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Two WorldGBC Corporate Advisory Board members join the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment
The leading initiative focused on climate action in the built environment, WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment) challenges businesses and organisations across the world to decarbonise their building portfolios.
The Commitment, founded in 2018, is part of WorldGBC’s global Advancing Net Zero programme, helping signatories eliminate operational carbon emissions from their buildings by 2030 and advocating for all buildings to be net zero carbon in operation by 2050.
We are proud to welcome two of our Corporate Advisory Board (CAB) members to the Commitment, Siemens AG and City Developments Limited (CDL), signalling their global industry leadership to accelerate the Race to Zero and combat climate change.
Siemens
Siemens was the world’s first major industrial company to publicly commit to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. In 2020, they achieved their interim target by reducing their carbon footprint across operations by more than half (54%) between 2014 and 2020. Since fiscal 2014, Siemens has reduced CO2 emissions by nearly 1.2 million metric tonnes, compared to 2014.
Siemens is already a strong advocate for climate action with both their own carbon neutral 2030 commitment and membership in advocacy groups, like the WEF CEO Climate Leaders Alliance, Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition and three initiatives hosted by The Climate Group, RE100, EP100 and EV100. The company intends to use channels such as these and the Commitment to advocate for the importance of building energy efficiency.
Ruth Gratzke, President of Siemens Smart Infrastructure US:
“Siemens is committed to improving both our customers’ and our own energy productivity and efficiency. As the newest member of the EP100 coalition, we look forward to joining other leading companies in the mission to accelerate the use of energy management systems, clean energy sources and smart building technologies.”
CDL
A global real estate company with a presence spanning 106 locations in 29 countries and regions, CDL is recognised as one of the most sustainable companies globally. Riding on its firm commitment to decarbonisation, CDL was the first real estate developer in Singapore and the first real estate conglomerate in Southeast Asia to sign the Commitment.
To accelerate the development of low-carbon and climate-resilient buildings, CDL will leverage smart technologies and emerging innovations, retrofit its managed buildings to further enhance energy efficiency, and ramp up the transition to renewable energy. Plans are currently underway to roll out Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Super Low Energy-certified buildings in Singapore by 2023.
As Singapore’s real estate and green building pioneer, CDL has amassed a portfolio of 110 BCA Green Mark certified developments and office interiors by BCA, since the launch of its Green Mark scheme in 2005. This makes CDL the most awarded BCA Green Mark Platinum developer and residential developer in the private sector.
Mapped out in CDL’s Future Value 2030 sustainability blueprint launched in 2017, its reduction targets for carbon emissions, energy and water usage, and waste disposal are aligned with global and national sustainability goals.
Mr Sherman Kwek, CDL Group Chief Executive Officer:
“CDL recognises that decarbonisation is a critical step towards global climate action and this is especially relevant to the building and construction sector which accounts for a significant amount of carbon emissions. Our pledge to the WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment marks a key milestone in our sustainability journey as we take affirmative action to support the global agenda towards net zero by 2050. Taking this bold step forward reinforces our climate mitigation and adaptation efforts to build a more sustainable future in Singapore and abroad.”
The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment
As the leading initiative focused on climate action in the built environment, the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment continues to grow exponentially. Complementing initiatives such as the Race To Zero and Science Based Targets, the Commitment’s signatories take action to achieve an operationally net zero carbon portfolio by 2030 or earlier, and demonstrate annual progress via reporting and verification protocols. For eligible signatories, the Commitment acts as a pathway to membership of the global EP100 initiative from the Climate Group. EP100 brings together energy-smart companies doing more with less energy to lower emissions and improve their productivity.
As of February 2021, the Commitment has a total of 132 signatories, with 98 businesses & organisations, 28 cities and six states & regions. The businesses and organisations signed up to the Commitment now account for over 5 million (tCO2e) of portfolio emissions.
Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council:
“As WorldGBC and our partners work to ensure buildings take centre stage at COP26 through a monumental ‘Built Environment and Cities Day’, we are thrilled to welcome two CAB members as signatories to the Commitment. In recognition of their pioneering market leadership and dedication to net zero, these organisations demonstrate the radical collaboration we need to secure a sustainable and more equitable future. The next step is to show how these targets are applied in practice to build resilience towards the impacts of the climate crisis.”