From business imperative to bigger purpose: Beh Siew Kim on sustainability in hospitality

Beyond investor returns, sustainability for Ascott means uplifting communities, protecting the environment and inspiring change. By Chong Xin Wei

- By Chong Xin Wei

Beh believes everyone can be a part of the sustainability journey.

(BT PHOTO: TAY CHU YI)

Sustainability was not something Beh Siew Kim set out to pursue.

But as she helmed CapitaLand Ascott Trust (Clas), she noticed a rising clamour from investors for greener portfolios of hotels and lodging properties.

Sustainability became a “business imperative”, said Beh, who was chief executive of Clas’ managers between 2017 and 2022. “If it was important to investors, it had to be important to the business. Sustainability found me, instead of me finding it.”

Clas went on to clinch several firsts under her watch. In 2021, it was named the global sector leader in the hotel category of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark. The following year, it became the first hospitality trust worldwide to issue a sustainability-linked bond.

In both those years, Clas also topped the Singapore Governance and Transparency Index for real estate investment trusts and business trusts.

Beh’s passion, alongside her early exposure to sustainability at the trust, led her to her current role as the chief financial and sustainability officer (CFSO) for lodging at CapitaLand Investment (CLI). She now advocates green strategies at CLI’s hospitality business, The Ascott Limited, where she is managing director for Japan and South Korea.

In recognition of her work in the industry, Beh received the Impact Leader Excellence Award (Individual) at the 2025 Sustainability Impact Awards, jointly presented by The Business Times and UOB.

Trained as an auditor, Beh admits she knew little about sustainability when it first landed on her desk. Undeterred, she turned to YouTube, where she learnt the basics of sustainability reporting standards, greenhouse gas emissions and methods of calculation.