OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) has received the highest-level – Titanium+ – green data centre certification from Green Climate Initiative (GCI) for the sustainable operation of its data centre in Cyberjaya.

GCI, a leading green technology accreditation and certification body serving Asia and the Middle East, has been certifying and endorsing organisations and professionals in green technologies since 2008.

The accreditation certifies OCBC Bank’s data centre as a Certified Green Computing Facility and the first one in the country at Megawatt level, in recognition of its commitment to environmental sustainability, including efforts to reduce negative impact on the climate.

As part of the OCBC Group’s goal to achieve net zero by 2050, OCBC Bank had earlier embarked on a comprehensive study to implement energy-efficient technologies and practices such as virtualisation, consolidation and use of power management tools. The end result was the implementation of cold-aisle containment, airflow optimisation, identifying of hot spots through computational fluid dynamic (CFD) studies, and use of intelligent power distribution to minimise energy waste.

The Bank also now uses data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) tools to monitor, track and analyse energy consumption of carbon emission, temperature and humidity at the data centre. With the current demand of more than 1.5 Megawatt of electricity energy, the data centre continues to manage its greenhouse gas emissions without compromising resiliency.

Speaking on behalf of GCI, its CEO and Accreditation Board Chairman Mr Matthew Rajendra said OCBC Bank is only the third organisation in the country to attain the recognition, along with being the first at Megawatt level.

“Our heartiest congratulations to OCBC Bank for leading the way through its keen attention to sustainability at its data centre in Cyberjaya. With the increased impact of climate change on virtually every aspect of our lives today, it is heartening to see such concrete initiatives being undertaken to mitigate the organisation’s carbon footprint in Malaysia,” he said.

The certification exercise was rigorous and involved detailed investigative audits. The resultant audit report was then vetted and approved by the Governance Board made up of representatives from the government, academia and industry.

OCBC Bank COO Ms Chong Lee Ying (fourth from left) receiving the recognition for the Bank from GCI CFO, Ms Avis Tan (third from left). Others in the photo are (L-R) – Ms Sharon Si Swee Chin, Head of Technology Services, OCBC Bank; Mr Matthew Rajendra , CEO, GCI; Mr Hong Hee Loon, Head of Technology, OCBC Bank; Ms Jocelyn Tan Nee Nee, Head of Operations and Technology, OCBC Bank; and Mr Sathia Seelan, Head of Data Centre, OCBC Bank

According to OCBC Bank Chief Operating Officer Ms Chong Lee Ying the accolade is testament to the Bank’s ongoing commitment to a disciplined approach to sustainable practices.

“Businesses do well by doing good. This has been our mantra since the Bank was established over 90 years ago. In the era of heightened sustainability awareness, the direction has not changed; rather, it has simply heightened to fresh levels of relentlessness, robustness and resolve, and encompasses a lot more.

“The Titanium+ recognition encourages us to keep looking beyond what we do with our customers to what we do behind the scenes in the operations room as well. OCBC Bank is well known for our long-term initiatives in responsible and sustainable finance, where we have been offering innovative financing solutions at all levels including investment, corporate, commercial, SME, retail, transaction and Islamic banking. The value of the Titanium+ certification is that it frames our sustainable finance endeavours in the wider world of sustainable practices where the back room and front end are moving forward in harmony with each other, holding to the same values.

“In the final analysis, this certification is testament to our ongoing commitment to expend the necessary time, resources, and investment to build energy-efficient technologies and practices. It involves significant upfront costs, but is well worth it, given the reduced energy consumption and impact on the environment and improved efficiency,” she said.