At the “Development potential of Vietnam's real estate market” international conference chaired by the Ministry of Construction on 13 July in Hanoi, Mr Joseph Low, President (Vietnam) of Keppel’s Real Estate Division, the only Singaporean foreign real estate developer to be invited, spoke about sustainability-related solutions that can contribute to a greener and more sustainable real estate market.
During his sharing, Mr Joseph Low emphasised, “As a leading player in the real estate sector, Keppel is fully aligned with the government of Vietnam as we aim to contribute to a greener environment by providing sustainability-related solutions to help our customers and communities reduce their carbon footprints.”
Mr Joseph Low, President (Vietnam) of Keppel’s Real Estate Division, at the “Development potential of Vietnam's real estate market” conference.
In line with this commitment, Keppel is pioneering a Sustainable Urban Renewal, or SUR, initiative with a mission to retrofit, future-proof and extend the lifespan of older commercial buildings, including in Vietnam.
“Unlike a new building which can be designed with new energy-efficient technologies from the onset, it is much more difficult to implement such technologies for an existing operating building. But in Singapore, we successfully retrofitted Keppel Bay Tower, a 20-year building to become the first commercial development to utilise renewable energy to power all its operations. We were also the first commercial building in Singapore to receive the Green Mark Platinum Zero Energy Award of the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore.” – Mr Joseph Low highlighted.
Another example is Keppel South Central, Keppel’s commercial tower in Singapore. The development incorporates innovative design features and technologies to optimise energy consumption. Through these energy-efficiency systems, Keppel South Central is expected to achieve an energy saving of about 6.2 million kWh a year, equivalent to the amount of energy required to power more than 1,300 homes in Singapore for one year. The Company aims to implement similar green design features in its upcoming Saigon Centre Phase 3 development.
Furthermore, Mr Joseph Low also recommended some solutions to encourage other companies to join Keppel’s journey of rejuvenation of older buildings. These include additional development spaces to help defray the higher implementation cost of sustainability-related solutions, as well as streamline and accelerate the approval process at a greater pace to minimise the gap between the demand and supply of housing needs.
Mr Joseph Low, President (Vietnam) of Keppel’s Real Estate Division, at the “Development potential of Vietnam's real estate market” conference.
This international conference which was jointly organised by the International Cooperation Department, Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department (Ministry of Construction), and Investor Magazine, brought together investors and businesses within and outside Vietnam, industry experts, lawmakers, representatives of central and local management agencies as well as other relevant organisations.
The conference serves as a platform for information sharing, discussion on sustainability and policy communication in the real estate market. It is also a forum for perfecting relevant legal framework that will promote Vietnam’s real estate market to international investors and connect investors and businesses within and outside Vietnam.
An overview of the “Development potential of Vietnam's real estate market” international conference in Hanoi.
Keppel’s Real Estate Division is the urban development arm of Keppel Corporation, a Singapore-headquartered global asset manager and operator with strong expertise in sustainability-related solutions spanning the areas of energy & environment, urban development and connectivity.
Keppel’s Real Estate Division entered Vietnam in the early 1990s and has grown to become one of the largest foreign investors and contributors to urban development in the country, with more than 20 projects and total registered investment capital of about USD3.5 billion. The Company is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen, contributing to and enriching the lives of local communities wherever it operates.