Cities: Possibilities 2024 – A CapitaLand Sustainability Edition

Adaptation financing has traditionally garnered low private-sector interest as it does not present clear revenue-earning opportunities. Yet, in recent years, we are seeing transformative shifts with the development of new financing tools and models that could potentially close the current funding gap.

Across Asia Pacific, there is an annual shortfall of about US$800 billion in climate finance, of which around US$170 billion falls in the adaptation category, according to the International Monetary Fund.  

Multilateral financiers are now championing “blended finance” models, where they commit part of the funds needed for climate projects which face bankability issues. The understanding of what is a good business model for adaptation might be an emerging concept for the private sector but increasingly financiers see the demand for more support in climate-resilient infrastructure, from water and sanitation, coastal resilience-building to energy and transport-related projects.  

On a global scale, there is also now growing momentum to get wealthier countries to provide “loss and damage” funding to vulnerable nations to recover faster from climate disasters. The issue will be at the forefront of upcoming talks at the COP29 climate summit, but it remains to be seen if sufficient capital can be made available.

This opening plenary puts the spotlight on financing models and partnerships that could provide Asia’s cities with the ammunition it needs to adapt to urgent climate risks. It also explores crucial questions such as how to move from financing to implementation and ensure that resources are channelled to local city governments and cash-strapped provinces through a faster route.

Decarbonising the built environment could potentially address more than a third of the planet’s carbon emissions.  

Doing so, however, is a mammoth task.  

From retrofitting existing infrastructure, overcoming financial barriers, to finding ways of powering the built environment with renewable forms of energy, decarbonisation will require a collective and concerted effort among key stakeholders and all segments of society.  

But decarbonisation also presents ample opportunities for businesses to leverage.  

With nine in 10 commercial real estate occupiers targeting 100 per cent green-certified portfolios by 2030, enterprises can strategically green infrastructure and derive value from cost-effective low-carbon technologies – all while capitalising on increasing investor demand.  

This plenary will discuss the key decarbonisation opportunities businesses can leverage and the short- and long-term challenges to navigate.  

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The real estate investment landscape has evolved.

Once primarily underpinned by high returns on investments and cash flow from property appreciation, investors now view sustainability as a long-term key revenue driver and a way to capture market demand.

On one hand, while sustainable real estate may command higher premiums and may be more resilient to climate – and therefore investment – shocks, many investors may not know where to start.  

With a myriad of sustainability reporting frameworks to navigate in the real estate world, greenwashing concerns, higher investment costs, and the majority of infrastructure requiring retrofitting to meet sustainability standards, knowing which real estate trends to leverage can be the difference between a climate-resilient portfolio and one exposed to short- and long-term risks.  

Sustainable real estate can also influence a nation’s total amount of emissions reductions over time as investors seek to derisk their investments by financing climate-resilient property.  

This panel will discuss the key trends that are driving sustainable real estate investments, and how investors can fortify their investments amid increasing and unpredictable climate risks.

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Creating sustainable cities is a collective effort, particularly within the real estate sector, where a broad ecosystem of stakeholders plays a crucial role. This ecosystem includes property owners, developers, investors, tenants, contractors, suppliers, and regulators.

Tenants, for instance, can contribute up to 70% of a building’s total energy consumption. As their preference for sustainability grows, it directly shapes the design of buildings and the adoption of energy- and resource-efficient features.

Meanwhile, investors are increasingly prioritizing sustainability, recognizing that properties with strong environmental credentials offer long-term value and reduced risk. This shift in investor priorities is channeling more funding toward sustainable projects.

The rising demand for sustainability throughout the real estate value chain influences investment decisions, property values, and the competitiveness of green buildings in the market.

However, stakeholders face challenges in navigating this complex landscape, including varying green building certification standards, regulatory compliance, costs, Scope 3 emissions, and impact measurement. Achieving sustainability requires coordinated efforts across all parties.

This plenary will explore emerging trends in real estate development, their impact on stakeholders, and the increasing focus on sustainable cities, which are setting ambitious net-zero targets and raising expectations for livability.

There are sustainable cities, and then there are regenerative cities.

While sustainable cities aim to minimise environmental impact and meet present needs without affecting future generations, regenerative cities strive beyond for a net positive impact, by integrating nature into urban environments, creating spaces that minimise harm, and restoring natural ecosystems.

This includes designing urban areas that support wildlife, improve air and water quality, transform waste into resources, and enhance community well-being through green infrastructure.

With the UN projecting that 68 per cent of the global population will live in cities by 2050, the role that cities play in climate action cannot be ignored. As a response, a growing number of cities have adopted several strategies – Copenhagen has designed recreational parks that mitigate the heat island effect while promoting more outdoor activities among residents; green roofs, vertical gardens and cooling initiatives have proliferated in Singapore; and Tokyo has integrated some urban parks and public plazas with green areas, public transport and commercial zones.

Scaling these solutions across different cities, however, presents unique challenges, from navigating complex regulatory frameworks to engaging the right stakeholders, and from funding constraints to poor public awareness.

As discussions at COP29 highlight the urgent need for climate action, this plenary will discuss the various ways in which cities can adopt regenerative models of urban planning and contribute to carbon capture and ecological restoration across the world.

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