Going beyond green: UOL's ‘evolving’ sustainability journey drives business

Besides sky gardens, its approach extends to operations and stakeholder engagement. By Elysia Tan

- By Elysia Tan

Yeong Sien Seu, chief legal and sustainability officer of UOL, says sustainability should be treated as an investment, not a cost.

(TAY CHU YI)

More than a decade since forming its sustainability steering committee, UOL Group’s sustainability efforts have matured from pioneering “biophilic” building design — addressing the innate love for nature and living things - toa data-driven strategic imperative.

“Sustainability is not static — it’s a living, evolving journey,’ said Yeong Sien Seu, UOL’s chief legal and sustainability officer.

The company’s strategy “has matured from green building certification to holistic climate resilience planning, inclusive design and stakeholder engagement”, he told The Business Times.“We now integrate sustainability into every aspect of our business, from architecture and operations to community partnerships and employee engagement.”

UOL and its subsidiary Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s (PPHG) comprehensive approach to sustainability netted them the Impact Enterprise Excellence Award in the large enterprise category at the 2025 Sustainability Awards, jointly presented by BT and UOB, for the second year running.

Take, for example, the growth of PPHG’s “hotel-in-a-garden” concept, which aims to create “vibrant ecosystems that support biodiversity while reducing environmental impact”, and enrich the guest experience. It began with Parkroyal Collection Pickering in 2013, which has 15,000 square metres of sky gardens, waterfalls and planter terraces.

“It was a bold statement, proving that large-scale vertical greenery could be functional, not just decorative,” said Yeong.

When it came to retrofitting Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay in 2020, a 60,000-square-foot indoor garden atrium was designed.