Singapore’s CleanTech Park to be Ready by 2030

JTC Corporation (JTC) recently unveiled the masterplan for the CleanTech Park (CTP), Singapore’s first eco-business park for companies involved in clean technologies and sustainable urban solutions. The CTP also serves as a R&D and testbedding site for early adoption of clean tech products and solutions for the urban tropics. Besides clean tech companies, the CTP could also house companies providing eco-friendly products and services, and companies with strong CSR or green practices.

The 50-hectare CTP will be developed next to the Nanyang Technological University so as to enhance the integration between the academia, research institutes and the business industry, and provide synergies for the full value chain of the clean tech industry. The development will take place in 3 phases over 20 years. Phase 1 will commence in July 2010 and will provide about 17 ha of business park land when completed in 2018. Phase 2 will be developed from 2019 to 2025, and Phase 3 from 2026 to 2030. The CTP will house a working population of 20,000 when it is fully built by 2030.

In the masterplan, the CTP will be developed as the most sustainable eco-business park in Singapore with the implementation of green strategies and its emphasis on retaining the natural environment and biodiversity. The green strategies to be implemented in the CTP include:

1. Stormwater management

Making use of the existing topography of the site to channel stormwater into the low-lying areas for storage and reuse. The stormwater within CleanTech Park will be channelled into a central wetland where the water can be treated and be reused for irrigation or toilet flushing. The pond will also reduce the ambient temperature through evaporative cooling.

2. Sky Trellis

The sky trellis will be constructed between adjacent buildings and covered with plants. By shading open spaces between buildings, it can reduce heat gain by the buildings from the environment and enhance walkability within open spaces in the area.

3. Conservation of Green Zones

Conservation zones are demarcated areas within CTP where trees and plants are conserved. Development works are planned around these conservation zones to protect the existing trees and plants.

4. Protection of biodiversity

Keeping the existing trees in the park will help to retain the biodiversity, such as the birds and butterflies to remain within CTP.

5. Designated Green Corridors

The designated Green Corridors are green areas between the buildings and land parcels within CTP. These green corridors are strategically located to provide secondary greenery between the buildings and land parcels and are aimed at promoting enhanced walkability within the Park.

6. Building a Green Community

CTP will nurture the fist green business community and environment by way of introducing and inculcating green practices such as recycling programmes and car pooling programmes.

7. Green Features that reduce demand on resource utilization

Building orientation with minimum East-West facing facades; Creating the wind tunnel effect to maximize wind-capture within the buildings; Using recycled and green materials for infrastructure development.

Source and images credit: JTC

Global CSR Summit 2010

Green Business Times is the Media Partner for Global CSR Summit 2010.

The present environmental, political and financial issues confronting business, governments and people today have pushed Corporate Social and Responsibility (CSR) as one of the top priorities in organisations today. Prior to the global financial crisis, CSR has not been widely embraced by organisations and often been seen as adding unnecessary cost or simply lip service.

Customers, governments, investors and NGOs are now demanding that companies act responsibly and adopt and implement CSR practices within the corporate culture and activities.

In the post crisis world, it is no longer possible to continue “business as usual”. Business shrouded in secrecy, lacking accountability and transparency with unsustainable business models will eventually be exposed and brought down like a pack of cards as seen in the infamous Madoff Scandal. In this new business environment, a company’s reputation has become one of its most valuable assets, and CSR is one of the main key component of corporate reputation.

Emerging from global recession and limited financial resources, many companies are charting a new course. As business leaders navigate this evolving and challenging terrain, they must satisfy the demands of customers, employees, investors and governments. At the same time, the need to develop new strategies that address the economic, social, and environmental impact of their business practices remains imperative.

In spite of the variety of approaches to CSR, there is wide consensus as to its main characteristics. Companies that adopt socially responsible behaviour go beyond their legal obligations to choose this voluntary course of action, because they believe these to be in their long-term interests. CSR is also intrinsically linked to the concept of sustainable development in which companies must integrate economic, social and environmental results in their management systems.

Therefore, CSR is not an option to be ‘added’ to the principle activities of the company but it is an integral part of corporate management. It is about building on existing practice, maximising its impact and making a link between social responsibilities and best business practices.

At this year’s 2nd Annual Global CSR Summit 2010 & Awards, we celebrate and salute the resilience of companies that have not only weathered the financial storm but remained resolute in trying times, to continuously uphold the highest stan-dards in CSR while developing innovative and sustainable solutions and products for greater profitability and improving the welfare of societies.

Visit the Global CSR Summit 2010 website for details and registration.

Panasonic Achieved its ‘eco ideas’ Targets and Sets New Vision

Panasonic Asia Pacific has achieved and exceeded its ‘eco ideas’ declaration targets set in 2009, and aims to be the number one green innovation company in the electronics industry by 2018.

Panasonic first announced the following ‘eco ideas’ declaration targets in 2009, and announced yesterday that it has achieved and exceeded its targets:

‘eco ideas’ for Products

• 80% of total sales by March 2013 contributed by eco products

Increased percentage of sales contributed by eco products (energy efficiency, water efficiency and long lasting) from 24% of total product sales in March 2009 to 49% in March 2010. Panasonic uses an internal environmental assessment system for assessing the environmental impacts of its products, including energy efficiency, resource conservation and reduction of chemicals.

‘eco ideas’ for Manufacturing

• Reduce 240,000 tons in total CO2 emissions over three years from April 2007 to March 2010

Reduced CO2 emissions across its 49 manufacturing sites in Asia Pacific by 37.2% instead of the original targeted 30.8% over three years. A total of 290,000 tons of CO2 was reduced, equivalent to planting about 16 million trees.

• Create model ‘eco ideas’ factories to promote clean production

Set up three model ‘eco ideas’ factories in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand that manufacture eco-friendly products with sustainable industry practices and are utilised in outreach activities to raise the level of eco consciousness in the community. These factories place an even greater emphasis on energy efficiency, waste management and recycling.

‘eco ideas’ for Everybody, Everywhere

• Spread ‘eco ideas’ through strong partnerships with key external stakeholders and educational roadshows to raise public awareness, especially among the youth.

Organised 76 eco-related educational activities and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes to raise public awareness in Asia Pacific.

Panasonic also announced its new vision to become the number one green innovation company in the electronics industry by 2018 (its 100th anniversary), and its new ‘eco ideas’ declaration. Panasonic pledges to achieve the following by March 2013:

‘eco ideas’ for Lifestyles

• Increase regional sales contributed by eco products from the current 49% to 80%.
• Develop a Panasonic Global ECO LEARNING PROGRAM, and leverage on the Environment Champions (Schools) Industry Module in Singapore to enhance awareness of environmental issues among youth and encourage them to take eco action.
• Utilise social media platforms to generate eco awareness and inculcate eco habits. It launched the ‘Make a Change‘ Campaign, an eco advertisement design competition. Three entries with the highest amount of votes stand to win eco-friendly TVs worth S$3,000 each. One winning design will be used by Panasonic in an ‘eco ideas’ advertising campaign.

‘eco ideas’ for Business-styles

• Reduce CO2 emissions by 500,000 tonnes vs business-as-usual level
• Develop four more model ‘eco ideas’ factories in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines