Rica Teo
Speaker Bio:
Rica graduated with Honours (Highest Distinction) from the Department of the Built Environment. Rica is a Building and Construction Authority-Industry iBuildSG Scholar and the winner of the Singapore Institute of Building Gold Medal. She is the recipient of the prestigious NUS Undergraduate Research Library Fellowship and has also been awarded the coveted NUS College of Design and Engineering Innovation and Research Merit Award for her outstanding dissertation which demonstrated significant impact on scientific practice and real-world application in the fields of sustainability, design, engineering, and law. Rica is a member of the NUS Students’ Association for Visions of the Earth and NUS Toastmasters International where she won the title of Best Speaker in 2019. As a passionate sustainability advocate, Rica represented NUS as a delegate at many local and international platforms including the SG Green Plan Inter-Varsity Conversation, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities Student Global Climate Change Simulation, and the Humanitarian Affairs Green Summit held at the United Nations Conference Centre. Through her credentials and involvements in the sustainability field, Rica has been featured by Channel NewsAsia on her views on raising young voices and the role of youths in shaping a greener future. Rica is also fervent about women empowerment and has recently won the illustrious Urban Land Institute Women’s Leadership Initiative Commendation Award. She was invited by the United Women Singapore as a panelist at the inaugural United Women Singapore STEM Festival in 2022 and at the recent Stonehaven Research Launch in March 2023, alongside Minister Sun Xueling, to empower and inspire female youths to embrace STEM roles and transcend boundaries. Today, Rica is working as a sustainability executive at Singapore’s top real estate developer – City Developments Limited where she specialises in Green Building and Decarbonisation.
Presentation Title: Decarbonising the Built Environment
Description of presentation that we can use for promoting event:
The new era of sustainability has brought about an unprecedented confluence of global commitment towards the race to net-zero carbon emissions by governments and corporations worldwide. Today, transitioning towards a low-carbon economy is no longer a choice but a critical necessity in order to meet the global net-zero emissions target by the year 2050. Internationally, there are various Codes, frameworks, and legislation specifically governing Net-Zero Carbon Buildings (“NZCB”). However, the built environment still remains carbon-intensive as efforts to accelerate the implementation of NZCBs remains nascent. The author opines that the absence of a standardised legal framework targeting carbon management and reduction for buildings is a gap which must be addressed. Hence, as the establishment of a robust legal framework to govern NZCBs is unprecedented, the author undertakes to study the feasibility and develop a Net-Zero Carbon Building Act (“NZCBA”) to accelerate NZCB implementation and drive impactful carbon reduction within the built environment.
How did you hear about this speaker opportunity, or did someone refer you? Google Search
Chapters you can speak at: Belleville, Illinois, Edwardsville, Illinois, O’Fallon, Illinois, West County, Missouri, Any Metro East Chapter, St. Louis Area, Virtual EmPower Hour
I’m interested in speaking at: Virtual Event, In Person Event, Training/Workshop, Webinar, Conference
Presenting Experience:
• Valedictorian Speech during commencement ceremony (https://www.youtube.com/live/
• Presented at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Undergraduate Research Library Fellowship Annual Symposium
• Presented/Invited for guest lecture at NUS Energy Management Course
• Invited Panelist Speaker at the United Women Singapore x Robertsbridge Stonehaven Research Launch
• Invited Panelist Speaker at the United Women Singapore STEM Festival 2022
Other topics to present:
• Women Empowerment: To share is my story of perseverance and how it has led me to where I am today (in a male-dominated building and construction industry) and on a journey of self-discovery as well as helping and elevating female youths in the sustainability space after noticing many youths being interested in this space. I hope that my story can and will especially inspire young female youths to find their way amidst the mounting societal pressure.
Rica Teo
Email: teoenyurica@gmail.com
Phone Number: 86682344
Title and Business: Sustainability Executive, Real Estate, Building and Construction
Website: https://cdl.com.sg
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
Presentation takeaways:
• Develop policies and best practices on green building, energy reduction, renewable energy and biodiversity.
• Perform SBTi Scope 1/2/3 and Net Zero Carbon targets tracking and data analysis.
• Drive energy efficiency and zero carbon buildings through identification and recommendations of cost-effective innovations, digital solutions and circular materials and sustainable construction methods to reduce operational and embodied carbon, and achieve energy savings and lower operational costs.
• Guide and track relevant business units to deliver Green Building and Super-low Energy Building certification to support Green financing and increase group’s green revenue at group level.
• Conduct green building pilots & R&D including Internal Carbon Pricing, Renewables Energy, RECs and Carbon Credits
• Champion best practices on Healthy buildings and guide business units to achieve WELL/BCA Green Mark Health & Wellbeing certifications.
