CapitaLand Group supports Earth Hour in 20 countries

CapitaLand Group supports Earth Hour in 20 countries

SINGAPORE - 230 of CapitaLand Limited's properties worldwide will be participating in World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) Earth Hour 2014 on Saturday, March 29. This is the seventh year that the Group is participating in the annual global sustainability movement to show its commitment towards protecting the environment.

Among the 230 venues include JCube, Capital Tower, Raffles City Tower, Six Battery Road, One George Street, Twenty Anson and Wilkie Edge in Singapore.

Participating properties will be turning off their façade lights and non-essential lighting for extended hours throughout the night, beginning 8.30pm (local time) on Saturday. Emergency lighting and security systems will function normally to ensure that safety and security are not compromised.

The Group has reiterated its support for Earth Hour, pledging to go 'beyond the hour' with year-long sustainability initiatives.

Mr Tan Seng Chai, Chairman, CapitaLand Sustainability Steering Committee and Group Chief Corporate Officer, CapitaLand Limited, said: "CapitaLand was one of the first companies in Singapore to support WWF Earth Hour in 2007 and we are pleased to play our part for the seventh year with year-long sustainability activities. Leveraging our international portfolio of properties across 20 countries, we hope our commitment to WWF Earth Hour will inspire companies to share our focus on protecting the environment."

During the dry spell in Singapore, more than 30 CapitaLand Group properties made special efforts to save water which included the shutting off of external water features and the postponement of non-essential cleaning such as façade and carpark cleaning.

A majority of the Group's Singapore properties with external water features, including Bugis Junction and Clarke Quay, temporarily shut off these features. Regardless of the dry spell, the Group continuously taps innovative technology in its effort to conserve water, with features such as water condensation recovered from AHUs (air-handling units), water recycling and rainwater harvesting at many of its Singapore properties.

Apart from shutting off its non-essential lighting at its properties in support of Earth Hour every year, the Group has adopted LED lighting technology at most of its shopping malls, office buildings and serviced residences in Singapore to reduce its energy usage.

Despite higher upfront costs, energy savings from installing LED lighting can range from 30 per cent to 85 per cent. Alongside the adoption of LED lighting, CapitaMalls in Singapore have also extended their recycling activities beyond paper, plastic and metal recyclable waste to include light bulbs for tenants during store renovation, and during CapitaMalls Asia's asset enhancement initiatives and regular maintenance. In 2013, more than 15,000 light bulbs were collected across 11 CapitaMalls in Singapore, amounting to over 4.5 tonnes of glass and more than 5.5 tonnes of metal for recycling.

In 2012, CapitaLand Group registered cost avoidance in excess of $35 million for utilities since 2009, and increased operational efficiency (per square metre) since 2008 with reductions in energy and water usage by 11.7 per cent and 16.1 per cent respectively. It has also reduced its carbon emission intensity by 16 per cent since 2008 during the same period.

 

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