COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS - HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

The Singapore Environment Council engaged about 20 civil society groups and 500 members of the public to discuss collective hopes for a sustainable future in Singapore. These conversations culminated in the formulation of a Vision document. Moving from conversation to collective action, the SEC hosted a launch event that brought together civil society organisations, government representatives, and members of the public. The event was graced by Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment. This gathering marked the beginning of the next chapter in their sustainability movement.

This PRI-led workshop brought together a small group of institutional investors for a discussion with experts and peers on stewardship and collaboration practices in 2025 and into 2026. It provided participants with a briefing on key policy developments relating to investor stewardship, an overview of key PRI initiatives and case studies, and workshop session on how stewardship and collaboration can be made more efficient and effective going forward, to enhance impact and action on material sustainability issues such as climate change, nature, human rights and social issues.

Held at the Singapore Sustainability Academy and organised by The Matcha Initiative and The Transmutation Principle, AlterCOP 30 was a remote alternative to COP30. AlterCOP aimed to keep corporate and the public informed of COP proceedings and outcomes, facilitate discourse and knowledge learning on corporate sustainability in a localised context, foster collaboration among various actors (professionals, academics, youth, NPOs, community groups, and policymakers) and inspire action.

Over 3,400 attendees came through the SSA & SSA Annex across the two weeks and joined panels, workshops and masterclasses on the following subjects: Climate Change, Climate & Social Impact; Circular Economy Waste & Resource Management; Sustainable Cities, Adaptation Strategies & Water Resilience; Supply Chain & Transport; Human Capital, the Transition to a Sustainable Economy; Carbon Markets; Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions; Tech as an Enabler; Green Finance; and Energy & Decarbonisation.

CDL’s CSO Ms Esther An gave the welcome remarks on the first day and joined the panel “Is Paris Agreement Still Relevant To Solve The Global Crisis? What Is The Path Forward?” with Poh Li San, Government Parliamentary Committee Chairperson for Sustainability and the Environment, His Excellency Luciano Mazza de Andrade (Ambassador of Brazil to Singapore) and His Excellency Stephen Marchisio (Ambassador of France to Singapore). She also moderated “Meet David Craig – TNFD” – An exclusive Fireside Chat with David Craig, Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and joined a panel on the 18th of November titled “Urban Biodiversity – From The Garden In The City To The City In The Garden” with Prof. Veera Sekaran (Professor, National University of Singapore) and Nadaraja Sripragash (Director – Environmental Sustainable Design, Ramboll). She delivered the closing remarks on the evening panel of the final day of AlterCOP as well.

CDL hosted TNFD Co-Chair David Craig alongside thought leaders from the public and private sectors. The session featured a keynote by David Craig, where he shared TNFD’s mission to redirect global financial flows from nature-negative to nature-positive outcomes, aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework. The fireside chat with CDL’s CSO Esther An gave an insightful discussion on how TNFD extends the sustainability focus from climate to nature and biodiversity. The panel discussion, moderated by Jessica Cheam, explored how TNFD aligns with global reporting frameworks and how stakeholders can drive real-world, nature-positive action. As the first company in Southeast Asia to publish a TNFD report, CDL continues to advance nature-positive business strategies and governance.

Themed “Is ESG Losing its Shine – or Transforming for Long-Term and Sustained Growth?”, the 12th Hong Leong-CDL Group Annual Sustainability Forum was held at the SSA and attended by over 40 directors, senior management and staff of the Hong Leong and CDL Group of Companies. Speakers highlighted how short-term pressures are reshaping the ESG debate while long-term value remains clear, and shared insights from their respective fields on ESG regulatory timeline.

Organised by the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, the event served as a pivotal platform for addressing global challenges through critical discussions, with Latin America emerging as a key contributor to solutions achieved via international collaboration. The session was attended by ambassadors from Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, and Timor-Leste. The session was opened by remarks by CDL CSO, Ms Esther An, welcoming them to the Singapore Sustainability Academy. This event centred on carbon credits as the emerging commodity of both Latin America and Southeast Asia. Discussion topics included: Carbon Market Readiness in Latin America, Transparency & Traceability in Carbon Markets, the Blue Carbon Readiness Framework, and carbon credit projects in Latin America. The event also included a fireside chat discussing expectations for COP30 in Belem. It aimed to bridge knowledge gaps by exploring how countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are preparing to become carbon credit market-ready. Additionally, it fostered collaboration on critical topics such as blue carbon, highlighting the unique natural assets of these regions such as their unique ecosystems.

Graced by SMS Low Yen Ling and CDL GCEO Sherman Kwek, the graduation ceremony celebrated the graduation of 42 local SMEs from Phase 1 of the CDL SME Supplier Decarbonisation Queen Bee Programme. The programme empowers SMEs to adopt carbon accounting, create decarbonisation roadmaps and align with global reporting standards, boosting supply chain resilience and competitiveness. The graduation ceremony highlights CDL’s commitment to a collaborative ecosystem involving public agencies, corporates, and SMEs to advance Singapore’s decarbonisation and sustainability goals. The CDL Queen Bee Compact Programme, an abridged version of the programme designed to provide SMEs with a shorter, impactful sustainability learning journey, focusing on climate reporting and procurement readiness, was also launched.

The CDL MicroFarm was also launched by SMS Low Yen Ling and CDL GCEO Sherman Kwek at this graduation ceremony. The 68m2 modular, vertical urban farm was built in collaboration with V+Agritech and CBM. It showcases a water-efficient hydroponic system that uses up to 90% less water & minimises chemical inputs.

The COP30 Singapore Pavilion Partners Initiation Event served as a prelude to COP30, bringing together high-level representatives from government agencies and partner organisations. The programme featured a presentation on the Singapore Pavilion’s concept, programming highlights, and partner contributions, followed by a fireside chat with the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment. This session provided an opportunity to share insights, exchange perspectives, and set the tone for Singapore’s participation at COP30. The event concluded with a networking session over light refreshments, allowing participants to build connections and strengthen collaboration in support of Singapore’s Pavilion at COP30 in Belém.

CDL’s CSO Ms Esther An represented Singapore’s sustainability leadership at over 10 panels and dialogues, engaging in global discussions on finance, climate resilience, and nature, including:

• MIT Solve Final Judging and panel discussion
• Climate Group roundtable on energy efficiency
• GIC Climate Connections
• WEF Yes Cities roundtable
• UNGC Leader Summit and Investment Forum
• UNGC CFO Coalition conference
• IFRS Foundation Sustainability Alliance Corporate Investor Dialogue
• UNGC Asia Oceania CSO roundtable
• TNFD Status Report Launch at Bloomberg
• Reuters @Climate Week
• Workiva podcast

Initiated by City Developments Limited in partnership with the UN Global Compact Network (UNGCNS), the Yes/Cities Global Initiative creates sustainable positive change by empowering local innovation ecosystems and to help cities thrive as places where people love to live and work.

With opening remarks by CDL’s Chief Sustainability Officer Esther An, the event brought together leaders from different sectors based in Singapore to learn more about the Yes/Cities Global Initiative from Cristina Gómez Garcia-Reyes, Lead for Urban Innovation, Business Development, World Economic Forum. The Roundtable was moderated by Esther An to explore how place-based innovation can scale to solve city-specific challenges, and how Singapore’s mature innovation ecosystem, strong public-private partnerships, and global connectivity are key to driving scalable, community-focused solutions.

On 20 May, CDL co-organised the CDL-SID event “In Conversation with ISSB” dialogue and hosted senior International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) members, Ms Sue Lloyed (Vice-Chair, ISSB), and Ms Verity Chegar (Member, ISSB). The event drew approximately 90 members of SID, including Mr Chia Ngiang Hong (GGM, CDL), board members, investors, regulators, and sustainability practitioners. Discussions focused on the financial materiality approach underpinning the ISSB standards and how investor-focused sustainability reporting supports long-term business resilience.

On 21 May, CDL’s CSO, Ms Esther An participated in a closed-door roundtable hosted by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), attended by senior ISSB representatives, corporates, financiers and academics. The session provided exclusive insights into the evolving regulatory direction of sustainability disclosures and how ISSB’s global baseline may shape upcoming policies. That same day, CDL co-hosted an IFRS training session organised by the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) City Credential Group at the CDL Singapore Sustainability Academy. The training aimed to deepen understanding and accelerate regional adoption of the ISSB standards among companies and practitioners.

This exclusive roundtable, organised by CDL, TNFD and SSFA, brought together senior leaders across business, finance and policy to discuss how nature-related risks are rapidly becoming financial risks and why early action matters. The dialogue highlighted global TNFD perspectives, featured insights from early-adopter organisations, and reinforced that restoring and regenerating nature is essential not only for climate and biodiversity but also for business resilience, investor confidence and long-term value creation.

CDL’s CSO, Ms Esther An, participated in two high-level dialogues during Ecosperity Week 2025. At “Confronting a World in Transition: Climate Transition, Nature and Systems Approaches” (6 May), organized by PwC, discussions focused on operationalising Climate Transition Plans, assessing nature-related DIRO (Dependencies, Impacts, Risks and Opportunities), and adopting systems-change approaches for collective impact. She also joined WBCSD & SSFA’s “Aligning Financial Institutions & Real Economy Players for Effective Climate & Nature Action” (7 May) with Helge Muenkel, Valerie Lau, and Eric Nietsch, presenting CDL’s pioneering TNFD-aligned sustainability-linked loan with DBS and highlighting the role of ecosystem collaboration and financial institutions in scaling nature-positive solutions.

CDL co-hosted the global launch of the TNFD board guidance “Asking Better Questions on Nature” in collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) and the Singapore Exchange Group (SGX). The event marked the first international unveiling of the TNFD guide, positioning Singapore as a key voice in advancing nature-related governance in the region. It drew 150 senior attendees, including board directors, regulators, investors and sustainability practitioners from across sectors.

These workshops are conducted as part of the CDL SME Supplier Queen Bee Programme. Leveraging CDL’s sustainability leadership and expertise, this programme aims to empower CDL’s selected 100 local SME suppliers to embark on their decarbonisation journey by enhancing their ability in carbon accounting and reporting.

The multifaceted approach, strongly supported by Enterprise Singapore, begins with CDL‘s identification of Scope 3 SME Suppliers. Global Green Connect (GGC) will then develop a decarbonisation roadmap for each participating SME supplier that will be complemented by technology partners’ digital platform for data collection and monitoring, together with transition financing by DBS, guidance by Singapore Business Federation on supporting programmes and resources, and CDP for SMEs to demonstrate their ESG commitments.

SMEs onboarding the Programme build capabilities for carbon emissions reduction, with the help of GGC in areas such as measuring carbon emissions, developing tailored decarbonisation roadmaps, and implementing greenhouse gas reduction targets.

1. People’s Action Party (PAP) Mental Health Group – Community Workshop Discussion, 5 January 2025
   The People’s Action Party organised a discussion by its Mental Health Group with its Community Workgroup partners at the SSA. They explored issues relating to workplace discrimination, a topic which was brought up by Dr Wan Rizal during the last parliamentary sitting. They also discussed topics of the learning journey, recruitment and training of mental health ambassadors as well as community engagement and feedback on policies.
2. PAP Climate Action Group Launch, 21 January 2025
   PAP launched its new Climate Action Group (CAG) to consolidate and intensify the party’s efforts to achieve a sustainable and liveable future for Singapore. Building on the momentum of the party’s efforts to advance Climate Change, the CAG will be mooting a motion to urge stronger support for businesses to navigate the green transition.At the launch event held at the Singapore Sustainability Academy, climate action activists and groups, key stakeholders from the sustainability sector, business and trade association representatives, business owners, PAP activists, and invited guests gathered to exchange ideas and raised recommendations for the upcoming climate change motion. Among concerns and suggestions raised include the need to target efforts at greenwashing and to strengthen climate education and awareness efforts, and coordinating efforts beyond Singapore and in the region.The session kicked off with a Welcome Address by Guest-of-Honour PAP Assistant Secretary-General and Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee, and was followed by an introduction of the 5 pillars by sub-committee leads, a sharing by CAG Co-Chairperson Louis Ng, an address by CDL’s Chief Sustainability Officer Ms Esther An, a dialogue on the upcoming climate motion in February, and concluded with remarks by CAG Chairperson SMS Dr Koh Poh Koon.
3. PAP Resilient Food Future, 29 March 2025
   Organised by PAP, the event aimed to educate and empower communities with the knowledge and skills necessary to build resilient and sustainable food systems. By emphasizing soil health, native food plants, and sustainable practices, the event fostered a deeper understanding of their critical role in achieving food resilience.CDL’s CSO Esther An gave a welcome address, which was followed by a speech by Nee Soon GRC MP Ms Carrie Tan.
   Panel speakers included: Dr Mary Cole, Agpath Pty Ltd Director; Ong Choon Nam, Emeritus Professor; Luke Tay, Cornucopia FutureScapes Founder; Alan Poh, Nee Soon South Grassroots Leader; Catherine Loke, The Circle for Human Sustainability President; Chen Ching Wei, Permaculturist; and moderator Bjorn Low, Edible Garden City Co-Founder.

• Singapore: 110
• International: 20

In 2025, CDL continued to step up on proactive advocacy and sharing of knowledge to combat the global ESG rollbacks. CDL’s CSO, Esther An, spoke at more than 130 local and international platforms, reaching out to public, private and people sectors to build a larger force for action. Thought leadership topics covered climate action towards a net-zero carbon future, nature-based solutions, sustainability reporting, strategic ESG/SDG integration, green building and smart technologies, ESG investing and green financing and more.

The network aims to empower female executives to adopt and champion sustainable lifestyles and practices at work, home and play. For more information, please visit our website here.

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2025, the SSA welcomed the acclaimed creative visionary Ms Lim Sau Hoong. Ms Lim, whose portfolio includes being the visual advisor for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a Golden Horse nominee for best image design, Presidential Design Awards Winner and awards from Cannes, Clio, New York Festival, London International and more, created the World of Fenbao. In a dialogue with CDL’s CSO Ms Esther An, Ms Lim reminded attendees of the power of creativity, cultural expression, and environmental consciousness in shaping a more equitable future. Her story of building a sustainable business that positively impacts both people and the planet truly embodied this year’s IWD themes of “Accelerate Action” and “March Forward: For ALL Women and Girls”. For more details on the event, please watch the recording here.

To celebrate the festive season while recognising the abundance of waste generated during the holiday period, CDL’s Women4Green Network hosted a workshop led by Bettr – Southeast Asia’s 1st Certified B Corp – a for-profit social business and vertically integrated specialty coffee & beverage company in Singapore that aims to change lives through coffee.

The workshop opened with remarks from CDL’s CSO Ms Esther An, as well as the founder and CEO of Bettr Group, Pamela Chng. Members enjoyed hands-on workshops by Bettr Barista showcasing their innovative Coffee Mixology Bar and an engaging coffee-scrub upcycling workshop, and live caroling performances during the workshops.

SDG Open Hack Singapore is an atypical hackathon that provides experiential learning of SDGs, organised by GGEF – a purpose-driven social enterprise set to promote innovation, sustainability and leadership. This hackathon encourages local students across various disciplines to come up with innovative solutions for societal and environmental issues linked to the UN SDGs.

Y4C is one of the Company’s flagship programmes in support of youth empowerment, social good and the UN SDGs. The festival provides Singapore’s youths with a platform to express their love for the environment. The eighth Y4C Festival, held as part of the nationwide GoGreen SG campaign, took place at City Square Mall. It comprised the Y4C Concert, an Eco Marketplace, Eco-Educational Workshops and movie screenings of The Wild Robot and The Lorax. 2025 was also our eighth year of support for Go Green SG Week organised by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, to rally youths to accelerate climate action. Special guest Senior Parliament Secretary of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment & the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Ms Goh Han Yan graced the event. For more information, please visit our website here.

In celebration of World Environment Day 2025, CDL launched the 6th edition of CDL’s “We Love Our Planet” Storytelling Contest. Themed “Save Our Forests!”, this year’s contest invited young changemakers to imagine and share stories of how we can protect our forests. The best entries were curated in a video titled “We Love Our Planet – Save Our Forests!”.

The sixth edition of the “We Love Our Planet” Contest concluded at the final judging session at CDL’s Singapore Sustainability Academy. The judging panel comprised Ms Esther An, CDL’s Chief Sustainability Officer; Prof Adrian Loo from NUS’ Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions; Gerald Wong, Executive Director at EB Impact; Mei Pin Phua, Partnerships Director at the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment; and Man Jing Kong and Raye Ng, Co-Founders of Just Keep Thinking. Finalists from the Family, Preschool, Lower Primary, Upper Primary and Alumni Categories presented their inspiring stories on the theme “Save Our Forests!”

For more information, please visit our website here.

Launched on 10 March 2025 by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the CDL EcoTrain is Singapore’s first decommissioned SMRT train cabin repurposed into a climate education hub. Located outside City Square Mall, the operationally zero-energy CDL EcoTrain aims to engage the community on pressing climate and sustainability issues, particularly for children aged four and above. The train will feature interactive displays, exhibits and workshops focused on environmental themes, co-created with Just Keep Thinking (JKT), Singapore’s largest Science, Nature and Sustainability social media platform.

Alongside the CDL EcoTrain, the CDL MicroForest was officially opened by Guest-of-Honour President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He was joined by CDL’s senior management team, representatives from NUS, NParks, and JKT, as well as young eco-champions from CDL’s “We Love Our Planet” storytelling contest. The trees planted that day symbolise the 3P sectors’ shared responsibility to combat climate change and foster a greener tomorrow for our future. This collaborative effort exemplifies the power of partnerships in addressing environmental challenges.

Located at City Green, the urban park adjacent to City Square Mall, this approximately 2,800 sq ft MicroForest was created to study how microforests can reduce urban temperatures, boost biodiversity and enhance ecological resilience.

For more details, visit our website here and here, or watch this video here.

This annual business case competition seeks to empower youths to become future sustainability champions by equipping them with the skills to integrate SDGs into business strategy and operations. It has attracted more than 4,300 youths since inauguration. Into its 15th year, 2025’s topic focused on SDG 13: Climate Action. The top three winning teams were crowned at Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS) Summit 2025, which featured Guest-of-Honour Minister Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, and Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for National Development . For more information, please visit our website here.

This competition engages youths to contribute ideas on climate action. In October 2025, the top winners from the 2025 challenge were selected from the Asia-China-India Youth Leadership Summit and will embark on an expedition in Q3 2026 to the Daintree Rainforest in Australia, lead by ClimateForce, a charitable organization committed to regenerating damaged land, improving biodiversity and scaling solutions across the Asia Pacific. The runner-up will receive an educational trip with Singapore International Foundation’s Water for Life Programme in Cambodia.

After two years of supporting impact innovators at the Incubator For SDGs, Global Green Economic Forum continued the partnership on mentorship and impact investment at Republic Plaza while EB Impact moved into the Incubator For SDGs space in July 2024. EB Impact is a non-profit organisation focused on delivering training and programmes to Asia Pacific’s underserved communities to generate positive sustainable development impact.

For more information, visit the website here.

The ASEAN-China-India Youth Leadership Summit has brought together 18,297 youth participants since inception from 12 countries across ASEAN, China, and India. CDL is proud to support the ASEAN-China-India Youth Leadership Summit 2025 – as a key partner since 2023, CDL has supported its programme and in doing so, encouraged youth leadership in sustainability and innovation. This year, CDL’s CSO Esther An served as a keynote speaker during their programme, and the Singapore Sustainability Academy hosted the Summit programme, showcasing sustainable design and corporate responsibility.

This fund has supported 124 student-led community investment programmes and impacted approximately 4,650 students since its launch. In 2025, the Fund empowered 203 students from Singapore Management University (SMU) to implement 10 projects that support the SDGs.

This initiative recognises the exemplary work of individuals under the age of 30 that seek to advance environmental and social sustainability in Asia Pacific. For more information, visit the website here.

Since 2024, CDL has partnered with The Royal Foundation to translate ambition into action and impact into scale. This includes building coalitions to tackle homelessness, advancing mental health support, driving critical early childhood awareness, empowering and supporting communities and working with those at the forefront of nature and conservation. CDL is a member of the Global Collective, a small group of senior philanthropic and business leaders supporting the next phase of The Royal Foundation’s growth and impact. Working alongside Their Royal Highnesses and the Foundation’s leadership, members help shape strategic direction and accelerate change at scale.

In 2025, The Royal Foundation also partnered with Millennium Hotels in the UK to pilot a trauma-informed employment model under the Homewards programme, aimed at helping individuals at risk of homelessness overcome barriers to employment. The pilot brought together Millennium Hotels, Lambeth-based London partners, and The Royal Foundation to deliver targeted training, inclusive recruitment, and on-the-job support. Early results demonstrate the strong potential to scale the model across the UK to help prevent homelessness at scale.

In December 2024, in partnership with NParks, Ocean Geographic (OG), the Jane Goodall Institute of Singapore (JGIS) and 21 other community partners, CDL launched our first nature-action exhibition, themed “We Love Our Planet”. The exhibition highlights the critical role of nature and biodiversity in ensuring ecosystem resilience and addressing the climate crisis. It also aims to create greater awareness of the planet’s plight, how climate change is a major threat to the survival of humanity and biodiversity and to inspire more to care for our nature, our life source. The opening ceremony was graced by Dr Sylvia Earle, world-renowned marine biologist and oceanographer, along with NParks Management representatives as well as young winners from CDL’s “We Love Our Planet” Storytelling Contest.

The CDL Gallery’s outreach in 2025 comprised:

• 33,899 in-person visitors
• 1,474 virtual visits via its virtual exhibition site

The Company has long-supported Peace of Art SG for its annual Sustainable Christmas Market initiative. This year, we supported its inaugural “60 Lights, One Future” Christmas initiative, which was launched at City Square Mall. All proceeds support children from challenging and vulnerable backgrounds with education, mentorship, enrichment and nutrition through the Young Hearts Programme by the Singapore Red Cross.

CDL was pleased to host renowned explorers and environmental advocates Robert Swan OBE and Barney Swan at the Singapore Sustainability Academy. The event highlighted their climate initiatives, including the 2041 Foundation and ClimateForce, which focus on youth empowerment and scalable solutions for environmental regeneration. The programme featured a dialogue moderated by CDL’s CSO Esther An, the two climate champions, and local sustainability advocates Stephanie Dickson, founder of The Wedge Asia, and Qing Sheng Ang, filmmaker and LASALLE lecturer, who shared their work in conscious living and climate storytelling. To watch a recording of this event, please access the link here.

CDL hosted a panel discussion at the Singapore Sustainability Academy on the impacts of extreme heat and biodiversity loss in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Moderated by CDL’s CSO Esther An, the session featured experts in urban ecology, heat physiology, and climate resilience including: Prof. Veera Sekaran, Assoc. Prof. Adrian Loo, and Assoc. Prof. Jason Lee. The panel underscored the need for greater societal commitment, capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration to strengthen climate resilience. To watch a recording of the event, please access the link here.

Spearheaded by CDL’s Sustainability team in collaboration with the Green Building, Decarbonisation & Safety team and City Square Mall, an experiential learning tour was organised to deepen staff awareness of CDL’s sustainability initiatives. The tour highlighted key sites including City Square Mall, the zero-energy Singapore Sustainability Academy and Annex, the EcoTrain, and the MicroForest showcasing urban biodiversity.

The Singapore Sustainability Festival (SSF) is a national initiative that brings together businesses, communities, and thought leaders to accelerate Singapore’s green transition. Organised in support of Go Green SG and the SG Eco Fund by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and in partnership with key trade associations and corporates, SSF highlights the critical role of SMEs in driving sustainable growth.

In 2025, SSF featured “Green Business Day” at the SSA, showcasing SME transformation journeys, green innovations, and cross-sector collaboration. Over 300 business leaders and ecosystem partners gathered to exchange best practices and forge partnerships, alongside two days of public-facing workshops, eco booths and sustainability showcases supported by Enterprise Singapore.

CDL marked the successful conclusion of the “We Love Our Planet” exhibition with a meaningful closing event at the CDL Green Gallery. The event brought together over 40 youth champions from across various sectors, united in their shared mission to advance climate action and nature conservation. Through subject-matter experts’ sharing and small-group discussions, participants explored how nature and people can thrive together through inclusive, cross sector collaboration. Featured speakers included representatives from the National Parks Board (NParks), the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Mandai Nature. Topics ranged from biodiversity loss and regeneration to the critical role of communities in climate resilience and ecological restoration. The event concluded with a guided tour of the exhibition, offering attendees a deeper appreciation of nature-based solutions and inspiring conservation stories.

CDL staff joined The Salvation Army for a hands-on volunteering session, learning about responsible waste sorting, recycling, and the links between consumption and sustainability. The session provided practical tips on reducing waste, supporting meaningful causes, and fostering conscious consumption.

The Big ACE Expedition briefing, led by renowned explorer and Ocean Geographic Founder, Michael Aw, brought together participants from Singapore and beyond—both in person and via Zoom—for a comprehensive session ahead of their Arctic journey. The briefing outlined expectations for the explorers, who are tasked with developing climate-related resolutions, awareness campaigns, and social media outreach to amplify the expedition’s impact. Participants, including CDL CSO Esther An, also took turns sharing their personal aspirations and what they hope to achieve through this transformative experience, united by a common mission to advocate for climate action.

WWF-Singapore hosted a Volunteer Appreciation & Get-Together Event to celebrate the impact of its dedicated volunteers. The event featured an opening speech and year in review, volunteer impact stories, networking opportunities, and a recognition ceremony for outstanding volunteers. It also included lunch and conversations to strengthen community spirit and inspire further contributions to WWF’s mission.

The WWF Eco-School Awards Ceremony, held at the SSA, celebrated the contributions of schools, educators, and students participating in the Eco-Schools Programme. This event recognized their remarkable sustainability initiatives and environmental education efforts, both within their schools and in the broader community, as part of their ongoing journey towards greater sustainability.

At the ceremony, WWF CEO Vivek Kumar and conservation experts shared insights into WWF’s fieldwork; Keynote speaker Evangelista Wan inspired students with her wildlife documentary experiences; and Director Uma Sachidhanandam concluded by previewing WWF Singapore’s 2025 education programs, including potential student exchanges to conservation sites in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Through multiple fundraising and engagement initiatives with Assisi Hospice, including the CDL Challenge led by our Group CEO, at Assisi Fun Day, nearly S$200,000 was raised to support in-patient, home and day care services, with S$150,000 raised through the Challenge alone. CDL also sponsored festive celebrations for 110 patients and families, donated S$12,000 and pledged S$18,000 in support of Guest-of-Honour Mr Chee Hong Tat’s participation at the Assisi Dinner.

WeCare@NWCDC Service Week (Since 2015)

For the ninth consecutive year, CDL supported vulnerable households in Limbang through the North West Service Weeks, benefiting over 400 families with essential food provisions and sponsoring a year-end outing to Sentosa for 163 children and their families. In recognition of our sustained community contributions — including emergency relief support — the Company received the People’s Association Community Spirit Award 2025 – Excellent Award.

CDL actively supports a monthly food distribution and befriending programme for elderly residents in Chai Chee, reaching 22 seniors living in rental flats through regular visits and two organised outings in 2025.

In 2025, CSC reconnected with long-time community partner Lions Befrienders, resuming monthly food distribution and visitations for financially challenged and socially isolated seniors in Clementi and Ang Mo Kio. 250 seniors benefitted from this renewed partnership.

Launched in support of the President’s Challenge to promote volunteerism among youths, CDL supported the Boys’ Brigade Singapore’s 95th Anniversary Family Carnival, which engaged over 5,000 participants and involved youths in organising the event. CDL volunteers also accompanied 18 elderly beneficiaries for a day of intergenerational bonding and activities.

CSC supported children with cancer and their families through holiday and festive activities, including games, storytelling, arts and crafts, and a Christmas party for 45 children and their siblings, led by CDL senior management including Group COO, Kwek Eik Sheng. CDL also contributed S$20,000 to the centre’s Arc Gala Lunch to support its ongoing care for children with life-threatening illnesses.

In 2025, CSC hosted the Company’s annual Lunar New Year lunch for 100 elderly from Henderson Senior Citizens’ Home, Kembangan Chai-Chee Senior Activity Centre, and NTUC Health Active Aging Centre (Bukit Merah View). Guests enjoyed a festive feast provided by Grand Copthorne Waterfront, games, classic Chinese songs performed by CDL volunteers, and lucky draws, in an event led by Mrs Kwek Leng Beng and supported by CDL senior management.