Keppel Land rises to 4^th position in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World

At the World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos, Switzerland, today, Keppel Land Limited (Keppel Land) was ranked 4th worldwide in the esteemed Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World 2015, up 13 positions from 17th last year, coming up tops among Asian as well as real estate companies globally.

Mr Ang Wee Gee, CEO of Keppel Land, said, "Playing our part in shaping the future in cities worldwide as a leading Asian developer, Keppel Land will continue to sharpen our focus on sustainability and innovation. We are committed to operate in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes for our businesses, the environment and the community at large.

"In doing well, we can also be doing good. This recognition spurs us on in our pursuit of excellence and to push ahead in our sustainability journey."

Keppel Land aligns itself with internationally-recognised standards including certifications such as International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9001 on quality management, ISO 14001 on environmental management as well as OHSAS 18001 on occupational health and safety, and is among the few developers in Singapore to have received this triple certification. The Company has also rolled out an integrated management system combining the ISO 9001 with the ISO 14001 and OHSAS18001 into a single framework, and also seeks guidance from ISO 26000 on social responsibility and the United Nations Global Compact.

Keppel Land continues to raise the bar in sustainability reporting by becoming among the first in Asia to adopt and align its reporting with the latest Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) latest G4 guidelines at the Comprehensive level for its latest Sustainability Report 2013. G4 is the fourth generation of GRI's guidelines on sustainability reporting, and was launched in May 2013.

Keppel Land has focused its report on key material issues that have been identified through consultations with both internal and external stakeholders. These include economic performance, health and safety, compliance, environmental impact, labour practices and social responsibility.

Mr Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights, said, "In selecting the world's clean capitalism leaders, we adopt a rigorous assessment where companies are scored on up to 12 quantitative sustainability indicators. Since its inception in 2005, companies in the Global 100 have continued blazing the trail in sustainability, carving out new ways to make more with less.

"Keppel Land has again proven itself to be a champion for sustainability, topping the Asian and real estate charts two years in a row. Awareness in sustainability has grown globally in recent years, especially so in Asian countries and the real estate sector. Developers now, more than ever, are convinced that incorporating sustainability in their business models is no longer an option, but a necessity.

"We believe that eco-leaders such as Keppel Land chart and lead the path for a greener, cleaner future with their unwavering commitment and efforts toward changing the way we do business today, at the same time, encourage more corporations to join on this continuous journey."

Focused on environmental, social and governance performance, Keppel Land strives to ensure that sustainable policies, strategies and practices are incorporated into its day-to-day business activities. Its dedication and ongoing efforts have put the Company in good stead to meet the rising requirements for ESG disclosures. Read more about Keppel Land's ESG efforts in Annex 1.

Keppel Land is also listed in the Sustainability Yearbook 2015 for the fifth consecutive year, one of the world's most comprehensive publications on corporate sustainability. Every year, over 3,000 of the world's largest companies based on the S&P global BMI Index are invited to participate in RobecoSAM's Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) which identifies companies that are better equipped to recognise and respond to emerging sustainability opportunities and challenges presented by global and industry trends. To become a Sustainability Yearbook member, companies across 59 sectors must be within the top 15% of their industry and must achieve a score within 30% of the best performing industry leader's score. Keppel Land is among only two Singaporean entries listed in the real estate industry.

ANNEX 1 - KEPPEL LAND'S ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE EFFORTS

Environmental Efforts

Recognising the impact that buildings have on the environment, Keppel Land has put in place a set of Environmental Design Guidelines for its new developments, as well as an Environmental Operations Plan for completed commercial buildings, in the areas of certification, energy, water, landscaping and materials use.

In its pursuit to achieve higher environmental performance for its projects, Keppel Land has, since 2012, set a benchmark for all its new projects in Singapore to attain at least the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS rating. In addition, a further target was set for all existing commercial properties in Singapore to be retrofitted to meet at least the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS standard by 2015.

To-date, Keppel Land has a total of 47 BCA Green Mark Awards in Singapore and overseas. This includes the six highest Platinum awards for Keppel Bay Tower, Keppel Datahub 2, Bugis Junction Towers and Ocean Financial Centre in Singapore, and International Financial Centre Jakarta Tower 2 in Indonesia. When fully completed, total energy savings from these properties is estimated at over 120 million kWh or $30 million per annum. These savings equate to energy required to power more than 21,000 homes in Singapore for one year. In terms of greenhouse gases, these projects will achieve an annual reduction of about 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

In May 2014, Keppel Land was conferred the title of BCA Green Mark Champion for its continual improvement in environmental performance, recognising its strong commitment towards CSR and outstanding achievements in environmental sustainability.

Recognising the need for stakeholder engagement, the Company has also endeavoured to spread the ‘green mindset' through its ‘Go Green with Keppel Land' outreach programmes to share and promote environmental awareness and green office practices. For instance, Green Fit-Out and Green Office Operation Guides are distributed to the tenants to encourage the use of energy-efficient lighting and water-saving fittings, as well as to provide practical guides on how tenants can adopt more environmentally friendly practices within their offices.

Keppel Land is part of the Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC) partnership programme, collaborating with the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) and other developers to reinforce the national drive towards greater energy efficiency as well as to streamline, coordinate and disseminate building energy efficiency-related activities.

The Company has partnered Royal Philips to replace its existing conventional office lamps with energy-efficient LED lighting on a zero capital expenditure scheme to reduce lighting energy consumption in its office premises by up to 60%. It further extended the scheme to tenants of its office buildings, as part of its commitment to engage and promote green practices among tenants.

The Company has set the goal of reducing its carbon emissions intensity by 16% below its 2010's emission levels by 2020. Its efforts are expected to yield potential savings of $18.3 million and annual savings of $4.8 million per annum from 2020 thereafter.

Keppel Land's commitment is exemplified in its LEED-Platinum certified Ocean Financial Centre, a premium Grade A office building at the heart of Singapore's business and financial district. Ocean Financial Centre also held the Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Vertical Garden, and is the first office development in Singapore to achieve the highest BCA Green Mark Platinum rating in 2008. The building stands out with its iconic design and state-of-the-art green features, such as one of the largest assemblies of solar panels in Singapore's Central Business District, an energy-efficient hybrid chilled water system and an integrated paper recycling facility for all offices.

At another of Keppel's landmark projects, the world-class Keppel Bay waterfront precinct sits on what was once Keppel Harbour in the 1960s. Today, Keppel Bay comprises two completed residential developments - Caribbean and Reflections at Keppel Bay; Corals at Keppel Bay, which is currently under construction; and Marina at Keppel Bay. Through Keppel's meticulous masterplanning and intensive clean-up efforts, today, Keppel Bay is an underwater sanctuary teaming with marine life. Incorporating the latest in green technology, Marina at Keppel Bay became the first marina in Asia to receive the BCA Green Mark Gold Award in 2011. In 2014, the marina was again recognised for its green practices and was awarded the Green Maritime Company of the Year at the Asia Boating Awards.

Within the Company, Keppel Land has in place systems to link the remuneration of senior executives and relevant employees to the achievement of pertinent sustainability-related goals and performance.

For staff from the Project Management and Sustainable Design unit as well as project managers across the Group, between 5% and 30% of their individual performance appraisal is linked to environmental targets covering multiple aspects such as improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

All employees have 2% of their KPIs linked to safety. For project managers, it accounts for an additional 10% to 20% of their KPIs. Any fatality at the end of the supply chain also affects the bonuses of key staff.

Innovation and change, collaboration and teamwork as well as risk management form part of executives' competency assessment in the staff appraisal and performance management framework, which carry a 30% weightage.

In 2014, the safety quiz which contributes to 2% of every employee's total performance score, was renamed the Corporate Sustainability quiz, and revised to include more sustainability-related questions.

Regular outreach activities such as talks and workshops by industry experts, as well as eco-events are organised by Keppel Land to engage and promote environmental awareness among its stakeholders including employees, tenants, homebuyers and the wider public.

Governance

Financial prudence, discipline and unwavering commitment towards upholding good governance have enabled Keppel Land to deliver long-term value and sustainable returns to its shareholders.

Keppel Land is a component of both the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific and World Indices, as well as the MSCI Global Sustainability and Socially Responsible Indices.  In The Business Times' Governance and Transparency Index 2013, Keppel Land ranked 6th out of 664 companies. The index ranks listed companies in Singapore based on the quality of their financial disclosure, corporate governance and transparency.

The Company was named Runner-up for Most Transparent Company Award for real estate companies at the Securities' Investors Association Singapore Investors' Choice Awards 2014.

The Keppel Land Board recognises that proper succession planning plays an important role in ensuring continuous and effective stewardship of the Company. The Company's succession plans are reviewed annually to ensure the progressive renewal of the Board, including the Chairman and the CEO.

Keppel Land has a total of 11 Directors on its Board, of whom three are female Directors. The Directors provide relevant core competencies in areas such as legal, industry knowledge, finance and risk management.

The core management team at Keppel Land comprises nine individuals, including two females, who oversee the strategic and business operations of the Company in property development for sale and property fund management.

Keppel Land also adopts a localisation policy at its overseas offices. Over 50% of locals assume the position of head of department at its various overseas offices.

Social

As a global citizen, Keppel Land seeks to give back to communities in which it operates. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committees have been set up in Singapore, China and Vietnam to identify, implement and monitor initiatives especially in the areas of environment and education.

At the ASEAN Business Awards, Keppel Land was named the "Most Admired ASEAN Enterprise" for CSR in 2010 and 2013. In 2014, the Company clinched the same title under the Corporate Excellence category (large size company).

Keppel Land supports international volunteering initiatives such as the Singapore International Foundation's Words on Wheels in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Water for Life in Yangon, Myanmar.

Safety takes top priority as a Keppel core value and is an integral aspect of Keppel Land's business operations. The Company strives to ensure that everyone who comes to work goes home safe by creating a zero-harm workplace. The Company has zero tolerance for non-compliance with workplace health and safety regulations.

In 2014, Keppel Land clinched the Merit Award at the prestigious International Safety Awards 2014 by the British Safety Council for its commitment to the health, safety and well-being of its workforce.

Keppel Land was also conferred the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Developer Award at the WSH Awards 2013 for the second consecutive year, and selected by the WSH Council to be a bizSAFE mentor for the second term. As a bizSAFE mentor, Keppel Land leads and guides contractors in the building and construction industry to conform to exemplary safety standards, as well as provides support and advice for continuous improvement in safety at the workplaces.

Recognising the importance of fostering a culture of safety in our supply chain, our second Safety Awareness Centre (SAC) was set up in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, in 2013, to provide mandatory training for contractors' employees. Together with the first SAC in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which was set up in 2011, we have trained over 10,000 workers to-date.

About Keppel Land

One of Asia's premier property developers, Keppel Land is committed to hand over to the next generation a more developed, yet cleaner and greener world. Adopting a proactive approach towards environmental management and protection, the Company strives to create sustainable and optimal live-work-play environments in all its properties, celebrated for their quality, innovation and integrity. Keppel Land is recognised for its sterling portfolio of award-winning residential developments and investment-grade commercial properties as well as high standards of corporate governance and transparency.

As part of its sustainable journey, Keppel Land has also put in place policies, strategies and practices to help us achieve positive outcomes for our businesses, the environment and community at large.

Keppel Land has also been conferred several sustainability accolades. Notable recent awards include being named one of the winners under the category of Business Leadership in Sustainability at the inaugural Asia Pacific Regional Network Leadership Awards in Green Building by the World Green Building Council as well as Winner in the Energy Management category at the Sustainable Business Awards 2014.

The Company is also listed in The Sustainability Yearbook 2015 for the fifth consecutive year, placing it among the top 15% of companies worldwide in sustainability leadership.

Leading in best practices, Keppel Land is a component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Asia Pacific Indices 2014/2015 for the fourth and fifth year respectively. It also retained its position on both the MSCI Global Socially Responsible and Sustainability Indices since 2012 and 2013 respectively, and was listed on MSCI World Environmental, Social and Governance Index of large and mid-cap developed market companies.

For more information on Keppel Land's sustainability efforts, please visit www.keppelland.com.

About the Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations

The Global 100 is the most extensive data-driven corporate sustainability assessment in existence, and inclusion is limited to a select group of the world's top 100 large-cap companies, with a market capitalisation in excess of US$2 billion. Organised by Toronto-based media and investment research company, Corporate Knights, the annual Global 100 was launched in 2005, and is announced each year at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The Global 100 methodology for evaluating companies' sustainability or "clean capitalism" performance was cited as a leading global practice (by SustainAbility in their Rate the Raters research program, Phase 4).

Companies named to the Global 100 index are the top overall sustainability performers in their respective industrial sectors, selected from a starting universe of all publicly-listed companies with a market capitalisation greater than $2 billion (USD).

The companies are scored on KPIs that are disclosed by at least 10% of companies in their industry group. Scoring methodology is based on a company's performance against its industry group peers. This year, Waste Productivity was included as a priority indicator for the real estate sector.

The KPIs are as follows:

The Global 100 is based entirely on public sources of data.

For more information on Global 100, visit www.corporateknights.com/reports/global-100

For more information, please contact: