CTCI Group Leading the Engineering Industry as A Guardian of Sustainable Earth

As Taiwan's leading and one of the top 100 global contractors, CTCI Group has long viewed sustainable development as its mission, tirelessly promoting it within the engineering industry. In 2008, CTCI published Taiwan's very first third-party verified sustainability report, establishing itself as a pioneer in sustainability. By the end of 2021, the group further evolved by establishing a dedicated "Sustainability and Net Zero Office" and appointing a Chief Sustainability Officer. The Chairman of CTCI serves as the chief supervisor, regularly reporting performance and results to the Group’s Executive Committee and board of directors. This top-down approach embodies the principle of "Full Employee Participation in ESG" , yielding significant results.

Looking back at 2024, the group made substantial strides in sustainability. In this article, we will be highlighting CTCI’s four key achievements: advancing green engineering to guard a sustainable earth , enhancing biodiversity through the “Nature Vitality with Green Water” project, fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive(DEI) workplace, and executing effective carbon reduction strategies.

Advancing Green Engineering to Guard a Sustainable Earth

CTCI integrates its engineering expertise with sustainable development through "Green Engineering" projects worldwide, balancing economic growth with environmental protection for a win-win outcome.

CTCI’s Green Engineering has three main aspects:
1.Green Technologies: CTCI continuously adopts innovative carbon reduction technologies in project execution, with a priority on using  energy-efficient equipment and processes. Meanwhile, the Group is actively invested in the research and development of proprietary technologies. Through regular "Sustainable Net Zero and Improvement Meetings", the Group reviews energy-saving proposals from various business units, resulting in over 120 actionable plans implemented globally. 

2.Green Contracts: This encompasses all the environmentally beneficial green and low-carbon projects that CTCI undertakes, spanning sectors such as  clean energy, water resources, waste-to-energy, and green transportation. According the Group’s backlog form 2015 through 2023, the value of related contracts surged from NT$43.8 billion to NT$212.8 billion, exemplifying substantial contributions to sustainable development. 

3.Green Investments: CTCI’s green investment initiatives exceed NT$200 billion, with over NT$47 billion directly invested in projects like solar power plants and water reclamation plant. CTCI secured NT$10 billion in green financing, reflecting strong recognition from investors of the company’s sustainability performance. 

Surpassing Carbon Reduction Milestones for a Steadfast Path to Net-Zero

In 2021, CTCI Group pledged to achieve net-zero emissions at its office locations by 2030, with a goal of reaching full net-zero emissions across production and service sites by 2050. These are ambitious targets, and CTCI’s efforts so far have received positive feedback. As of 2023, the group successfully reduced carbon emissions by 13.6%, significantly exceeding the target of 7.6%. Going forward, the Group will work to strengthen its efforts and accelerate progress toward net-zero initiatives. 

According to international greenhouse gas accounting standards, achieving net-zero must encompass:
1.Scope 1: Direct emissions from company operations.
2.Scope 2: Indirect emissions from electricity usage.
3.Scope 3: Emissions across the supply chain.

In response to this, CTCI has established a pioneering initiative in Taiwan's engineering services industry this year. Following the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the company has officially passed the review of its near-term and long-term carbon reduction targets and pathways. It has set a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 45% in Scope 1 and Scope 2 by 2030. Additionally, CTCI has launched the "CTCI Supplier Net Zero Alliance," which has attracted 226 member companies as of Q3 2024. This alliance aims to leverage the influence of larger companies to support smaller ones, introducing various guidance and incentive measures to encourage suppliers in the more challenging Scope 3 to set carbon reduction targets by 2028, thereby accelerating progress towards achieving net zero by 2050.

To build suppliers' capabilities on carbon management, CTCI has developed several initiatives, including sharing low-carbon courses through the “CTCI Learning” platform, organizing net zero-related seminars, and provide suggestions for improvement after organizing government resources . These suggestions cover energy-saving measures for energy-consuming equipment and a thorough calculation and reporting on carbon emissions. The company also tracks suppliers' carbon emissions annually to establish comprehensive greenhouse gas emission data for its partners. So far, it has successfully assisted 193 companies in building their carbon management frameworks.

Celebrating Biodiversity with the “Nature Vitality with Green Water” Project

In addition to promoting net-zero carbon emissions, countries around the world are increasingly focusing on biodiversity issues. A sustainable and prosperous Earth can only be achieved exist when humans coexists in harmony with all living things.

CTCI Group recognized the importance of biodiversity early on. When executing major construction projects, the company diligently fulfills its corporate social responsibility by conducting thorough ecological surveys and incorporating the conservation of local key species. For example, facilities operated by ECOVE, a subsidiary of the Group, such as the Keelung Incinerator's Black Kite conservation project, the Miaoli Incinerator's rehabilitation of the Formosan Swallowtail Butterfly, and the Linkou Water Resource Center's sedge conservation, feature environmental education centers that share their conservation outcomes with the public, receiving widespread recognition from various sectors. 

To address water scarcity intensified by climate change, CTCI recently launched the 'CTCI Biodiversity Program—Nature Vitality with Green Water,' aiming to enhance employees' understanding of biodiversity and water resource protection.This program includes various measures to ensure that ecological protection is prioritized from the group headquarters to global operational sites and project locations. CTCI identified three key species of focus: the Formosan Blue Magpie, the small-leaved barringtonia, and the Formosan Swallowtail Butterfly. Additionally, employees are engaged through diverse activities such as community events, environmental actions, forum participation, and competitions to gradually raise awareness and recognition. Moreover, CTCI has made concrete commitments to demonstrate the Group's emphasis on these issues, including setting a 2030 goal for operational sites to achieve No Net Loss (NNL) and adhere to Zero Deforestation standards. By 2050, the goal is to achieve Net Positive Impact (NPI) at operational sites and ensure that the value chain meets No Net Loss and Zero Deforestation standards, alongside signing the Business for Nature’s Business for Nature Action Statement.

Emphasizing DEI and Employee Well-Being to Create a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

Fostering employee well-being and building a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become a global movement. CTCI, a global group with over 50 locations in 10 countries and a workforce of more than 8,000 employees from 20 nations, has implemented DEI-focused workplace policies to ensure equitable treatment for employees of all genders, orientations, races, and religions. The company also actively organizes a variety of activities to foster a strong sense of belonging among its team. 
 For instance, in 2024, CTCI created special pages on its internal EIP site to celebrate global cultures and festivals, featuring lively presentations of events like Thailand’s Songkran Festival and Lunar New Year. Physical events include a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration for foreign colleagues and a potluck event for Muslim meals. As for the learning resources, foreign employees can find dedicated language courses on the "CTCI University" online platform, with plans to add Thai as the platform’s  preset language.
CTCI has long been committed to helping employees achieve a work-life balance, continuously introducing benefits that exceed legal requirements, such as flexible work hours, health seminars, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), stock incentives, and enhanced parental leave. These initiatives aim to provide a supportive environment where every employee can work and grow confidently.

Reflection and Outlook

Looking back at 2024, CTCI’s ESG efforts have received external recognition, achieving various awards across multiple areas, detailed in the table below.
Looking ahead to 2025, CTCI will continue to monitor global sustainability trends and enhance its ESG initiatives. Internally, it will improve the sustainability literacy of its employees; externally, it will collaborate with customers, supply chain partners, and external stakeholders to maintain and implement its sustainability and net-zero strategies through green engineering and the development and application of green technologies, accumulating experience and results for global applications.

Additionally, CTCI will further assess and integrate the performance of ESG initiatives across its global locations, promoting carbon management and developing management guidelines and goals based on its dual materiality approach. This effort aims to achieve the vision of being "A Guardian of Sustainable Earth" leading the engineering industry.