In less than a decade, 60 per cent of the global population will live in cities. How can the built environment innovate and adapt to accommodate 360 million more people projected to live in urban areas by 2030 and build within planetary boundaries?
On Tuesday (10 November), real estate group CapitaLand launched the inaugural CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge, a global search for innovations to make buildings more climate-resilient and resource-efficient from their initial design to construction.
Launched in conjunction with CapitaLand’s 2030 Sustainability Master Plan, the innovation challenge will source for solutions to meet its new sustainability targets.
The challenge falls under four key themes that address important pain points of the built environment: low carbon transition, water conservation and resilience, waste management and the circular economy, and healthy and safe buildings.
“Through the CXSC, we are inviting individuals and companies worldwide to contribute their impactful and scalable innovations. We are also discussing with local and international organisations on opportunities to partner us for the challenge. We look forward to working with our partners and the participants to bring great ideas to life and to co-create a more sustainable built environment across the global communities we operate in,” said Lynette Leong, chief sustainability officer of CapitaLand Group.
“In addition to tackling the challenges of lowering carbon emissions and water conservation as well as promoting circularity in our waste management practices, threats such as Covid-19 and the haze have sharpened our focus on further improving the health and safety of our building occupants and customers, beginning with elevating the indoor air quality at our properties. This will reinforce our leading position as a sustainable global real estate company,” she added.
Two winners will be selected for the High Impact Award and Most Innovative Award, and will receive up to S$50,000 (US$37,200) in project funding and mentoring.
Winning submissions will be assessed based on the impact, potential outcomes, and depth of innovation. Other judging criteria include the solutions’ ability to be scaled and deployed across the different geographies and asset types of CapitaLand’s properties.
As well as prizes for the winners, other shortlisted participants will stand a chance to trial their innovations on selected CapitaLand properties.
Shortlisted teams will pitch their projects to a panel of judges at a finale event held in May 2021. The challenge is currently accepting submissions until 1 February 2021.
Ideas for CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge can be submitted here.
