Several leading Singapore-based construction companies, including Expand Construction, Hi-Tek Construction, Kimly Construction, Ngai Chin Construction, Soilbuild Construction Group, Teambuild Construction Group, and Wee Hur Construction, have embraced ESGpedia to strengthen their sustainability reporting efforts. This move is aimed at improving competitiveness in securing project tenders that require environmental, social, and governance (ESG) compliance.
Singapore’s built environment contributes around 20% of the country’s carbon emissions. However, many companies struggle with sustainability due to the complexity of tracking carbon emissions throughout a building’s lifecycle. With increasing government and private sector demand for greener construction projects, companies are now expected to provide detailed sustainability reports.
“With project tenders increasingly incorporating sustainability criteria, we are delighted to have empowered these major home-grown construction firms in their ESG reporting. Our platform provides real-time insights into greenhouse gas emissions, helping businesses stay competitive while advancing sustainability,” said Benjamin Soh, Founder and Managing Director at ESGpedia.
Automated sustainability reporting boosts efficiency
To ensure compliance with international and local standards, Expand Construction and Hi-Tek Construction have used ESGpedia to generate their first company-wide sustainability reports. The platform aligns with standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), ISO, and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).
Expand Construction, known for its public housing and infrastructure projects, successfully completed its 2024 sustainability report within two weeks using ESGpedia. Similarly, Hi-Tek Construction, which focuses on HDB Build-to-Order (BTO) and Home Improvement Programme (HIP) projects, produced its inaugural sustainability report. The report highlighted potential cost savings through the adoption of green technologies.
“We have enhanced our attractiveness in project tenders with ESGpedia as our reporting partner. This has led to higher success rates in securing projects, particularly those with ESG requirements,” said Toh Chee Boon, Deputy Managing Director of Hi-Tek Construction.
The platform has allowed both companies to measure their carbon footprint more accurately and work towards achieving sustainability certifications. “ESGpedia provided us with a simple way to calculate our carbon emissions across Scope 1 to 3, converting operational data into actionable insights,” said Kenneth Siew, Executive Director of Expand Construction.
Tackling project-level carbon emissions reporting
Beyond company-level sustainability reports, firms such as Soilbuild Construction Group and Ngai Chin Construction have begun using ESGpedia to track carbon emissions at the project level. This approach helps account for environmental impact at individual construction sites, considering factors such as equipment usage, materials, and project type.
Soilbuild Construction, a listed company with projects like the PSA Supply Chain Hub at Tuas, faced challenges with manual data collection and inconsistent supplier reports. By adopting ESGpedia, the company improved its reporting accuracy and streamlined carbon footprint assessments.
“As an SME, we often lack the resources to measure sustainability progress effectively. ESGpedia has empowered us to track our emissions more efficiently,” said Clifton Chong, Sustainability Lead at Ngai Chin Construction.
Engaging subcontractors for full value chain transparency
To manage supply chain emissions, Kimly Construction, Teambuild Construction Group, and Soilbuild Construction have worked with ESGpedia to engage their subcontractors. Gathering sustainability data from multiple partners has been a challenge for construction firms, especially when managing residential projects.
Victoria Tan, Deputy Director of Corporate Development at Teambuild Construction Group, noted that the industry’s lack of benchmarks made tracking environmental impact difficult. ESGpedia helped streamline the process by enabling main contractors to collect emissions data from subcontractors through co-branded portals.
“ESGpedia helped us automate our subcontractor engagement, from onboarding to data collection, allowing us to track emissions efficiently,” said Justin Chew, Senior Manager of Enterprise Sustainability at Kimly Construction.
Future of sustainability in the construction sector
With the Housing Development Board (HDB) moving towards Scope 3 emissions tracking, construction firms are preparing to comply with these new requirements. Scope 3 emissions, which account for indirect emissions from a company’s supply chain, are expected to be a key factor in future sustainability assessments.
“Although we are tracking Scope 3 emissions for the first time for projects such as Tuas Port, the ESGpedia platform has made it easy to categorise carbon emissions, even breaking them down into the 15 sub-categories, which allows us to easily identify areas of improvement,” said Han Ren, Executive Director and Group CEO of Soilbuild Construction Group.
Similarly, Kimly Construction has begun incorporating sustainability initiatives in tender applications, while Wee Hur Construction has started Scope 3 reporting to meet stock exchange requirements. “ESGpedia has helped us determine what data to collect for Scope 3, resolving a major challenge for us,” said Tay Hock Joo, Chairperson of the ESG Committee at Wee Hur Construction.
As demand for green buildings continues to rise, construction companies must adopt ESG best practices to remain competitive. “ESGpedia has transformed how we approach sustainability, ensuring compliance with global standards while improving transparency,” said Victoria Tan of Teambuild Construction Group.
With sustainability now a key factor in project tenders, companies that integrate ESG principles early will gain a strategic advantage in securing future contracts.
