As part of the group of companies under UOL, we are committed to driving sustainable growth for all stakeholders. This July, the group was recognised for their efforts with SingLand, UOL and Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) conferred ‘Champion of Good’ by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), the highest tier of its enhanced Company of Good recognition system.
The award recognises companies’ contributions to creating a positive impact across the dimensions of People, Society, Governance, Environment, and Economy. At SingLand, we are pleased to be one of the 290 purpose-driven organisations recognised for the efforts we have made in integrating our corporate purpose of Elevating Communities, Inspiring the Future across these five pillars.
EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES TO BE CHANGEMAKERS
“Elevate Communities, Inspire the Future – is the “why” that guides what we do and it is a shared goal among our stakeholders. Our corporate purpose is also central to the way SingLand will continue to grow and evolve as a responsible real estate company. It is through championing sustainable solutions, and embracing a collaborative, innovative and future-forward mindset that we can create a lasting positive impact for generations to come.”
– Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Eu
To translate our corporate purpose into actionable steps for employees, we introduced the Employee Purpose Leadership Toolkit in early 2024. With practical guidance and regular team building activities facilitated by SingLand’s senior leaders, our employees will be able to better understand and apply our company’s core values in their daily work. We are also developing a series of e-learning modules focused on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) topics in partnership with Ngee Ann Polytechnic. By equipping our workforce with this knowledge, we hope to empower them to contribute to our overall mission of responsible business practices and positive societal impact.
DRIVING POSITIVE SOCIETAL IMPACT
Through social sustainability initiative SingLand Elevates, we seek to uplift underserved communities with focus on organisations that support persons with disabilities, vulnerable elderly, migrant workers, and at-risk youths. A recent example is our partnership with Central Singapore Community Development Council (Central Singapore CDC). In May, we donated $250,000 to launch the Dots Academy @ Central, a two-year pilot programme that provides up to 1,000 youths from disadvantaged backgrounds with enriching learning experiences. The donation was matched dollar-to-dollar by Central Singapore CDC, doubling the programme’s funding to $500,000.
MINIMISING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
We are supportive of Singapore’s aspirations to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and have made good progress in our transition to becoming a low-carbon business. With buildings contributing over 20% of Singapore’s emissions, we actively explore ways to minimise the operational carbon footprint of our properties. For instance, all our properties are certified under Building Construction Authority’s Green Mark, Singapore’s green building rating scheme, a result of our consistent efforts to improve their energy and water efficiency.
At the same time, we evaluate the environmental impact of our actions when unlocking new value from our property assets. For our 42-year-old Singapore Land Tower, instead of a redevelopment, we chose to modernise the building through an extensive asset enhancement initiative starting in 2021. For its new sustainability features such as a low emissivity double-glazed curtain wall for the façade and upgrades to the air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation system, the building emerged a winner in the Carbon Performance category of the SGBC-BCA Leadership in Sustainability Awards 2024.
LINKING ESG PERFORMANCE TO REMUNERATION
As we look to the future, we remain steadfast in our aim to be a force for good. To balance profitability with responsibility, the Balanced Scorecard was introduced last year, where sustainability targets are added to the remuneration framework for our senior management. These are then cascaded down to employees, ensuring that business priorities are aligned with SingLand’s objective of creating long-term value for stakeholders.
Our recognition as a Champion of Good serves as both an affirmation of our efforts and a reminder of the responsibility we have. At SingLand, we believe that by staying true to our purpose – Elevate Communities, Inspire the Future, we can continue to create value for all our stakeholders and drive meaningful change in the years to come.