Carbon Emission Targets for Companies Owned by Government Investment Entities

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government is involved in, prescribes or audits, any net carbon emissions target set for 2030 for companies owned by its investment entities and, if so, what are these as broken down into total portfolio emissions versus negative emissions targets.

Mr Lawrence Wong: The Government does not prescribe the individual investment actions of our investment entities, which make commercial decisions independent of the Government. GIC and Temasek are already holistically integrating sustainability considerations in their investment processe s so as to protect and enhance the long-term value of their portfolios.

Indeed, climate change is one of the most crucial challenges of this era. As long-term investors, both GIC and Temasek see sustainability as core to how they invest, what companies they invest in and how they set their investment strategies. Strong sustainability practices are integral to delivering sustainable investment returns over the long term. Conversely, companies with poor sustainability practices carry increased business, reputational, as well as environmental, social and governance risks.