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SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2017
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Green Buildings at The Isthmus
Another innovative project that our Property Development Division is
currently developing is the 246-acre development called The Isthmus in
Kuching. Poised to become the City’s Central Business District (CBD),
the award-winning development, has adopted the Green Building Index
(GBI) accreditation standard for new projects where possible at The
Isthmus. One such development, the Menara Sarawak Energy building,
the head office for Sarawak Energy Berhad, was completed in 2013. It is
the first green building in East Malaysia and the first to be awarded the
final GBI Silver Rating. Also, in 2016, it was announced that the UCSI
Campus and Hotel that is being undertaken by the UCSI Group will have
the GBI rating.
CMS Properties Sdn Bhd also competed the development of two
signature GBI-certified buildings called The Gateway Towers which
will serve as headquarters for Pelita Holdings Berhad and the Sarawak
Economic Development Corporation, both at The Isthmus, in 2017.
GBI is Malaysia’s green rating for buildings and towns, created to
promote sustainability in the built environment and raise awareness
of environmental issues amongst developers, architects, engineers,
planners, designers, contractors, as well as the public.
Buildings are awarded with the GBI rating based on six key criteria:
1. Energy Efficiency
Improves energy consumption by optimising
building orientation, minimising solar
heat gain through the building envelope,
harvesting natural lighting and various other
related measures
2. Indoor Environmental Quality
Achieves good quality performance
in indoor air quality, acoustics, visual and
thermal comfort
3. Sustainable Site Planning & Management
Successfully selects appropriate sites with
planned access to public transportation,
community services, open spaces and
landscaping
4. Materials & Resources
Promotes the use of environment-friendly
materials sourced from sustainable sources
and recycling
5. Water Efficiency
Incorporates rainwater harvesting, water
recycling and water-saving fittings
6. Innovation
Incorporates innovative design and initiatives
that meet the objectives of the GBI
Environment
CMS ECOWALL PANEL
As CMS Concrete Products Sdn Bhd’s answer to sustainable building
materials, the ECO Wall Panel continued to see brisk sales with a total
of 227 metric tonnes (about 1,650 m²) being sold in 2017 (2016:
3,000 tonnes). The ECO Wall Panel is an eco-friendly alternative to the
conventional brickmaking method which consumes more energy and
causes more pollution. The amount of labour required is reduced and it
utilises quarry products such as quarry dust that are in less demand. The
ECOWall is 30% lighter in weight due to its advanced hollow core design.
It is also equivalent to 90 pieces of brick and its compressive strength of
25 Newtons per square millimetre make it suitable as a load bearing wall.
The Government’s policy and Public Works Department’s specifications
were the main push factors for the use of the ECO Wall and other IBS
products in 2017. Awareness and acceptance in the private sector are
still low. We note that the Federal Government is keen to continue to use
ECO Wall and IBS in some schools in Sarawak in 2018. However, sales
will very much depend on the magnitude of Federal funding.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
The ISO 14001 standard sets out the criteria for an environmental
management system. It maps out a framework that a company
or organisation can follow to set up an effective environmental
management system. The list of our subsidiary companies who have
attained ISO 14001 certification is listed below.
ISO 14001 Certification
CMS Cement Sdn Bhd (Pending Plant)
ISO 14001 certified since April 2001
CMS Cement Sdn Bhd (Bintulu Plant)
ISO 14001 certified since February 2008
CMS Cement Industries Sdn Bhd
ISO 14001 certified since September 2012
PPES Works (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd
ISO 14001 certified since 2004
CMS Premix Sdn Bhd
ISO 14001 certified since 2013
CMS Roads Sdn Bhd
ISO 14001 certified since 2005
As part of its biodiversity efforts, the development started a tree nursery
consisting of 100 white
Bucida
trees.