Esther An

Esther An is chief sustainability officer at City Developments Limited (CDL), where she has spent over two decades transforming sustainability from a compliance exercise into a business strategy and purpose-driven culture. A widely respected voice in Asia’s ESG landscape, she is known for promoting climate action, transparency, and stakeholder collaboration well beyond corporate boundaries.

Since publishing Singapore’s first corporate sustainability report in 2008, An has spearheaded many national firsts: issuing the first green bond by a Singaporean company in 2017, and establishing an integrated sustainability reporting framework that has become a model for the sector. She also led CDL’s adoption of science-based targets and circular economy strategies.

As chair of the Sustainability Reporting Advisory Committee—established by ACRA and SGX RegCo—An plays a critical role in shaping Singapore’s roadmap for mandatory climate-related disclosures, helping align local standards with international frameworks like International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Under her guidance, CDL continues to lead: it was ranked on Corporate Knights’ 2025 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, making it the first and only Singapore company to be included for 16 consecutive years since 2010.

Beyond the boardroom, An founded Women4Green and Youth4Climate, platforms that empower women executives and young climate leaders. She also chairs the World Green Building Council’s Corporate Advisory Board, where she helps shape global action toward decarbonised and regenerative built environments.