Singapore-based transport firm ComfortDelGro has appointed Jonathan Jong from professional services firm KPMG as its group chief sustainability officer.
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’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.
