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The Second 'Melting Ice, Sinking Cities' Climate Exhibition – The Arctic Impact spotlights the climate emergency and its implications for cities and communities

  • Organised by CDL in partnership with the National Parks Board and Ocean Geographic, it is the fourth edition in the Climate Action Exhibition series

  • World-renowned marine biologist Dr Sylvia Earle attended the launch and shared her insights from recent Arctic and Antarctic climate expeditions

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The exhibition launch was graced by Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for National Development and Trade & Industry (fourth from left), who was joined by Dr Sylvia Earle (third from left). From left to right: Mr Michael Aw (Ocean Geographic Founder), Ms Esther An (CDL Chief Sustainability Officer), Mr Sherman Kwek (CDL Group CEO) and Dr Yap Him Hoo, (NParks Deputy CEO).

Press Release05 February 2026

Singapore, 5 February 2026 – City Developments Limited (CDL) has launched the fourth edition of the Climate Action Exhibition series, titled the Second ‘Melting Ice, Sinking Cities’ Climate Exhibition – The Arctic Impact, in partnership with the National Parks Board (NParks) and Ocean Geographic. Held at the CDL Green Gallery – Singapore’s first net-zero public gallery located within the Singapore Botanic Gardens – the free exhibition will run till July 2026 and is open to the public. 

Building on the 2023 edition of the Antarctic Climate Expedition, this second instalment of the ‘Melting Ice, Sinking Cities’ series spotlights the High Arctic, one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth. Over the past four decades, arctic temperatures have risen nearly four times faster than the global average, and up to seven times faster in places like Svalbard, where approximately 1% of its glacier ice melted in a single summer in 2024. Since 2000, global glaciers have lost over 6.5 trillion tonnes of ice, raising global sea levels by nearly 2 cm. 

The exhibition was officially launched by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for National Development and Trade & Industry. He was joined by Dr Sylvia Earle, a world-renowned marine biologist who led the Bears, Ice, Glaciers, Arctic Climate Expedition (BIG ACE) in June 2025, which documented the accelerating impacts of Arctic warming. The BIG ACE programme exemplifies Public-Private-People (3P) partnership, uniting government agencies, corporate leaders, scientists, artists, educators, youth advocates and the wider community to turn climate awareness into collective action.

Mr Sherman Kwek, CDL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, said, “Climate change is no longer a distant threat. What is unfolding in the Arctic today has direct consequences for cities, communities and economies around the world, including here in Singapore. Through this exhibition, we aim to translate scientific urgency into public awareness. It reflects CDL’s longstanding commitment to ‘Conserving as We Construct’ and our belief that the built environment can play a meaningful role in driving climate awareness, education and collective action. Together with NParks and Ocean Geographic, we invite the public to be part of this shared journey, to build a more low-carbon, nature-positive and climate-resilient future.”

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025 ranks critical changes to Earth’s systems, including sea-level rise, as among the top long-term global risks. Today, rising sea levels already affect around one billion people worldwide through coastal flooding, erosion and freshwater salinisation. These risks are particularly acute for Singapore, where about 30% of the land area is less than five metres above mean sea level. By connecting rapid changes in the Arctic to their real effects on cities and communities, the exhibition highlights the urgent need for action on climate mitigation and adaptation, reinforcing that what occurs in the polar regions has consequences far beyond the ice.

CDL’s Longstanding Partnership with NParks on Public Education 

This edition of the Climate Action Exhibition series also marks the ongoing collaboration between NParks and CDL in championing environmental education at the CDL Green Gallery since 2013. In 2023, CDL pledged another 10 years of support for the Garden City Fund to enable the Gallery’s refurbishment and a continuation of public engagement programmes at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

As with previous exhibitions, the energy used is offset by on-site solar generation, in line with the gallery’s net-zero commitment. Through the second ‘Melting Ice, Sinking Cities’ Climate Exhibition, CDL, NParks and Ocean Geographic reaffirm their shared commitment to climate action, nature-positive development and building a resilient, low-carbon future for cities and communities worldwide.

The exhibition is also supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Public Utilities Board (PUB), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the High Commission of Canada, as well as local NGOs. 

View the exhibition virtually on the CDL Sustainability website: https://cdlsustainability.com/nature-positive-social-impact/cdl-green-gallery/melting-ice-sinking-cities-climate-exhibition-2/ 

Guided tour of the exhibtion at the CDL Green Gallery led by CDL's Chief Sustainability Officer, Ms Esther An.

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A moment from the Arctic-themed exhibition launch celebrating art and climate awareness. Dr Sylvia Earle (second from left) presented a copy of “The Remains of Antarctica” to Mr Alvin Tan (centre). The book was produced by Mr Michael Aw, with a foreword by Dr Earle. From left to right: Mr Sherman Kwek, Mr Aw and Ms Esther An.

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Themed the Second ‘Melting Ice, Sinking Cities’ – The Arctic Impact, the fourth edition of the Climate Action Exhibition series will run till July 2026 and is open to the public. The exhibition features five immersive zones and showcases the interconnectedness of climate change and the health of our ocean, people, and the planet.

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