NATURAL CAPITAL

REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

CDL is dedicated to mitigating the negative impact of our developments. We are also committed to complying with all applicable EHS legal requirements enforced by local authorities, such as BCA, NEA, PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Through constant monitoring, evaluation and auditing of our ISO 14001 and ISO 45001-certified EHS management systems, CDL actively ensures that all our activities and operations comply with existing regulatory requirements.

Managing Water Discharge at Construction Sites

The discharge of wastewater into public sewerage system and open drains, canals and rivers are strictly regulated by PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency and NEA. To ensure that Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) readings of the discharged water do not exceed the legal limit of 1,000 mg/litre and 50 mg/litre respectively¹, CDL works closely with all our contractors to track the quality of water discharged into public sewerage and drainage systems. At all our construction sites, Earth Control Measures (ECM) are implemented to prevent silt from polluting our waterways. In the incidence of exceeded TSS readings, prompt corrective actions are taken to rectify the issue. CDL will continue to work with contractors to increase vigilance in the management of water discharge.

Managing Vector and Pest Control at Construction Sites

Recognising that construction sites could potentially become environments for mosquito breeding and rodent infestation, CDL works closely with our main contractors to ensure that effective systems are in place to prevent pests and curb dengue transmission around our worksites.

The ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system and CDL 5-Star EHS Assessment provide a risk management framework to identify and mitigate the risks associated with vector and pest control at construction sites. Apart from ensuring that our contractors schedule and conduct regular housekeeping on-site, we require that they maintain comprehensive pest surveillance and control programmes. We actively engage our contractors and their workers through awareness-building and educational talks to ensure effective vector control and minimise incurring fines for vector breeding.

Managing Impact on Communities

We provide avenues for the public to raise enquiries or feedback on EHS-related matters. Hotlines managed by our appointed main contractors are set up and made publicly available at all construction sites. Upon receiving EHS-related feedback such as noise or dust nuisance to the community, the site management will implement controls in the surrounding area to address the feedback and prevent further incidences.

In Singapore, NEA regulates the noise levels from construction sites, with a set of permissible noise limits that vary depending on the time of day and type of neighbouring premises. To protect the well-being of nearby residents, our main contractors must comply with the construction noise limits at all our construction sites. To minimise noise-related complaints, our main contractors are encouraged to implement an active management programme and undertake necessary actions to address related complaints. Schedules of the progress at each site are also communicated to the community to apprise them of upcoming works.

EDUCATING EMPLOYEES ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

We believe that environmental awareness and training for employees can be a catalyst for positive change. Our dedication to the development of employee awareness and environmental preservation has led us to design environmental training and content that fulfil the following objectives:

• Build awareness on environmental issues
• Develop shared vision for a sustainable future
• Empower positive actions

We cover various topics including general management and construction management of energy, waste and water. Our employees are introduced to national energy, water and waste management, and the correlations between individual actions, work and the environment.

In 2023, as part of CDL’s company-wide initiative to educate employees on waste management, we have developed and delivered content on CDL’s responsible waste management and disposal techniques for waste generated from our construction sites and managed buildings. This includes sharing on the company’s annual waste reduction targets, the partners and stakeholders we work with to collect, treat, segregate, and recycle waste.

Incidents of Non-compliance

All instances of non-compliance to EHS regulatory requirements are taken into account by CDL. In 2022, six environmental fines and two safety fines were imposed on our main contractors across eight construction sites. Three environmental fines were for performing construction activities above the noise limit. Four stop-work orders (SWO) were issued by NEA for mosquito breeding, where CDL’s main contractors received environmental fines for three of these SWOs. One safety-related SWO was issued by MOM for lorry crane lifting activities following the accident at Copen Grand. Immediate actions were taken to resolve these issues.

To prevent future occurrences of non-compliance, we have reviewed and streamlined our current processes to improve and tighten our EHS practices. Since 2001, the CDL 5-Star EHS Assessment System—an independent audit tool to assess, measure, and improve the main contractors’ EHS management and performance—was put in place to ensure a comprehensive, audited, and appraised approach to manage and mitigate EHS risks.