Keppel Land raise plastic waste awareness

Lee Leong Seng, general director of Saigon Sports City Company Ltd., presenting the award to the winner of the Green Sculpture Competition Three Rs

The competition and its exhibition from July 1 to 7 sought to highlight the importance of environmental protection and promote climate action through the creation of unique sculptural artworks from recycled materials.

Participants of the Green Sculpture Competition were tasked to create sculptural artworks with recycled materials, including plastic waste, based on the themes of plastic pollution and environmental protection.

The winner creator, Three Rs – a team of students from the University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City – walked away with the grand prize of VND 20 million ($870). "Shackles" was created using discarded materials including plastic bottles and bottle caps. It depicts a seal entangled in waste, with a chain and plastic wrap around its head and neck.

Tran Tri Minh, the team leader of Three Rs, said that through this artwork, his team hopes to highlight how plastic waste affects marine life and encourage everyone to join hands to work towards a greener, cleaner, and more beautiful world – one that is free from the devastating impact of plastic pollution.

As the winning sculpture, "Shackles" will be replicated using residual building materials and installed at Saigon Sports City, a smart and sustainable township being developed by Keppel Land and Keppel Urban Solutions in Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition to the first prize, the "Melting Ice" by Nguyen Cat Khanh and the "Blue Whale" by Luong Khue Nguyen Anh won the second and third prizes. The Social media favourite was awarded to “The Origin” by Episoul.

Joseph Low (first from left), President (Vietnam) of Keppel Land, briefing Nguyen Thi Thanh My (first from right), deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, on the green sculptures on display at Estella Place.

Joseph Low, President (Vietnam) of Keppel Land said that in line with Keppel’s Vision 2030, the company has placed sustainability at the core of its strategy.

“Our proactive and holistic approach towards sustainability includes organising eco-conscious initiatives such as the Green Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, where we seek to raise awareness of environmental protection,” Low said.

“These evocative artworks, made creatively with recycled materials, remind us to shift from the traditional linear take-make-dispose economy to a more circular and sustainable solution. Through public outreach efforts such as this, we seek to encourage our stakeholders to join us in building a more sustainable future,” he added.

Nguyen Thi Thanh My, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, expressed her appreciation to Keppel Land Vietnam for its efforts in organising the Green Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, and its contributions toward environmental protection and combatting climate change.

“These initiatives will raise public awareness and promote the reduction of domestic solid waste. This is in line with the sustainable development goals of Ho Chi Minh City, as well as those of Vietnam and the world,” My said.

In 2021, Keppel Land took a significant step toward climate action by announcing its commitment to halve its Scope 1 and 2 absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2025 from 2020’s level, and achieve net-zero by 2030.

It is the first in Asia’s real estate sector to set a near-term science-based target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 100 per cent, in line with the 1.5 degrees Celsius trajectory.

Keppel Land has also committed to reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services by 20 per cent per square metre by 2030 from a 2020 base year.