EMBODIED CARBON

Embodied Carbon Emissions from Construction Materials

As part of our renewed SBTi-validated GHG reduction targets, the Group has committed to reduce the embodied carbon1 of our building materials by 41%, compared to a baseline year of 2016, by 2030. Furthermore, we anticipate that carbon-intensive construction materials, such as steel and cement, will become increasingly costly and have begun planning for the usage of more sustainable alternatives in the future. We also monitor and report the embodied carbon performance of our projects against our SBTi-validated targets. This addresses the Group’s scope 3 emissions and wider supply chain management strategy.

We have set an interim 2024 target of a 33% reduction in embodied carbon of building materials. The performance of these projects is tracked against the current interim target2, and the next interim target is raised, where necessary, to map our phased progress towards the 2030 SBTi-validated target of a 41% reduction. The Group obtained TOP for Irwell Hill Residences in 2024. Irwell Hill Residences achieved a total of 38% carbon reduction amounting to a carbon intensity of 1.02 tCO2e/m2.

Managing Impact of Top Building Materials

With cement manufacturing and steel production responsible for around 7%3 and 7% to 9%4 of global carbon emissions respectively, it is imperative to reduce reliance on these materials. We apply a circular economy approach to materials used for our development projects. To close the waste loop, recycled construction materials, such as recycled steel and concrete, are used wherever applicable. We also encourage the use of alternative low-carbon materials at our sites and are constantly exploring innovative building materials and methods to facilitate our transition to net-zero.

Since 2016, the Group has been tracking and reporting the top five building materials and embodied carbon intensities of the construction materials used in our property development to determine the wider carbon lifecycle impact of our projects. The embodied carbon emission intensities for our projects have been derived using BCA’s Carbon Calculator, based on the type and quantity of construction materials used. From 2024, our top five building materials will be reported based on its equivalent tonnage of embodied carbon emission in tCO2e.

The Company’s Green Construction Initiatives

Materials Initiatives Benefits
Concrete (Including granite, cement and fine aggregate)
  • Use SGBC or SEC-certified materials such as low-carbon and recycled concrete
  • Use recycled concrete aggregates and washed copper slag from approved sources to replace coarse and fine aggregates for concrete production
  • Use Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) where possible
  • Promote environmental conservation
  • Reduce consumption of raw materials
  • Lower carbon emissions
Steel
  • Use recycled steel in projects for reinforcement works where possible
Notes:
1 Embodied carbon refers to the carbon dioxide equivalent or GHG emissions associated with the non-operational phase of a building and has become an increasingly important area for the built environment sector to address. It includes emissions caused by extraction, manufacturing, transportation, assembly, maintenance, replacement, deconstruction, disposal and end-of-life aspects of the materials and systems that make up a building
2 Based on the lifecycle of the Group’s projects, embodied carbon data for building materials is only available upon TOP attainment
3 Cementing your lead in the green transition, McKinsey, 6 Oct 2023
4 Steel industry makes ‘pivotal’ shift towards lower-carbon production | News | Eco-Business, Eco-Business, 31 Jul 2023

CDL’s Top Five Building Materials

Please slide left to view more.

Year 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Top five building materials (tonnes) Granite 77,885 71,214 42,480 933 Top five building materials (tCO2e) Steel 136,653
Fine Aggregate (Sand) 58,921 53,046 30,546 7,374 Cement 88,582
88,582Cement 21,410 18,289 18,706 28,912 Aluminium 34,529
Steel 12,548 13,028 11,948 29,260 Glass 23,327
Ceramic & Porcelain Tiles 2,160 2,086 1,838 2,727 Tiles 8,052

 

Notes:
• Top building materials for 2024 pertains to one project which attained TOP and eight projects that were still under development, hence figures reported were based on the project design stage.

 
The Group attained a Scope 3 reduction of 52.1% absolute carbon emissions in 2024 and is on track to achieve our SBTi-validated target to reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from investments by 58.8%, including hotels owned and managed, and managed by our key subsidiary, M&C. We will continue to reduce M&C’s carbon footprint, recognising its significant contribution to our carbon emission reduction and energy efficiency initiatives.
 

Notes:
• Irwell Hill Residences achieved TOP in 2024, and the figure has been amended to reflect the actual embodied carbon intensity.
• Apart from Irwell Hill Residences, the remaining projects are based on design stage embodied carbon calculation as of Q1 2025. The final embodied carbon emissions will be verified upon the respective projects’ completion.