CPG Corporation launches Decarbonisation Playbook to Help Built Environment Players Accelerate Green Journey
To speed up the transition towards sustainability in the built environment and address related challenges posed by climate change, CPG Corporation (CPG) has launched a playbook titled “Embodying Sustainability – A Decarbonisation Playbook for the Built Environment”. This initiative aims to assist industry stakeholders in accelerating their green journey towards sustainability through effective decarbonisation strategies.
With buildings responsible for almost 40% of global energy-related emissions [1] and an estimated 20% of Singapore’s total emissions[2], the built environment industry is in a pivotal position to contribute more to decarbonisation efforts.
“Our rich experience and multidisciplinary capabilities enable us to engage in all building lifecycle phases, providing a holistic view of carbon across the entire value chain. By focusing on whole life carbon, we believe effective decarbonisation should reduce emissions at every stage, from pre-design to end of life. Our expertise ensures that businesses can navigate the complexities of carbon management effectively and sustainably,” says Mr Tan Shao Yen, CPG’s Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Gavin Chan, Head of Sustainability at CPG, explains how the company can work with industry partners looking to reduce their carbon footprint. “Our Carbon Advisory services provide strategic guidance to organisations. We help clients understand regulatory requirements, set ambitious but achievable carbon reduction targets, and develop comprehensive decarbonisation roadmaps.”
An example of how CPG’s services helped decarbonised a building can be seen in the recently refurbished Limbang Shopping Centre. The rejuvenated neighbourhood shopping centre reopened its doors in February earlier this year. The design idea for the rejuvenation was conceived as early as 2020 by CPG Consultants (a subsidiary of CPG Corporation), whose proposed design was awarded the Certificate of Merit at the HDB Design Awards 2020 under the 'To-Be-Built Rejuvenation’ category.
Designed to be as low carbon as possible, the development reused existing structures to mitigate the significant carbon footprint associated with producing new concrete. The building features a modern roof with skylights and a covered, cross-ventilated community plaza on the first floor, designed to maximise natural ventilation and daylighting. These elements work in tandem with energy-efficient systems to minimise operational carbon emissions over thebuilding's lifespan, ensuring a sustainable environment without compromising user experience. Finally, the outdoor areas of Limbang Shopping Centre are enhanced with abundant lush greenery and biophilic features, incorporating local species to enhance user well-being and biodiversity, while actively contributing to decarbonisation efforts.
“Embodying Sustainability – A Decarbonisation Playbook for the Built Environment” provides a framework that supports the deployment of holistic decarbonisation strategies and roadmaps throughout a building cycle. CPG maintains that to achieve decarbonisation, both carbon emissions and carbon emissions intensity must be reduced. This concept is fundamental to its integrated approach, which is built on the three ‘D’s: Develop, Decrease, Diminish.
Develop: Decarbonisation Strategy and Roadmap
Be it a building or a city, carbon is constantly emitted throughout a complex value chain. Start with a clear roadmap and strategy to drive decarbonisation from the get-go.
Decrease: Operational Carbon
Energy efficiency naturally contributes to a reduction in operational carbon. By applying and adapting CPG’s design and operational methodologies, facilitate the creation of Positive Energy (PE) buildings that produce more energy than they consume.
Diminish: Embodied Carbon
Conduct embodied carbon assessments using CPG’s proprietary carbon calculation tool, develop an embodied carbon baseline model and implement a design which reduces carbon emissions.
The playbook will serve as a precursor, providing an overview of CPG’s integrated decarbonisation approach, with additional modules to be shared in the future. As part of its broader initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change within the built environment sector, CPG has consistently integrated sustainability principles and green design into its projects. This commitment is exemplified by renowned developments such as Gardens by the Bay, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, and the State Courts in Singapore. More recently, projects like the National University of Singapore School of Design and Environment 1 & 3 showcase CPG’s commitment to sustainability through innovative adaptive reuse strategies.
Leveraging its multidisciplinary expertise, future modules focusing on sustainability in Facilities Management and Project Management are also in the planning stages by CPG’s subsidiaries, CPG Facilities Management (CPG FM) and PM Link. CPG is also looking forward to sharing its environmental sustainability expertise with industry partners and clients through future roundtable discussions and workshops, advocating for a transition towards a more sustainable, decarbonised future.
[1] The Paris Agreement, United Nations Framework for Climate Change, accessed October 2023
[2] Singapore Green Masterplan, 4th Edition, Singapore Building & Construction Authority, 2021
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