Singapore, 4 February 2021 – CapitaLand’s inaugural CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge (CSXC) that was launched in November 2020 has secured over 270 entries from more than 25 countries to date. Given the overwhelming response, the deadline for submissions is extended to 17 February 2021. The CSXC will offer winners and finalists access to its partners’ global innovation programmes, where they get to connect with potential investors and business partners, receive expert advice and be exposed to potential business opportunities to accelerate the growth of their businesses.
Winners will also have the chance to showcase their innovations to senior global business leaders, investors and policymakers at the annual Ecosperity Week[1] organised by Temasek, a lead partner of the CSXC. This adds to the S$50,000 prize to fund their projects, access to CapitaLand’s business leaders and an exclusive opportunity to pilot and implement innovations at selected CapitaLand properties in over 220 cities and over 30 countries.
Since its launch, the CSXC’s global call for sustainability innovation within the built environment has garnered support from over 50 partners. CSXC’s international partners range from government agencies to the business community, industry experts, venture capitalists, financial institutions as well as institutes of higher learning.
Senior leaders from CSXC’s strategic partners, Taronga Ventures, Bain & Company, Access Cities, Luminaries Lab, Planet Rise and Wavemaker Partners will join CapitaLand business leaders in providing mentorship and coaching for the finalists, and working with them on their business positioning in the lead up to the Grand Finale of the CSXC in May 2021. Partners such as Rocky Mountain Institute and the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore will offer their technical expertise in the assessment and shortlist of submissions received. For the full list of partners, please see Annex A.
“We are excited about accelerating the solving of sustainability challenges in the built environment through innovation and collaboration. The CSXC is the first sustainability-focused innovation challenge by a Singapore real estate company on a global scale. It offers individuals and companies opportunities to testbed and operationalise their sustainability innovations in CapitaLand’s properties across more than 220 cities in over 30 cities. Through our international network, we are also connecting the winners and finalists with leading corporations and experts in sustainability. We are grateful for the support of our partners. As a lead partner, Temasek’s expertise and resources will open more doors for the winners and finalists of the CSXC. Our participants will also have the rare opportunity to gain insights, learn from the experience and even tap into the resources of our expert partners, fostering an active community of like-minded sustainability changemakers. We look forward to receiving more impactful and scalable innovations from across the world.”
- Ms Lynette Leong, Chief Sustainability Officer for CapitaLand Group
Dr Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer for Temasek said: “To mitigate the impact of climate change, we need urgent and radical decarbonisation. The built environment contributes close to 40% of global carbon emissions and is a key part of the puzzle. Industry and government must work together to fundamentally rethink the way buildings are designed, built and operated in order to greatly reduce carbon emissions. As a long-term investor committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we are delighted to partner CapitaLand to catalyse and support innovations to decarbonise the built environment through the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge, and help meet their sustainability targets.”
Mr Jonathan Hannam, Managing Partner at Taronga Ventures said: “We are delighted to partner with CapitaLand on leading this crucial sustainability challenge. As a venture investment firm backed by institutional capital, we are focused on supporting emerging technology companies that drive sustainability across the real estate sector. We hope to see some very compelling solutions surfaced through this challenge.”
Join the CSXC before 17 February 2021 at www.capitalandsustainabilityxchallenge.com
The CSXC has attracted the participation of more than 270 innovators and organisations from over 25 countries, seeking to create a more sustainable built environment. Participants can join the CSXC by submitting their proposed innovation to address any of the seven challenge statements developed by CapitaLand to meet its global sustainability and business needs. For more information on the challenge statements, please see Annex B.
From the submissions received, six finalists will be shortlisted to undergo a coaching and mentorship programme, culminating in a Grand Finale where winners will be chosen for two awards, the ‘High Impact Award’ and the ‘Most Innovative Award’.
The projects will be assessed based on their impact, potential outcomes, and depth of innovation. They should also be scalable and effectively deployed across the geographies that CapitaLand operates in and across its diverse asset types.
The CSXC is a part of CapitaLand’s 2030 Sustainability Master Plan which details the Group’s sustainability strategies and goals over the next 10 years. For more information on CapitaLand’s Sustainability Master Plan, please visit: www.capitaland.com/sustainability.html.
[1] The annual Ecosperity Week is one of Temasek’s key engagement platforms to foster dialogue and catalyse innovative solutions for sustainability issues. The Week gathers global business leaders, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs and academics to exchange views and share best practices on sustainable development as well as to drive action for a clean and green future.
Annex A – List of partners for the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge
Lead Partner:
Temasek
Strategic Partners:
Taronga Ventures
Bain & Company
Access Cities
HSBC
Luminaries Lab
Planet Rise
Wavemakers Partners
Selection Panel Partners:
ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations
Building and Construction Authority (BCA)
Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES)
Mott MacDonald
National Environment Agency (NEA)
Rocky Mountain Institute
Tsinghua x-lab
Outreach Partners:
Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations (AGNIi)
Anthill Ventures
APAC Startup Ecosystem Community (ASEC)
Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)
Bridge+
Centre of Liveable Cities (CLC)
CEMEX Ventures
Circular Cities Asia
Circular Economy Club (CEC) Singapore
ClimateLaunchpad
EcoLabs Centre of Innovation for Energy
ENGIE Factory
Enterprise Singapore
German Entrepreneurship Asia
Global Compact Network Singapore
Global Green Connect
Global Urban Village
GoMassive Earth Network
Golden Gate Ventures
Impact Hub
InnoSpace
IPI Singapore
Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
LEVEL3
New Energy Nexus
Nordic Innovation House, Singapore
Padang & Co
Reneum Institute
SGInnovate
Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC)
Solar Impulse Foundation
Startup India
Tech For Impact
TechNode Global
The Royal Danish Embassy in Singapore
The Work Project
United Kingdom Department for International Trade
For more information, please visit: https://www.capitaland.com/international/en/about-capitaland/sustainability/sustainabilityxchallenge/partners.html
Annex B – The seven challenge statements of the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge
Theme 1: Low carbon transition
1) How might we achieve onsite clean energy solutions for existing buildings?
2) How might we achieve significant reduction in energy consumption for existing buildings?
As part of its Sustainability Master Plan, CapitaLand has set ambitious carbon reduction targets which include a 78%[2] reduction in carbon emissions intensity by 2030. CapitaLand also seeks to reduce its energy consumption intensity at its operating properties by 35%[3] and increase the proportion of total electricity consumption from renewable sources to 35% by 2030. CapitaLand also aims to green its entire global portfolio by 2030.
To achieve these goals, CapitaLand is seeking onsite clean energy innovations to attain significant reduction in carbon emissions while presenting a strong case on efficiency, effectiveness, and commercial viability. The innovations should be suitable for deployment within a limited space at CapitaLand’s existing properties. CapitaLand also seeks innovations and technologies to strive towards super-low energy use without compromising on occupant experience. Outcomes should be measurable and achieve beyond the highest ratings in green building standards across the globe.
Theme 2: Water conservation and resilience
3) How can we adopt new ways of managing water in existing properties in order to detect abnormalities in the water usage pattern and/or leakages?
4) How might we reduce potable water usage in existing buildings with water harvesting and/or recycling methods?
CapitaLand has raised its water consumption intensity reduction target to 45%2 for its operating properties in its Sustainability Master Plan. To improve water efficiency and reduce water wastage at CapitaLand’s properties, the challenge seeks innovations that can accurately detect and diagnose abnormal water usage and provide leak prevention solutions in a cost-effective manner. CapitaLand is also exploring the deployment of innovative solutions to harvest and/or recycle alternative sources of water (e.g. rainwater, greywater) while taking into consideration the existing infrastructure of the building.
Theme 3: Waste management and the circular economy
5) How might we better segregate waste at source for recycling or treatment?
6) What is a viable circular economic solution that CapitaLand can introduce to manage resources and waste across CapitaLand properties and construction sites?
In the Sustainability Master Plan, CapitaLand also aims to achieve a 25% recycling rate at its operating properties and to divert 75% of its construction waste away from the landfill. CapitaLand seeks to explore new solutions and technologies that can be deployed to reshape consumer behaviour and incentivise waste segregation for more effective recycling or treatment. CapitaLand also seeks innovations for circularity to reduce pressure on the environment, improve security of raw materials supply and deliver long-term economic value.
Theme 4: Healthy and safe buildings
7) How might we improve indoor air quality (IAQ) to enhance wellness of users in our existing buildings?
The well-being of staff, residents, shoppers, tenants and the public at CapitaLand’s properties is a key priority. With recent challenges such as COVID-19, haze and air pollution, the importance of air quality has come to the fore. Deploying technology to improve IAQ on a large scale, as well as tracking IAQ data and measuring its benefits would be essential. CapitaLand seeks scalable, cost-efficient and low-carbon solutions to clean, monitor and manage the indoor air quality accurately and efficiently.
[2] Targets are relative to 2008 as a baseline.
[3] For operational properties at the end of 2019. Excludes properties from the former Ascendas-Singbridge.
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