Singapore state investor Temasek to be carbon neutral by 2020

(Eco Business, 13 Nov 2019) The investment firm, which aims to halve the greenhouse gas emissions of its portfolio by 2030, will also report its consumption of electricity, water, paper and air miles from this financial year, said chief executive Ho Ching.

Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings will go carbon neutral by next year, and is looking to do the same with its portfolio “sooner than later”, executive director and chief executive Ho Ching said at a corporate sustainability event on Tuesday. 

As an investment firm, Temasek does not produce goods and services and its carbon emissions are mostly from the consumption of electricity, water, paper and air miles—which it will report from this financial year, said Ho at the Global Compact Network Singapore Summit at the Suntec convention centre.

Temasek has committed to halving the greenhouse gas emissions of its portfolio by 2030, and Ho said it would also “study how we can shape a carbon neutral portfolio sooner than later”.

Companies in its portfolio, which had a net value of S$313 billion as at March 31, include telecommunications provider Singtel, DBS Bank, Singapore Airlines, utility SP Group, agribusiness giant Olam International and transport provider SMRT Corporation.

DBS was recently in the news for potentially funding the future Vung Ang 2 coal-fired power plant in Vietnam, despite its pledge to stop financing new coal projects after seeing through existing ones. Coal is the single biggest source of global warming.

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Eco Business, 13 Nov 2019: Singapore state investor Temasek to be carbon neutral by 2020