutions can be created to shift the construction industry towards eco-friendly practices and accelerate actions towards the net-zero goal in a vivid and sustainable manner.”

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“With our strengths, we can offer comprehensive consultation on eco-friendly construction and financial solutions to the public and corporate customers in the value chain,” added Mr Cheunkrut. “We can support business matching via MUFG network for new business opportunities and access to innovative solutions, while exploring the opportunities for sustainable financing products to ensure carbon emission reduction from upstream to downstream.”

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YTL Cement has awarded a RM1 million research grant to the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM), a subsidiary of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia.

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This grant follows a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two organisations in April this year, highlighting their shared mission to achieve construction excellence and support of the industry’s transition to sustainable construction.

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CREAM and YTL Cement signed the MOU to collaborate in developing the local construction industry’s workforce, research and innovation, as well as enhance the understanding and adoption of sustainable construction practices among industry players.

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Dato’ Sri Michael Yeoh, managing director of YTL Cement and co-chair of the MOU steering committee, said, “As a company that has been assisting with the development of Malaysia for over 70 years, we know the importance of investing in our nation’s progress while simultaneously addressing our construction needs in a sustainable manner.

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“The RM1 million research grant reflects our steadfast dedication to supporting CREAM’s efforts in promoting industry growth with well-trained personnel, championing research and development, and advancing sustainable construction practices.\"

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Dato’ Sr Mohd Zaid Zakaria, chief executive of CIDB and co-chair of the steering committee, added, “CIDB has been championing a socially and environmentally responsible construction industry in Malaysia. However, we cannot do it alone, as partnerships with industry stakeholders and key players are paramount in making our sustainable transition a reality.

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“The collaboration between YTL Cement and CREAM represents a significant stride towards reshaping the construction industry as their efforts are crucial to accelerating change among construction industry players.”

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The RM1 million research grant will be channelled to kickstart three main initiatives:

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Construction personnel development
\n\tCREAM and YTL Cement will jointly design training and accreditation programmes for youths to be certified as concrete technicians and batchers. It is hoped that this will assist in attracting, retaining and growing skilled workers in the construction industry.
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Research and development (R&D)
\n\tCREAM will work together with YTL Cement’s team of experts to conduct R&D on lower embodied carbon alternatives in materials and construction methods.
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Support the construction sector’s transition to sustainable construction
\n\tCREAM and YTL Cement are collaborating to facilitate the adoption of sustainable construction practices in Malaysia.
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Ir. M. Ramuseren, CEO of CREAM, highlighted, “We aspire to be a globally recognised institute for research and development that drives quality, innovation, technology and skills towards achieving sustainability in the construction industry. In realising this, YTL Cement’s research grant has played a significant role in further empowering our research capabilities and efforts to meet the evolving demands of Malaysia’s construction industry.”

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Malaysia’s building materials group YTL Cement has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) to support the transition of the local construction industry to sustainable construction. CREAM is a subsidiary under the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia responsible for the research and development for the construction industry.

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YTL Cement will be supporting CIDB’s initiatives in developing the construction industry’s workforce, research and innovation, and in enhancing the understanding of sustainable construction practices among industry players.

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“This MOU marks the beginning of a meaningful collaboration between government and industry to achieve construction excellence and promote sustainable practices, in line with the nation’s 2050 carbon-neutral aspiration,” said YTL Cement.

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Datuk Ir. Ahmad ‘Asri Abdul Hamid, chief executive of CIDB, said, “CIDB is dedicated to building Malaysia’s sustainable future by developing a socially and environmentally responsible industry. Through this MOU, we hope to drive meaningful change as we develop the capacity and capability of the construction industry as well as set the standards for sustainable construction practices in Malaysia. We are glad to be able to collaborate with like-minded players like YTL Cement, as we share a common goal to future-proof the construction sector.”

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“YTL Cement has been part of Malaysia’s growth for over 70 years and we want to continue supporting the nation’s development and construction needs,” added Dato’ Sri Michael Yeoh, managing director of YTL Cement. “This collaboration gives us the opportunity to contribute our expertise and experience to support CIDB in their many initiatives.”

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The MOU between CREAM and YTL Cement focuses on three key areas: human resource development, research & development, and supporting the construction sector to transition to sustainable construction.

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Human resource development
\n\tCIDB and YTL Cement will jointly design training programmes for youths to be certified as concrete technicians and develop the training syllabus for accreditation programmes of qualified personnel in operations. It is hoped that this will assist in attracting, retaining and growing skilled workers in the construction industry.
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Research & development (R&D)
\n\tYTL Cement is offering access to its laboratory and testing facilities. CREAM will work together with YTL Cement’s team of experts to conduct R&D on lower embodied carbon alternatives in materials and construction methods.
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Support the construction sector’s transition to sustainable construction
\n\tCIDB and YTL Cement will work together to increase awareness on the embodied carbon of construction sector by providing channels for discussions and knowledge transfer among industry practitioners and experts.
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In moving forward, YTL Cement and CIDB will be forming joint working committees to drive the initiatives under these three key areas.

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Surbana Jurong has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Japan-based engineering consultant Nippon Koei and DHI Water & Environment (S) Pte Ltd, a Danish water and environment consulting company to help clients build safer and more resilient cities and townships across the globe.

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The three partners are looking to set up a Centre of Excellence leveraging the strengths of each to help clients set climate change targets and measure their performance as well as secure financing to fund sustainability projects.

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Nippon Koei has deep expertise in disaster prevention and renewable energy having participated in major public-private partnerships in urban development programmes. DHI is consultant to 140 countries in the conservation, re-distribution, quality control and flow management of water environments spanning rivers, reservoirs, oceans, coastlines, cities and factories. DHI actively collaborates in joint projects with the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

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Wong Heang Fine, group CEO of Surbana Jurong, said, “The recent COP26 meeting underscored the complexities surrounding the transition to net zero. Surbana Jurong, Nippon Koei and DHI’s partnership is a timely response to these challenges, particularly in the area of R&D innovation, financing and innovative engineering to enhance the resiliency of urban infrastructure against the threat of rising sea levels and rising temperatures.”

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Surbana Jurong highlighted that industry projections estimate that enhancing the resiliency of infrastructure could save US$4.2 trillion from climate change damages globally. The company further mentioned that the signing of this latest MOU has its roots in earlier collaborations that it entered respectively with Nippon Koei in 2020 and DHI for the last 13 years.

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Surbana Jurong and Nippon Koei have provided technical expertise for the development of the 9,450-ha New Clark City in the Philippines, a disaster management and resiliency study for Danang City in Vietnam, and also a study on the cooperation for infrastructure project formulation between Japan and Singapore undertaken for the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).

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Surbana Jurong and Nippon Koei successfully integrated vast amounts of climate and natural disaster data into traditional engineering disciplines embracing materials science, data analytics, AI and digital technology. These were used in flood visualisation, seismic, sea level rise and even landslide simulation analysis.

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Hiroaki Shinya, president and CEO of Nippon Koei, said, “Through collaboration between the three companies, we will promote projects on a global scale, mainly in Asia, where the formation of sustainable development projects through public-private partnerships is expected and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development by using comprehensive technological capabilities.”

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Mette Vestergaard, CEO of DHI, added, “The history, heritage, culture, and complementary skills and experience of our organisations position us well to offer exceptional and impactful solutions to our clients who require us to help them adapt and thrive in an uncertain world.”

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DHI has worked with Surbana Jurong for more than 13 years to formulate Singapore’s climate change framework on coastal adaptation, inland, coastal flooding as well as flood risk engineering studies at Labrador Park, Marina South, Marina East and East Coast.

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Images: Surbana Jurong

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Manitou Group has unveiled the two main targets of its 2030 low-carbon trajectory: reduce its direct and indirect carbon emissions by 46%, while reducing the CO2 emissions of machines by 34% for every hour of use.

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This approach is based on scientific data through the Science Based Targets initiative, a programme supported by the United Nations, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

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After presenting its new CSR roadmap to all stakeholders in 2021, Manitou outlines its 2030 low-carbon pathway. Constructed in line with the Science Based Targets initiative, this trajectory relies on the single international reference defined according to the reports of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).

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Using 2019 as the benchmark year, the first target applicable in scopes 1 and 2 involves reducing direct and indirect CO2 emissions by 46% by 2030 throughout all of Manitou’s worldwide locations. The second target concerns the emissions in scope 3 (value chain), with a 34% reduction in the CO2 emissions generated for every hour of use of the machines produced by the group.

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“It is an extremely important and transformative stage for the group. Climate issues are a genuine concern, but also an opportunity to reinforce our competitive edge by transitioning to a low-carbon intensity economy,” said Manitou’s president and CEO Michel Denis.

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“We are doing everything to steer the ecological transition towards a more sustainable economic model. We have set ambitious yet realistic targets that we can achieve by innovating with our customers, suppliers and employees. Eighty nine percent of our indirect emissions (scope 3) come from the use of products. It is therefore a collective approach for the whole value chain.”

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To accomplish these targets, Manitou will rely on a number of tactics: develop new electric ranges and innovate with hydrogen; continue the work undertaken in the last 10 years on the energy efficiency of equipment; reinforce eco-design with a global life cycle approach; increase the use of recycled materials in purchases of components and parts; use low-carbon solutions for upstream and downstream freight; develop the activity of spare parts from the circular economy; and reduce the energy consumption of its sites and roll out a green energy procurement programme.

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Registered on the SBTi website, Manitou’s low-carbon pathway will be studied by experts in the Science Based Targets initiative with a view to confirming it, hopefully by the end of the half-year. The group also has the opportunity to further promote this action plan during its annual CSR event ‘On the way up’

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The Danish toymaker Lego has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park Joint Venture Company Limited (VSIP) to build a new factory in Vietnam. It is planned to be the company’s first carbon-neutral factory and will include investments in solar energy generation.

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The over US$1 billion development is located on a 44-ha site in the Binh Duong province, around 50 km from Ho Chi Minh City, and will create up to 4,000 jobs over the next 15 years, said Lego. Construction is set to begin in the second half of 2022 and production is due to start during 2024.

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The new factory will feature solar panels on its roof and VSIP will build a nearby solar project on behalf of Lego. Combined, these solar parks are expected to produce enough renewable energy to match 100% of the factory’s annual energy requirements.

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Lego added that the factory will be constructed with an objective to meet a minimum standard of LEED Gold, which covers all areas of sustainability including energy, water, and waste. It will also be designed to accommodate electric vehicles and be outfitted with energy-efficient production equipment.

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Together with VSIP, Lego aims to plant 50,000 trees in Vietnam to compensate for vegetation removed during construction.

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The new factory will be Lego’s sixth manufacturing site and second in Asia. It expands the company’s global supply chain network which locates factories close to its major markets. This provides the flexibility to respond quickly to shifts in local consumer demand, shortens the supply chain, and reduces the environmental impact of shipping long distances.

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“We are very grateful for the support of the Vietnamese government in helping us achieve our ambition to build our first carbon-neutral factory. Their plans to invest in expanding renewable energy production infrastructure and a collaborative approach to working with foreign companies who are seeking to make high-quality investments, were among the factors in our decision to build here,” said Carsten Rasmussen, Lego’s chief operations officer.

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“This investment will help us to bring the power of Lego play to future generations of children. We want to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow, and it is critical that we do so by acting in the most sustainable way possible.

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“We are also looking forward to partnering with VSIP to build this state-of-the-art factory, which will directly provide thousands of jobs to the region and indirectly support local businesses and communities.”

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All images: Lego

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The world’s largest hydro-floating solar hybrid project at Sirindhorn Dam, located in the Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, has begun its commercial operation, announced the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).

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The 45-MW project aims to enhance the country’s power system security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions of around 47,000 t/yr, and provide clean energy to help mitigate global warming. It is also expected to become a new tourist attraction in the province, ready to open to the general public in early 2022.

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According to EGAT, the new plant can generate electricity from both solar power during the day and hydropower from the existing dam when there is no sunlight, or during peak power demand at night-time. Its commercial operation started on 31 October 2021.

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“The power plant is controlled and managed by an energy management system (EMS) along with a weather forecast system to increase the stability of the power system. Therefore, it can generate electricity longer and lower the limitations of renewable energy,” revealed EGAT. In the future, the Authority plans to build a renewable energy control centre that deploys artificial intelligence (AI) to increase power generation efficiency.

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The new plant includes seven sets of solar panels installed on the water surface of less than 1% of the entire reservoir. “The solar panels and floating platforms are all eco-friendly and do not affect the underwater environment,” said EGAT. “Moreover, using the existing transmission system, electrical equipment, and the water surface of Sirindhorn Dam to its full potential can help save cost and expenses, leading to lower electricity cost.”

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The solar panels were placed at an angle with space between the panel and platform so that sunlight can pass through into the water, thus not affecting the underwater environment. EGAT added that placing solar panels on the water surface also helps reduce the panels’ heat, making it 10-15% more efficient than solar panels installed on land, and reduces water evaporation in the dam by approximately 460,000 cu m/yr.

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The Authority further mentioned that by promoting the power plant as a tourist attraction, it will help create jobs and income for the community, allowing it to be sustainably self-reliant, and also stimulate the overall economy of the province.

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Due to the project’s success, EGAT will now work on the next 24-MW power plant at Ubol Ratana Dam in the Khon Kaen Province as well as other projects nationwide, totalling 15 projects to reach a total capacity of 2,725 MW. This initiative is intended to drive Thailand towards achieving its goal of net-zero emissions and becoming a sustainable low-carbon society.

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All images: EGAT

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