Key 3P and Community Initiatives
Besides contributing to the development of Singapore’s built environment, CDL also actively gives back to society and strives to build a cohesive, caring and vibrant community. As an industry leader and strong sustainability advocate, CDL is committed to making a difference in society by providing continuous support and amplifying positive impact through our outreach programmes in these key areas:
Promoting Environmental Awareness and Zero Waste
| Key initiatives | Outcomes and Impact |
| 7th Asia Environment Lecture featuring Dr Jane Goodall and Fundraising Dinner for Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore), November 2019 |
CDL supported the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) (JGIS) in fundraising through two events featuring Dr Jane Goodall in Singapore. The JGIS Fundraising Gala Dinner, held on 26 November 2019 at Grand Copthorne Waterfront, was attended by some 300 guests, comprising many C-suites of leading businesses and senior officials of public and international agencies. In partnership with NUS, CDL supported the 7th Asia Environment Lecture on 28 November 2019, where Dr Goodall shared her six-decade conservation journey to a 1,700-strong crowd at the NUS University Cultural Centre. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Heng Swee Keat graced the lecture. |
| EcoBank & Fashion3R – An annual CDL and Eco-Business initiative, at City Square Mall, 1 to 3 March 2019 |
Launched in 2016, this annual initiative brings the 3P sectors together to break the typical ‘take, use and dispose’ cycle and promote a mindset of responsible consumption. Through EcoBank 2019, about 18.5 tonnes of pre-loved toys, clothes, books and household items were collected for a fundraising bazaar while unsold items were contributed to The Salvation Army and Embodhi Foundation to benefit donation recipients in Sri Lanka, India and Vietnam.
To raise awareness about pollution caused by the fashion industry, CDL partnered with The Fashion Pulpit to organise an eco-fashion runway as part of the EcoBank Bazaar opening on 2 March 2019. The event featured Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Amy Khor as well as six lady eco-champions who wore upcycled outfits designed by The Fashion Pulpit and made from Ecobank donated clothing. From 2016 to 2019, about 55 tonnes of pre-loved toys, clothes, books and household items were collected, reducing about 25,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by diverting these items from the incinerator or landfill. More than 1,300 volunteers have supported this meaningful cause. |
| ‘Feed the City’ at City Square Mall, 13 April 2019 | CDL supported Food Bank Singapore’s inaugural “Feed the City” initiative which targeted to feed 1,000 food-insecure people in Singapore. It also launched “TangoTab”, a mobile app that donates to Food Bank Singapore to feed a hungry person every time a diner checks in to a partner establishment on the app. City Square Mall tenants Central Thai and LiHO were amongst the first F&B outlets to sign on with TangoTab. |
| Launch of Saving Glaciers Alliance at Singapore Sustainability Academy, 10 October 2019 |
The Saving Glaciers Alliance was initiated by CDL to highlight the importance of conserving the world’s polar regions and glaciers and called upon local business communities and the public to support climate action. At its launch, CDL hosted an exclusive conversation with Sir Robert Swan, renowned explorer and conservationist who is the first person to have walked to the North and South Poles. |
| SDG City Challenge at South Beach and City Square Mall, 27 July 2019 | Since 2018, the SDG City Challenge has been a successful 3P collaboration initiated by CDL in partnership with BCA, HPB and Sport Singapore, to champion the SDGs in Singapore and promote a green, active and healthy lifestyle. The second edition saw a growing 3P collaboration involving 14 organising and supporting partners, as well as 30 vendors and operators showcasing sustainable and healthy products. The 2,000-strong participants included members of the public and CDL’s partners, employees and tenants. |
| “Singapore’s Greening Journey: 200 Years and Beyond” exhibition at the zero-energy CDL Green Gallery at Singapore Botanic Gardens, 21 June to 10 November 2019 | Held in conjunction with the Singapore Bicentennial commemorations and as part of the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ 160th anniversary celebrations, CDL collaborated with NParks to present “Singapore’s Greening Journey: 200 Years and Beyond”. Supported by NLB and SGBC, the exhibition showcased the evolution of Singapore’s landscapes from the past, present and the future vision. The exhibition was opened by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, and was attended by close to 200 guests. The exhibition attracted approximately 18,000 visitors from all walks of life, including local and overseas visitors. |
Empowering Youths and Women as Sustainability Champions
| Key initiatives | Outcomes and Impact |
| CDL E-Generation Challenge 2019 | Launched in 2010, this youth competition invites young eco-champions from Singapore and the ASEAN region to propose ideas and action plans that address the urgency of climate change. In 2019, two winners and a merit winner joined ClimateForce: Arctic 2019 on an exciting 12-day polar expedition led by world-renowned explorer, Sir Robert Swan. Two winning champions shared their expedition experiences and observations via videos, social media and workshops as ambassadors to influence young Singaporeans to fight climate change. |
| CDL-GCNS Young SDG Leaders Award 2019 | Launched in 2011, this annual business case competition seeks to empower and groom youths into future sustainability champions, equipped with the skills and know-how to integrate SDGs into business strategy and operations. Formerly known as CDL-GCNS Young CSR Leaders Award, it was rebranded in 2018 to CDL-GCNS Young SDG Leaders Award in support of the SDGs. The competition has reached out to tens of thousands and attracted the participation of more than 2,000 youths over the past nine years. |
| My Tree House – World’s first Green Library for kids and platform featuring young eco-champions in 2019 | A partnership between CDL and NLB, My Tree House was opened in 2013 at Central Public Library as the world’s first green library for kids. In 2019, more than 220,000 people visited My Tree House and borrowed more than 620,000 books. Close to 11,000 participants took part in 188 programmes, such as the sharing by young ecochampion Barney Swan, who shared his exciting expedition to Antarctica using renewable energy. |
| Nurturing Future Sustainability Leaders via Education | To equip students with relevant skills and knowledge for the future economy, institutes of higher learning often request CDL to share our business case for sustainability integration as an inspiration to their students. In 2019, CDL’s Senior Management was invited to deliver lectures from the practitioner’s perspective to students, e.g. University of St. Gallen, ITE, NUS MSc (Environmental Management), SMU, and NTU. |
| Women4Green – Continued to nurture women eco-champions | Initiated by CDL in June 2017, the Women4Green network aims to empower female executives to adopt and champion a sustainable lifestyle and practices at work, at home and at play. The initiative supports SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Many engagement initiatives and events were organised since its inception in late 2017, covering themes like sustainable diet, fashion and jewellery. |
| Youth Development Programmes – Local and Overseas |
For close to two decades, CDL has been actively supporting youth development through direct sponsorships and mentorship. These include the CDL Young SDG Leaders Fund (formerly known as CDL-SMU Young CSR Leaders Fund), which has supported more than 90 student-led overseas community investment programmes and close to 4,000 students since 2016.
CDL has also extended support to several community projects organised by various institutes of higher learning in the year under review. More than 3,700 youth leaders, volunteers and participants have benefitted from CDL’s support. |
| Youth4Climate Festival 2019, Singapore Botanic Gardens | Launched In 2018, Youth4Climate Festival is an annual youth initiative by CDL in partnership with MEWR, NEA, NParks and ActiveSG. Its second edition in 2019 attracted about 2,000 concert-goers who enjoyed climate-themed performances by youths and eco-related activities. The movie screening of “Moana” carried strong messages about climate change and attracted over 2,000 attendees as well. |
Supporting Singapore's Arts Scene
| Key initiatives | Outcomes and Impact |
| 7th CDL Singapore Sculpture Award | Launched in 2002, the CDL Singapore Sculpture Award is a biennial arts initiative that aims to discover talented artists, with selected winning works being commissioned as public artworks. In line with Singapore’s designation of 2019 as the Year Towards Zero Waste, the 2019 theme was “Turn Waste into Art”. Two winning sculptures (open and student category) made from recycled construction waste from CDL’s developments will be commissioned and displayed at Wisma Geylang Serai. |
| 7th CDL Singapore Young Photographer Award | Inaugurated by CDL’s late Deputy Chairman Mr Kwek Leng Joo, the Singapore Young Photographer Award was refreshed in 2018 to generate awareness and interest among youths on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This biennial competition will be relaunched in 2020, with the theme “ZERO” to provoke the rethinking of climate-related problems. |
Caring for the Less Fortunate
| Key initiatives | Outcomes and Impact |
| Assisi Hospice Charity Fun Day 2019 | A longstanding partner of Assisi Hospice since 1999, CDL has been a strong supporter of the Assisi Hospice Charity Fun Day since the inception of the event. The 2019 fundraising event continued to attract strong support from our subsidiaries and suppliers. More than $227,000 was raised in the CDL Challenge segment to support patients with cancer and terminal illnesses at Assisi Hospice. |
| Learning Space@Limbang | Since 2017, CDL and Northwest CDC have partnered to set up a conducive learning space at the Limbang Park Residents’ Committee Centre for students from lowincome households in the vicinity. Besides providing library books and recreational games at the centre, CDL’s staff volunteers impart character-building lessons to children from underprivileged families. More than 1,600 young children and youths enjoyed this space in 2019. |
| Bringing festive cheer to Arc Children’s Centre |
CDL has been a founding corporate supporter of Arc Children’s Centre since its inception in 2011. CDL staff volunteers brought festive joy to the children at the centre during the mid-autumn festival in September 2019. Held at the new centre at Lorong Limau, the event featured storytelling, lantern-making and games. Arc Children’s Centre helps children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. |
Advocating Best Practices in Sustainability
| Key initiatives | Outcomes and Impact |
| Incubator For SDGs, launched in Republic Plaza, 25 September 2019 | In support of social enterprises with purposes that are aligned with one or more UN SDGs, the Incubator For SDGs was an initiative by CDL in partnership with UNDP, raiSE, and Social Collider. |
| Singapore Sustainability Academy – Hosted 154 events in 2019 | The zero-energy Singapore Sustainability Academy (SSA) is the first major 3P ground-up initiative by CDL in support of global and national climate action and the SDGs. It is a dynamic hub for capacity building, networking and partnership. Since its opening on 5 June 2017 to end 2019, the SSA has hosted more than 370 sustainability-related training programmes and advocacy events, involving over 14,500 attendees. Click here to know more about events at the SSA. |
| Space4Good@Distrii, Republic Plaza | The Space4Good initiative was introduced in May 2018 to offer complimentary use of Distrii’s co-working workspaces in Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai, to NGOs and international organisations that share our goals of promoting sustainable development. In 2019, UNDP’s Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development tapped on this initiative to use Distrii’s shared office at Republic Plaza. |
| Active Thought Leadership in Sustainability and Responsible Business in 2019 |
CDL has been invited frequently to share our two-decades strong business case of ESG integration. In 2019, CDL’s Senior Management spoke at around 80 local and international platforms, covering topics such as SDG integration, green building, partnerships, sustainability reporting and green finance:
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