As part of Changi Airport Group’s (CAG) plan to set up an Environmental Management System based on ISO 14001 standards, CAG has established a set of targets to cut energy use and to increase the proportion of recycled water used at Changi. This was announced at the launch of CAG’s ‘Changi Goes Green’ environment roadshow on 8 November 2010, in conjunction with Clean and Green Singapore.
Various initiatives have been implemented in conserving energy, including dimming lights at airport terminals by as much as 50% during off-peak hours, using natural lighting where possible, and installing motion sensors in areas such as toilets and offices to conserve electricity.
Currently, Changi Airport’s annual terminal building electricity consumption is about 450 million kWh. The target will see Changi Airport reducing its terminal buildings’ electricity usage by about 13.5 million kWh, generating savings of about S$2.4 million over the next three years.
Currently, already less than half of Changi Airport’s water usage comes from potable sources. Recycled water from rainwater is used for irrigating plants at Changi Airport’s nursery and external landscape areas. Other efforts to conserve water include the installation of tap flow regulators in all toilet taps in the airport, which limit water flow from six litres per minute to two litres per minute.
The water target set will see Changi Airport increase the proportion of its recycled water usage from 55% to 58% over the next three years.
Beyond the energy and water targets, CAG aims to attain the BCA Green Mark Gold certification for Terminal 2 as well as the Singapore Environment Council’s Green Office Label for its corporate offices in 2011.
The Changi tree or Hopea Sangal, which used to be a landmark of what is now known as the Changi area, has set its roots in Changi Airport. The tree was thought to be extinct in Singapore until its re-discovery in September 2002 when a 150 year-old specimen was felled illegally. CAG’s management and staff have planted saplings of the Changi tree in the airport grounds as part of the ‘Changi Goes Green’ programme. The trees will serve as a symbol of CAG’s commitment to environmental sustainability into the future.
