Singapore-based transport firm ComfortDelGro has appointed Jonathan Jong from professional services firm KPMG as its group chief sustainability officer.
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Jong moves into the role after almost nine years with KPMG in Singapore, where he was director of sustainability services.
He will lead the sustainability function of a company that announced on Monday that its climate targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a coalition which assesses the validity of carbon reduction goals to ensure they are in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change.
In a statement, the company said that the approval of the targets was important “because they put businesses on a clear path to reducing emissions and demonstrate that the plans are credible and realistic. Significantly, they prevent greenwashing by ensuring transparency and accountability.”
ComfortDelGro is aiming to cut its Scope 1 and 2 emissions — those from its direct and indirect emissions — by 54.6 per cent, and its Scope 3 emissions, from its full value chain, by 61.2 per cent, by 2032.
The company is the first Southeast Asian transport firm to get its targets approved by the SBTi. Ride-hailing firms Grab and Gojek announced carbon reduction plans earlier than ComfortDelGro, but they have not been approved by SBTi.
![Jonathan Jong, ComfortDelGro](https://eco-business.imgix.net/ebmedia/fileuploads/Jonathon_Jong_Grp_Sustainability_Officer-230x259_.jpg?auto=format&dpr=2&fit=max&ixlib=django-1.2.0&q=45&w=680)
Jonathan Jong, ComfortDelGro’s new sustainability chief. Image: ComfortDelGro
Jong will report to ComfortDelGro’s managing director and group chief executive Yang Ban Seng. He replaces outgoing sustainability chief Jackson Chia, who has transitioned to a new role as chief executive officer of the Private Mobility Group, a new division for ComfortDelGro’s taxi, private bus, car rental and lifestyle businesses.
Jong will manage sustainability issues across the company, which operates in seven countries and runs a global network of 35,000 vehicles.
Over his career, Jong has worked as a consultant for The Nichols Group and Qudos Consulting in the United Kingdom. He started out as a chartered engineer for consultancy Mott MacDonald.
Eco-Business management sits on the board of ComfortDelGro.