11 award winners among increased nominations at 2024 Sustainability Impact Awards

City Developments Limited named the Impact Enterprise of the Year under the Large Enterprise category

Singapore, 26 September 2024 – Eleven individuals and enterprises were recognised for demonstrating leadership to advance sustainability at the Sustainability Impact (SI) Awards 2024, jointly organised by The Business Times (BT) and UOB. Into its second year, the awards ceremony was held at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, where President Tharman Shanmugaratnam was the Guest-of-Honour.

The awards honour and recognise individuals and enterprises whose sustainability efforts have made a substantial impact on both the environment and society. This year, there was an increase of about 20 per cent in nominations received for the awards.

City Developments Limited was named the Impact Enterprise of the Year under the Large Enterprise category for its capacity building and thought leadership in climate action. The property developer has, with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, built a sustainability academy that has hosted more than 1,000 advocacy events and reached out to 34,500 in-person visitors. Three other large enterprises – Keppel Ltd, Sentosa Development Corporation, and UOL Group-Pan Pacific Hotels Group (UOL-PPHG) were also presented the Impact Enterprise Excellence Award for their sustainability initiatives.

Among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), BlueAcres Pte Ltd stood out with its unique blend of environmental and social impact. The company enables individuals with moderate autism to acquire farming skills – allowing them to be part of the society while alleviating Singapore’s labour shortage on farms. Three other SMEs – Edible Garden City, Ground-Up Initiative, and Seven Clean Seas, also received the Impact Enterprise Excellence Award for their diverse range of sustainability efforts.

Under the Individual category, Chief Sustainability Officer at City Developments Limited, Ms Esther An, was named the Impact Leader of the Year for pioneering sustainability advocacy. Ms An chairs the Sustainability Reporting Advisory Committee which helps shape national regulations for sustainability reporting. She is the only Singaporean representative on the board of the Global Reporting Initiative, an international independent standards organisation that helps businesses and organisations take responsibility for their impacts.

Two other sustainability champions, Mr Cheng Hsing Yao and Mr Jeffrey Sim, clinched the Individual Excellence Award. Mr Cheng Hsing Yao, Group Chief Executive Officer of property developer, GuocoLand, and Director of Discover Tanjong Pagar, was recognised for his contributions to Singapore’s urban landscape. Mr Jeffrey Sim, Group Chief Executive Officer of SBS Transit, was honoured for his incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into the operations of the transport company.

BT editor Ms Chen Huifen said, “In today's evolving business landscape, sustainability is no longer optional—it is imperative. Through the Sustainability Impact Awards, we are not just acknowledging sustainability achievements, but also challenging ourselves and others to push the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable innovation. By honouring these exemplary efforts, we hope to inspire others to take meaningful action towards a more responsible future.”

Mr Wee Ee Cheong, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, UOB, said, "UOB is committed to be a catalyst for change in our collective drive to build a sustainable future. As a responsible financial steward, we collaborate with ecosystem partners to provide innovative solutions to support our customers in their sustainability journey. By extending our efforts to the wider community, we hope the Sustainability Impact Awards will inspire more individuals and companies to create lasting, positive impact."

The Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore Business School is the Knowledge Partner for SI Awards.

More information on SI Awards can be found at https://bt.sg/siawards.

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ANNEX

Recipient List for 2024 Sustainability Impact Awards

Winners' Citation

In the individual category, Ms Esther An was recognised for her pioneering sustainability advocacy. An, who is chief sustainability officer at City Developments, chairs the Sustainability Reporting Advisory Committee – which helps shape national regulations for sustainability reporting. She is also the only Singaporean representative on the board of the Global Reporting Initiative, an international independent standards organisation.

Excellence awards were also given to:

• Mr Cheng Hsing Yao, group chief executive of property developer GuocoLand and a director of Discover Tanjong Pagar (DTP), for his contributions to Singapore's urban landscape. Under his leadership, GuocoLand has prioritised energy efficiency, greenery and community in its developments; while DTP has committed to various community engagements.

• Mr Jeffrey Sim, group chief executive of SBS Transit (SBST), for his incorporation of environmental, social and governance considerations into the operations of the transport company. SBST has implemented a chilled water cooling system at its Downtown Line stations and utilised artificial intelligence to optimise train schedules.

Among the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), BlueAcres impressed with its unique blend of environmental and social impact. The company has enabled individuals with moderate autism to acquire farming skills – allowing them to be part of society while also alleviating Singapore's labour shortage on farms.

Excellence awards were also given to:

• Edible Garden City, an urban farmer that last year employed five autistic adults and one ex-offender. Employees supply produce to 90 restaurants weekly. The company has built more than 270 urban edible gardens, and recently sponsored an edible therapeutic garden for Tan Tock Seng Hospital's postoperative patient recovery programme.
  
• Ground-Up Initiative, which serves underprivileged individuals and communities. It supplies organic agricultural produce to community kitchens, and works with corporate sponsors to up-cycle wood waste into furniture for underprivileged households.
  
• Seven Clean Seas, a waste management and environmental restoration company that has extracted 3,090,390 kg of plastic from the ocean. It pioneered and operates a plastic credits system that quantifies plastic footprints for businesses and events. This allows these businesses or events to be plastic neutral by funding the removal of an equivalent amount of ocean-bound plastic.

In the large enterprises category, City Developments Limited stood out for its capacity building and thought leadership in climate action. The property developer has, with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, built a sustainability academy that has hosted over 1,000 advocacy events and reached out to 34,500 in-person visitors.

Excellence awards were also given to:

• Keppel Ltd., which is actively involved in Singapore's sustainable urban renewal. The asset management company is test-bedding emerging green building technologies to improve energy efficiencies. At the corporate level, it has also transformed its business model with a commitment to sustainability.
  
• Sentosa Development Corporation, which was instrumental in the development of the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network. Founded by 17 members with the aim of making the island of Sentosa carbon neutral by 2030, the business allowance now has over 30 organisations and covers more than 95 per cent of the island's carbon emissions.
  
• A joint submission from UOL Group & Pan Pacific Hotels Group (UOL-PPHG), as the first Singapore hospitality group to achieve the Global Sustainable Tourism Council's Multi-Site certification across all their hotels and serviced suites in Singapore. Their Parkroyal Collection of sustainable hotels has inspired sustainable building practices within the hospitality industry as well as throughout the building industry's value chain.