CDL turns green and wins

City Developments (CDL) has received more than one-third of all the Green Mark Awards that were handed out to private developers by the Building and Construction Authority recently.

CDL’s 16 awards account for more than 25 per cent of the total number of Green Mark Awards that have been given out since the inaugural one was presented in 2005.

Take a look at the numbers: CDL has achieved a reduction of 42 per cent of water and 19 per cent of energy used for construction. The developer’s construction sites also generated 49 per cent less worksite waste between 2004 and last year.

Just how did the developer go big on eco-friendly buildings without ramping up business costs?

“We believe that everyone involved — the architect, contractor, building managers and consumers — must think green and act on it. We must try our best to influence them by increasing their awareness and instill in them a need to be environmentally responsible,” said Mr Eddie Wong, general manager, projects division, CDL.

Hence, it introduced the CDL Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) policy in 2003 to address the project management areas of energy and water conservation, waste management, safety and public health.

CDL’s contractors are appraised via the company’s 5-Star EHS Assessment System and are graded quarterly on a scale of 1 to 5 stars by independent auditors.

The results and practices of all contractors are then reviewed at seminars, providing a learning platform for all parties in the construction value chain for CDL’s properties.

Its approach has rubbed off on the property developer’s partners as well, with more than half of their key consultants obtaining ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications.

And in an effort to encourage contractors to think green, CDL’s annual 5-Star EHS Excellence Award recognises contractors that score high during the EHS Assessment exercise.

One of the recipients is Tiong Seng Contractors, which has won the award twice.

“CDL’s vision and culture to continuously promote new eco-friendly solutions and alternatives have inspired us not only to adopt green practices but to continually search for even better results,” said Mr Pek Lian Guan, managing director of Tiong Seng Contractors.

Source: Weekend Today, 12 May 2007

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