Building on its current environmental sustainability initiatives across the building and infrastructure value chain, JTC announces new environmental sustainability commitments in support of Singapore’s Year of Climate Action 2018

JTC pledged its support for Singapore’s Year of Climate Action 2018 as part of celebrating its 50th anniversary. JTC’s pledge encompasses efforts and initiatives to develop environmentally sustainable industry spaces and estates, as well as to invite customers and partners to do their part for environmental sustainability.

Launched on the 50th year of its establishment, JTC commits as an infrastructure provider to achieve the following outcomes in its developments and estates, on top of its existing environmental sustainability initiatives:

1. Optimise energy and water use efficiencies by exploiting technology, promoting green practices and catalysing the development of alternative solutions;
2. Leverage economies of scale and streamline operations to cut down the carbon footprints of our new estates;
3. Produce and utilise more solar energy to reduce grid dependency and burning of fossil fuels;
4. Partner National Parks Board (NParks) and business communities to increase green coverage in our estates, and create 1,000m2 of artificial coral reef area at the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park to preserve marine biodiversity.

JTC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ng Lang, said, “As we look back, it is clear that sustainable development has always been part of the JTC and Singapore story. This is what makes us attractive as an investment destination. On our 50th anniversary, we pledge to build on this legacy by partnering enterprises and communities to make our industrial and business estates greener.”

Driving Sustainability Throughout the Building and Infrastructure Value Chain

As Singapore’s lead government agency responsible for the development of industrial infrastructure, JTC constantly develops innovative solutions to respond quickly to evolving industry needs and overcome challenges such as manpower and resource constraints in today’s fast-changing built environment.

By pioneering the use of sustainable technologies, materials and processes in its existing projects, JTC hopes to positively influence and transform industry practices and standards. JTC already has in place various environmentally sustainable practices throughout the entire building and infrastructure value chain, including planning, design and construction, operations and even rejuvenation activities. (More information on this can be found in Annex B)

JTC’s key projects and initiatives that incorporate environmental sustainability considerations include:

1. Striking a balance between environmental sustainability and biodiversity with commercial needs. Singapore’s first eco-business park, the CleanTech Park in Jurong Innovation District, is one example. It has integrated the natural environment and biodiversity in the surrounding Jalan Bahar in its masterplan, while creating a vibrant ecosystem of advanced manufacturing and cleantech companies in its multi-tenanted developments. The buildings within the business park are designed to harness natural wind to cut down energy consumption from air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation. They also incorporate ventilation-efficient features that utilise renewable energy sources like solar energy.
2. Enabling the generation and adoption of solar energy through its SolarRoof programme, with the installation of solar panels on the roofs of its developments such as the Jurong Town Hall and JTC Space @ Tampines North. This 15-year programme will see the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of 27 JTC buildings to generate up to 5MWp of electricity which can be fully exported to the power grid. This new alternative model helps to overcome some of the challenges faced by the local solar market, such as roof constraints and high capital costs; and
3. Implementing green leases for all JTC developments with BCA Green Mark Gold and Platinum ratings, where tenants will be required to adopt sustainable practices such as using water and energy efficient fittings.

Catalysing Partnerships for a More Environmentally Sustainable Singapore

JTC will partner organisations and communities to jointly create a more sustainable future for Singapore. Customers and partners who have benefited from our industrial and business parks can contribute to greening these estates with more trees, via the NPark’s Garden City Fund initiative.

Companies that wish to contribute to a wider cause can also support Singapore’s marine biodiversity by contributing to the Grow-A-Reef-Garden programme to install artificial reef structures at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, or donate to the Seed Bank initiative by The Singapore Botanic Gardens.