Environment
Sustainability
Environmental, social, and corporate governance issues are becoming increasingly important to investors and other stakeholders. We believe that corporate sustainability creates long-term value for our Unitholders through opportunities and appropriate management of risks arising from environmental, social and governance issues.
Our approach to sustainability incorporates considerations relating to:
We take sustainability issues seriously and CMT continues to be included in the FTSE4Good Global Index, which was designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards.
In September 2011, CMT was rated a Regional Leader in Environmental Management System in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB). The Benchmark is based on an annual survey by the GRESB Foundation to assess the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios around the globe.
Environment
To ensure that our actions in operating CMT's properties are environmentally friendly and that we follow green practices in the office, we have adopted an Environmental Management System (EMS) which was certified to the ISO 14001 international standards in 2007. We review new or update existing legal requirements for the EMS every quarter and evaluate compliance annually.
We have adopted the guidelines used by CapitaMalls Asia Limited (CMA), our sponsor. We strive to implement the Green Buildings Guidelines (GBG) used by CMA at all stages of a project, from the feasibility, design, procurement and construction to operation stages.
We use an Environmental Tracking System (ETS), developed in-house by CapitaLand Limited, to track the monthly energy usage, water usage, carbon dioxide emission and waste generation for CMT's properties.
Our long-term energy and water reduction targets (using 2008 as base year) are:
- To reduce energy and water usage by 15.0% by 2015
- To reduce energy and water usage by 20.0% by 2020
We achieved a reduction of 20.0% in energy usage per gross floor area (GFA) from 21.24 kilowatt hour per square metre (kWh/m2) per month in 2008 to 16.98 kWh/m2 per month in 20111.
Water usage per GFA in 2011 was also lower by 14.1% at 0.189 cubic metres per square metre of GFA per month, compared to 0.22 cubic metres per square metre of GFA per month in 2008, after adjusting for shopper traffic count at the properties1.
- The energy and water usage levels in 2008 were measured for 10 of CMT's properties while the figures in 2011 were based on 13 of CMT's properties. The measurements excluded those properties undergoing asset enhancement works and those properties which have been in operation for less than 12 months.
Showcase of a Green Building: JCube
Sustainable issues were central to our construction plans for JCube and we are pleased it was awarded Green Mark Platinum, the highest accolade for green building certification in Singapore, from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in May 2011.
JCube is located at the site of the former Jurong Entertainment Centre (JEC) at the intersection of Jurong East Central 1 and Jurong Gateway Road. It is strategically located near Jurong East MRT Station and bus interchange. The former JEC was demolished in early 2010 and the new mall, JCube, consists of five levels of retail, two basement levels of car park, a rooftop landscaped plaza, movie theatres and will feature Singapore's first Olympic-size ice rink. It is expected to open in April 2012.
Key environmental measures at JCube:
- Estimated energy savings: 8,793,984 kWh/year; estimated water savings: 3,419 m3/year; ETTV: 38.06 W/m2
- Air-conditioning system with an efficiency of 0.66 kW/ton
- Use of photovoltaic panels to harness renewable energy and increase energy savings
- Use of siphonic rainwater discharge system
- Practice of green demolition for the former JEC
- Use of recycled aggregate for structural concrete
- Use of rainwater harvesting for irrigation system
- Recycling of tenancy works sprinkler water
- Recycling of air handling unit condensate water
- Use of titanium dioxide coating for toilets
- Non-chemical anti-termite treatment
- Car park guidance system and hybrid car park lots
- Green lease - to control energy usage of tenants, to participate in building's food waste recycling programme and encourage use of SGLS-labelled materials and water efficient sanitary fittings
- Green education through signages and media display
Green Initiatives
From January to June 2011, 13 of CMT's properties participated in CapitaLand's Green for Hope programme to raise funds for underprivileged children. For every kilogramme of recyclable waste collected from the properties and tenants, CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF) donated S$2 to charities. This initiative has also created opportunities for us to engage our tenants to come together for more than just business. CHF is CapitaLand's philanthropic arm which was established to support programmes for the shelter, education and healthcare needs of underprivileged children in Singapore and overseas.
In conjunction with the global 'Earth Hour' campaign, a 'green' party was held at Clarke Quay on 25 March 2011 for all CMT staff to celebrate CMT's green award achievements. We showcased some of the interesting green initiatives that have been initiated at our malls, as part of our efforts to inculcate environmental awareness among staff.
CMT's properties marked the global 'Earth Hour' campaign by switching off their facade lights and non-essential lighting for extended hours through the night, beginning 8.30pm on 26 March 2011. This is the fourth year that we are participating in this annual global sustainability movement to promote awareness of energy conservation.
In 2011, to improve productivity levels and allow for paperless filing, we implemented an iPhone application, iTrack, for all CMT's properties. This application which we customised in-house, allows us to receive real-time updates on the operational readiness of the maintenance and cleaning systems in our malls every morning before the malls open for the day.
To improve shoppers' experiences at CMT's malls, we constantly seek to improve air quality through mechanical ventilation and the introduction of fresh air and air fresheners where appropriate. We also enhance visual comfort for shoppers by adjusting brightness levels within different parts of each mall.
In 2011, CMT garnered four Green Mark awards from BCA. The BCA Green Mark was introduced in January 2005. It is a scheme that assesses the environmental performance and impact of buildings and promotes energy efficiency, water savings, a healthier indoor environment and waste reduction.
Green Awards Achieved To Date
