JTC and EDB unveil masterplan for CleanTech Park

http://www.jtc.gov.sg/Newsroom/PressReleases/Pages/JTCandEDBunveil.aspx

Eco-Business Park to house a working population of 20,000 by 2030

- JTC and EDB unveil masterplan for CleanTech Park

Singapore, 25 February 2010               JTC Corporation (JTC) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) jointly unveiled the master plan for the 50 hectare CleanTech Park at Nanyang Avenue.  As Singapore’s first eco-business park, CleanTech Park will be the choice location for forward-looking corporations that have embraced environmental sustainability as a means to differentiate their business and also as part of their corporate social responsibility. This development will push the boundaries of green sustainability, serving as a large-scale integrated “living laboratory” for testbedding and demonstration of system-level clean technology solutions.

 2.         CleanTech Park will house a core nucleus of cleantech activities to serve as an epi-centre for research, innovation and commercialization in clean technology.  Building on the synergies of being located next to Nanyang Technological University (NTU), CleanTech Park will also house R&D activities from the university. This will foster a conducive environment which promotes collaborations between industry and academia, and unleashes the economic potential created from these collaborations.

3.         The development of CleanTech Park will be carried out in 3 phases over 20 years.  Phase 1 will commence in July 2010, starting with the development of the infrastructure within CleanTech Park.  When completed, Phase 1 will provide approximately 17 ha of business park land.  CleanTech Park will house a working population of 20,000 when it is fully built by 2030.

4.         Speaking at the unveiling of the master plan for CleanTech Park, CEO of JTC Corporation (JTC), Mr Manohar Khiatani said, “As an infrastructural solutions provider, JTC has always placed priority on developing innovative and sustainable real estate solutions to meet the needs of our customers operating in resource-challenged Singapore. CleanTech Park will serve as an icon for the development and application of clean technologies and we shall strive to push the envelope but in a practical and cost effective way.  Environmental sustainability will be the natural direction that businesses must take moving forward. CleanTech Park will be emblematic of how businesses can achieve both economic vibrancy and environmental sustainability; functioning in harmony with nature.” 

5.         Dr Beh Swan Gin, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board, said, “Companies are increasingly interested in commercial and research space that is eco-friendly. CleanTech Park will provide such progressive investors with an attractive option and also foster the clustering of like-minded companies in one location. CleanTech Park’s tenants will also benefit from the close proximity to NTU, thereby promoting the cross-fertilisation of knowledge and ideas to facilitate the development and demonstration of systems-level CleanTech solutions.”   

6.         NTU will be the first anchor tenant of CleanTech Park.  It will help seed R&D activities at the CleanTech Park. Prof Subodh Mhaisalkar, Co-Director for ERI@N (Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University) said, “Having CleanTech Park next to NTU is significant. It will help us work seamlessly with key industry partners in CleanTech Park and allow our students to gain invaluable opportunities for attachment and hands-on experience in state-of-the-art green technologies.”

7.         In line with our overall national effort towards sustainable growth, CleanTech Park is a key initiative outlined in the S$1 billion Singapore Sustainable Blueprint for building a greener, more energy efficient and sustainable Singapore.  The development also contributes to Singapore’s goal to be a “living lab” where companies can use Singapore effectively to develop, test-bed and commercialise green and urban solutions before scaling up for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. 

8.         CleanTech Park will be located on a large contiguous greenfield site. It has a natural undulating terrain and matured lush greenery with natural streams running through it.  In drawing up the masterplan, a strong emphasis has been placed on finding a long term sustainable balance between the development’s commercial needs and the site’s natural biodiversity. For example, in keeping with the trees and landscape conservation, a minimal land-cut principle is adopted for infrastructure planning and at the individual land parcel and building platform level. One of the innovative ideas which will be testbedded within CleanTech Park is the Sky Trellis concept which is created by JTC.  Trellises will be constructed between adjacent buildings and covered with plants to provide shade and enhance ‘walkability’ within open spaces in the area. More information on other green features in CleanTech Park is found in the attached factsheet.

9.         The Singapore government is committed to growing the cleantech industry as a key cluster which is expected to contribute some S$3.4 billion to Singapore’s GDP and employ 18,000 people by 2015.  CleanTech Park is poised to boost Singapore’s leadership position as an innovative CleanTech hub for global markets.

Hong Kong's green practices in focus

http://www.cei.asia/newsarticle/2009_09/Hong-Kongs-green-practices-in-focus/37249?src=mostpop

Hong Kong's green practices in focus

by Megan Gell 2-Oct-09, 14:29


Leading sustainability organisations on the new wave

Some Hong Kong venue operators are among the first in Asia to implement sustainability policies that replace superficial changes with long-term, independently audited programmes that also benefit the community at large.




The most widely used of these is offered by Green Globe, a benchmarking programme specifically designed for the hospitality and events industry. Importantly, this means hotels, DMCs, PCOs and convention and exhibition centres can all measure their relative sustainability using the same metric.



Sustainable policies

“Organisations now need to prove their sustainability policies and practices are both measured and subject to a credible external audit,” says Andre Russ, director of global markets at EC3 Global, the region’s leading provider of the Green Globe programme. “Superficial practices once known as ’greenwashing’ are out and ‘green-proofing’ is becoming widespread as sustainability is taken up at a board level and organisations concentrate on their triple bottom line. This has led to new positions being created at major companies such as the vice-president of environmental affairs.”



Important resource

Hong Kong’s Business Environment Council (BEC) is one important sustainability resource for local operators. “The Council was established in 1989 as an industry-led sustainability body,” says Estrid Wai, head of communications and marketing at BEC.



“BEC provides assistance to organisations seeking certification through a number of programmes, as well as holding our own events, training programmes and awards. Our partner network is comprised of organisations that share the same sustainable vision and it allows members to leverage off each other’s networks and experience.”



Green Globe certification begins with a Benchmarking Assessment that incorporates energy, water, waste, paper, cleaning, pesticides and community. From here, companies must develop an appropriate Sustainability Policy, which then qualifies them for Bronze Benchmarking consideration.



Benchmarking process

Silver Certification involves completing all six steps of the programme: benchmarking and policy creation; compliance with relevant legislation and standards; implementation of an environmental certification management system; documentation of performance outcomes; and communication with key stakeholders including clients, suppliers and staff.



InterContinental Hong Kong was the first hotel in the city to achieve this level of certification, earlier this year. Gold Certification is awarded to businesses that maintain Silver Certification for five consecutive years, while Platinum is awarded after ten years.



Broad impact

“Novotel, Langham and InterContinental have Green Globe member properties in Hong Kong that have implemented some great community initiatives,” says Russ. “This is the key to what our programmes encourage. It is not about marketing a brand, it is about how an organisation integrates EC3’s benchmarking system and standards into their own message that is then spread through its staff, guests and the surrounding community.”



Regulatory requirements

In future, sustainability standards will become regulatory requirements and it is important that organisations are ready to converse in an informed manner.



“RFPs increasingly contain requests for emissions reports, sustainability policies and third-party audits in order to meet an organisation’s own CSR objectives,” says Russ. “Building local capacity will help drive sustainability to the next level, and Hong Kong has great sustainability champions who are beginning to pool together as a destination.”