In the witness of Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development, SGBC cemented today a new partnership with Singapore Polytechnic, to enable the exchange of technical resources and expertise to efficiently and proactively promote green building products and practices to the industry.

As a new collaboration in the new normal, this strategic alliance with one of Singapore's most established institutes of higher learning will chiefly promote the advancement of greener and more sustainable built environment materials and products. SGBC and SP will leverage the respective strengths of each organisation to help drive meaningful and impactful change for the built environment sector as well as help Singapore transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient future.

Under the auspices of the MOU, both organisations will work together to enable exchange of technical resources and expertise to efficiently and proactively promote green products and practices to the industry and community through five (5) key initiatives:

1. Advancement of Greener & More Sustainable Built Environment Materials
2. Understanding the Embodied Carbon of Materials
3. Co-organising of Green Building related Courses/ Seminars/ Conferences
4. Outreach to Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs)
5. Exploration of joint Research Opportunities in Green Technology

“As we strive to emerge stronger from COVID-19, a key priority will be our efforts to build a more resilient and sustainable built environment. It is heartening to see industry organisations taking the lead to manage sectoral challenges,” said Mr Desmond Lee, who is also Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration. “The expertise brought to the table by both organisations – the research & development know-how of SP together with the industry connections of SGBC – will create a powerful ecosystem to enable stronger efforts in promoting sustainable practices to the rest of the built environment.”

A key initiative of this collaboration is the advancement of greener and more sustainable built environment materials and products. SP’s expertise in the testing of built environment materials will help to enhance SGBC’s industry-recognised Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) certification scheme for green building products, which complements the national Green Mark certification scheme for green buildings. SGBC is also looking into expanding the coverage of its certification programme to address a wider range of construction materials and products in support of Singapore’s move towards zero waste. SGBC will work closely with SP to effectively and meaningfully determine the green quotient for such construction products through certification and testing. This will allow the industry greater access to a wider pool of green building materials certified for their environmental performance.

“The urgency to build a sustainable environment for future generations has become more significant and clearer in recent years as we see more enterprises and consumers adopt new business practices and consumption habits respectively in confronting the impact of climate change,” said Mr Soh Wai Wah, Principal & Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Polytechnic. “Our collaboration with the Singapore Green Building Council will enable the built environment sector to harness the polytechnic’s long-standing research and technological expertise in creating advanced materials as well as to co-develop practical sustainable solutions and products for consumers. This strategic partnership will bring Singapore Polytechnic and local enterprises closer together to support our national vision of creating a low-carbon, sustainable future Singapore.”

The second main objective of the MOU is to support the industry in seeking a better understanding of the embodied carbon of construction materials. The built environment is responsible for 40 percent of global carbon emissions, with embodied carbon emissions being especially critical. If embodied carbon emissions are not addressed before the building project moves past the design stage, there is no way for building owners to reclaim lost carbon savings once the building is constructed and subsequently used. Enhancing understanding of embodied carbon would allow both industry practitioners and end-users to make sense of a product’s carbon footprint and from there make more informed building material choices, especially when undergoing building and renovation projects.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the world has been turned upside down from wide-reaching developments on the global front. Our buildings and infrastructure assets play a very pivotal role in our sustainable development ambitions and climate aspirations as we move into a very different business-as-usual,” emphasised Dr. Ho Nyok Yong, President of the SGBC. “Greening the built environment must be one of our top priorities as we go forward, and I am confident that both SGBC and SP will leverage our respective strengths to make this partnership a success, working together to drive meaningful and impactful change for the built environment sector and help Singapore transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient future.”

The other initiatives under the MOU revolve around outreach to the industry and students of Singapore’s institutes of higher learning, along with exploration of potential joint research projects in deep-expertise areas of green building such as renewable energy, tri-gen technology, urban regenerative technologies as well as low-carbon/ net zero carbon solutions.

Click on the following links to watch the speech recordings as well as highlights of the MOU signing:

• Speech by Minister for National Development Mr. Desmond Lee
• Speech by SGBC President Dr. Ho Nyok Yong
• Speech by Singapore Poytechnic PCEO Mr. Soh Wai Wah
• MOU Highlights Video

Close to 600 participants heard from a panel of built environment experts on how green buildings can help organisations prepare for the new business as usual via a special webinar organised by the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) on 26 May 2020.

As Singapore gets ready to exit the Circuit Breaker period through a phased approach from 2 June 2020, employees are preparing their return to the workplace. While working-from-home has gone through the crucible over the past few weeks to become the new norm, offices and other workplace premises still cannot be completely done away with. Our workplaces must be made ready and safe for employees to return.

The built environment, being where we spend the majority of our time in, have key roles to play in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of its occupants. Green buildings, with their emphasis on occupant health and wellbeing on top of environmental sustainability, form an additional layer of protection against harmful pathogens and indoor pollutants. Worldwide, building-based prevention and control measures have become one of the most important methods of fighting against the effects of the pandemic.

During the special webinar put together by SGBC, participants got a close look at how our buildings can prepare for the resumption of work and the new business as usual. The webinar covered three main topics delivered by industry veterans from SGBC Member organisations (NUS, Beca and Keppel Land): the role of indoor air quality and ventilation systems in reducing airborne pathogens, how to reoccupy buildings the right way as well as how industry players are facilitating the return to work.

In the words of SGBC President Dr. Ho Nyok Yong during his opening address, "Think of green buildings as a giant N95 facemask, protecting you from harmful toxins the moment you step in. Green buildings also take into consideration other factors such as lighting and acoustic comfort to promote and protect the health of its occupants." 

As we prepare to return to the office, we must ensure that the buildings we live, work and play in are buildings we can live with.

The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) officially opened on 3 February 2020 its new base of operations at the BCA Braddell Campus (formerly known as the BCA Academy), signalling the Council’s leading role in the transformation of the Singapore building and construction industry.

In light of the recent developments of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus originating from Wuhan, China, SGBC is taking the necessary precautions to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our Members, Partners and Secretariat.

All stakeholders are advised to take the appropriate precautionary measures in accordance with the latest advisories published by the Singapore Government which can be found here: https://www.moh.gov.sg/2019-ncov-wuhan/advisories-for-various-sectors

In view of the elevation of the DORSCON Level to ORANGE by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on 7 February 2020, SGBC will be implementing additional precautionary measures in accordance with MOH’s recommendations.

With effect from Monday, 10 February 2020, all personnel and visitors entering the SGBC Office on the BCA Braddell Campus will have to:

Complete an online BCA Braddell Campus Travel Declaration Form

• An Acknowledgement Email from BCA will sent to your email address upon completion
• Show Acknowledgment Email at the Campus Gate to gain entry
• Note that the Form will have to be completed each time you enter the Campus

All SGBC events will be suspended for the time being and rescheduled to later dates.

For outstanding payments, electronic payments will be appreciated to reduce the need for staff to go to the bank. For any assistance in making payment, please contact SGBC at [email protected]

Prior arranged meetings may be rescheduled as SGBC staff will be divided into separate teams operating onsite on alternate days.

We would like to assure Members that a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is in place for SGBC’s operations. As most of SGBC’s operations and work processes have been shifted to digital platforms (including telecommunications and document submissions), no impact to day-to-day operations is expected. Members may still continue to contact SGBC at our usual communication platforms.

We will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and provide updates accordingly.

SGBC Member organisations have earned spots on the Global 100 list of the world's most sustainable corporations. In addition, property developers City Developments Limited (CDL) and CapitaLand (both SGBC Founding Members) are two of only three Singapore companies that made the list this year.

A consultancy study was conducted by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to examine the robustness and cost effectiveness of the BCA Green Mark Schemes.

Much like an actual green building, the different segments of the building and construction sector must work in harmony and unison to help build a greener and healthier built environment. In our #SGBC10 10th Anniversary, we officially joined hands with the greater building and construction industry, joining all key industry players as part of the Singapore built environment in the Construction Industry Joint Committee (CIJC) to augment efforts to strengthen the local built environment.

"Urbanisation is part of the solution for a sustainable future." This was shared by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan during his keynote speech at the SGBC Leadership Conversations 2019 thought leadership forum to close to 200 industry leaders. 

SGBC, along with a panel of industry representatives from across the building and construction value chain, took part in a special video podcast for World Green Building Week 2019.

The built environment is in a prime position to address the emergency of climate change through the reduction of embodied carbon emissions from our buildings and infrastructure assets, according to a new report published by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).

21 Winners of the SGBC-BCA Sustainability Leadership Awards 2019 were lauded tonight for their efforts in leading the way in sustainability.

The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) cemented its role as an integral enabler of a greener built environment tonight, demonstrating its impact through the Winners of the SGBC-BCA Sustainability Leadership Awards 2019.

SGBC was conferred the Star Partner Award at the Public Sector Transformation Awards 2019, underpinning its emphasis on industry transformation.

The Award recognises exemplary citizens, non-government organisations or companies that have contributed to better outcomes for the Public Service, in terms of demonstrating a strong spirit of partnership with the nominating public agency, or as strong advocates for national initiatives. Upon a nomination by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), SGBC received the Star Partner Award 2019 for its complementary work.

In its #SGBC 10th Anniversary, SGBC will continue to forge meaningful public-private partnerships to create a greener and healthier built environment for everyone to live, work and play in.

Read more about SGBC's accolade here: http://www.hydse.com.sg/PSTAR2019/EBooklet.html 

Part of a special SGBC 10th Anniversary collaborative series, Eco-Business asks SGBC's founding president Lee Chuan Seng if the traditional building and construction sector is finally embracing sustainability, what role the Council can play in the future and why sustainability resonates with engineers.

When the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) was formed in 2009, two of its key tasks were to connect with the international green building community and to create a sustainability certification scheme for products used in construction.

These were the tasks that engineering-trained Lee Chuan Seng found himself facing when he landed in the hot seat as the founding president of SGBC, he recalls.

Read the full article on Eco-Business.

SGBC Member organisations are leading the way in green building and sustainability, with accolades in every category, including the Platinum Star of the Built Environment Leadership Award.

Read about all the winners of BCA Awards 2019 here: https://www.bca.gov.sg/GreenMark/others/gm2019.pdf

The World Green Building Council has announced that 50 signatories have now signed up to the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment), launched in September 2018.

This announcement is part of WorldGBC's recently released Advancing Net Zero Status Report 2019 which details efforts to demonstrate market demand and readiness to take on the challenge of decarbonising the global building stock.

Additionally, the report features actions from Green Building Council (GBCs) across the globe facilitating this market transformation such as:
• the release of nine new net zero carbon certification schemes (from France, Canada, Brazil, Austrailia, South Africa, Germany, Swden, India, USA) and two frameworks (from the Netherlands and the UK)
• certifying nearly 390 buildings globally as net zero carbon
• raising awareness through advocacy activities of the urgency and achievability of net zero carbon buildings
• developing industry capacity through educational programmes and industry events

Read the Report here.

Beginning this year, the Singapore Green Building Council takes over a key green building certification scheme for professionals and an enhanced role in assessing buildings on their sustainability impact as the sector becomes a strategic focus for the city-state.

Reflecting the growing importance of green buildings for Singapore’s climate strategy and economic development, the national certification scheme for building and construction professionals has been refreshed and handed over to new management.

From this July, professionals who want to be certified in the design and development of green buildings will obtain their qualification from the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) rather than from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

Read the full article on Eco-Business.

Asia’s first green-roofed bus initiative was launched today at the inaugural Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) Horticulture Show, held at the newly opened Lakeside Garden, as part of the Festival’s efforts to showcase horticulture excellence and innovation of the local landscape industry.

The ‘Garden on the Move’ initiative will see 10 SBS Transit buses ply Singapore’s roads for at least three months. Outfitted with an innovative, locally developed and soil-less roof system, these ‘green roof’ public buses will be deployed on the roads to study possible energy and cost savings for bus operators.

Supported by Temasek Foundation and designed by GWS Living Art, these green-roofed buses seek to tap on the creativity of young innovators to further extend greenery to improve public places and our quality of life. Other partners supporting this initiative include Moove Media, National Parks Board (NParks), and Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC).

The initiative also seeks to raise awareness on the possibilities of green innovation that is mobile and help reduce vehicles’ carbon emission by lowering fuel consumption needed for the air-conditioning. Members of the public can ride these buses along several routes including one through the Central Business District and another through Orchard Road. Fares for these buses cost the same as for regular buses. 

The mobile green roof, a green building product certified by the Singapore Green Building Council’s Singapore Green Building Product certification scheme, is made up of sphagneticola trilobata and other hardy plants adapted to the local climate, chosen for their resistance to windy and dry conditions. Instead of conventional soil, the plants are secured using GWS’ proprietary Gaiamat, a lightweight mat used for skyrise greenery that is cleaner, easier to maintain and more economical than other conventional green roof systems which are primarily soil-based. The mat is also easy-to-install and easy-to-maintain, so that it can be easily extended to more buses.

Research on green roof buses to start

The 10 buses will be part of a research study, also supported by Temasek Foundation, to explore the link between green roofs and the interior temperatures of the buses, focusing on quantifying the reduction in heat transmission on vehicular roofs due to the addition of rooftop greenery. The aim of the three-month study is to confirm that the green roof will lead to a drop in temperature within the interior of the buses, and a reduction in the fuel consumption used for air-conditioning. Dr Tan Chun Liang from the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore (NUS), will be advising on the design of the study and evaluating its effectiveness. Findings from the study will be shared with interested parties. Please refer to Factsheet C for more information on the research methodology.

The buses also seek to build on SGBC’s earlier Live.Work.Play.Green campaign that also involved public buses, to raise awareness on the sustainability benefits of green innovation for buildings, and other green features.

Mr Zac Toh, Founder of GWS Living Art, said: “We are excited to apply our unique patented green building product to public buses to raise awareness especially as there are increasingly more urban greenery in Singapore. Our team has put together a design to keep the mat system safely on the roof and worked with various parties for months.”

Mrs Jayne Kwek, Chief Executive Officer of Moove Media, said: “We are glad to partner GWS Living Art in transforming ten SBS Transit single deck buses into mobile gardens. It’s a refreshing way to promote green living to the public. Generally, bus rooftop installations for 3D advertisements are fabricated, but in this case, Moove has taken the Gaiamat to create the first-ever green-roofed buses in Asia that is not only soil-less, ultra-light, but more importantly, sustainable.”

Mr Oh Cheow Sheng, Group Director, NParks, said: “This is a creative initiative that seeks to extend Singapore’s greening efforts, and which truly encapsulates the vision of a biophilic City in a Garden. We hope that this will spur others to explore other similarly innovative ways to green up Singapore.”

Dr Tan Chun Liang, NUS, said: “While the impact of greenery on buildings has been well documented, much less is known about the effects of greenery on moving vehicles. To increase green coverage on our roads in this manner is an exciting prospect and we certainly hope that our study can provide the hard figures for mobile gardens as well as other innovations to improve our built environment.”

Dr Ho Nyok Yong, President of the SGBC, said: “Building upon the success of our Live.Work.Play.Green campaign in 2018 where we garnered massive support from the public on green buildings, this new initiative aims to once again drive green building awareness to the forefront of the public’s consciousness. We hope to sustain interest in green buildings by putting one of the most recognisable elements of a green building onto a very public platform.”

Mr Lim Hock Chuan, Chief Executive of Temasek Foundation Ecosperity, said: “Green roofs are not just for buildings or even buses. With some imagination and effort, they can be applied to almost any urban infrastructure, and we can maximise tangible benefits as well as quality of life improvements out of them. We hope that through this project, the public can capitalise on opportunities to extend greenery creatively to more places.”

From certifying green building products and services, SGBC will now also co-assess Green Mark green building projects with the Building and Construction Authority.

Coming a long way since our inception in 2009, this collaboration is particularly meaningful in our #SGBC10 10th Year Anniversary as it signals a greatly expanded role for SGBC in the building and construction industry, positioning us at the forefront of the local green building movement.

“SGBC has come full circle from our humble beginnings a decade ago. With this new collaboration, we can now address the entirety of the green building value chain: from the professionals to the organisations and certified green products and finally the green buildings themselves. Our enhanced position in the industry will allow us to develop and implement more impactful programmes towards a greener, sustainable and healthier built environment," said Dr. Ho Nyok Yong, President of the SGBC during the inking of the collaboration agreement.

Being directly involved with the nation’s green building certification scheme will also help us to refine and improve our own building product and services certification programmes to ensure relevance as we gear up for industry transformation.

In our #SGBC10 10th Year Anniversary, we welcome the nation’s green building professionals into the #SGBC family.

First announced last year during the SGBC Gala Dinner 2018 (https://tinyurl.com/y7p6zh8q), the SGBC Green Mark Professional Qualification Scheme - refreshed from the former Building and Construction Authority (Singapore) Green Mark Specialist scheme - is more than just a register of green building professionals in the industry. The programme will support the learning and development of our green-collared workforce with a full learning & development framework that includes courses, lunch & learn sessions as well as learning journeys to green building projects.

“The sustainability of the built environment is built on the efforts of our green building professionals. With SGBC’s new programme and framework dedicated to the men and women of the green building industry, our green building professionals will be well prepared and ready for the future of buildings," said Dr. Ho Nyok Yong, President of the SGBC.

All certified Green Mark Managers and associated qualifications will be referred to as the Green Mark Accredited Professional, aligning the qualification with well-known international industry standards. This also allows our Green Mark APs to be readily recognised as green building professionals in international markets.

Find out more at the GMAP website: https://gmp.sgbc.online/public/home 

The new SGBC Board, led by 6th SGBC President Dr Ho Nyok Yong, was introduced this afternoon at the SGBC Annual General Meeting 2019!

The new Board is representative of the green building industry, comprising all key stakeholders including real estate owners & developers, architects, engineers, government agencies as well as members of the academia. With a wide spectrum of strengths and networks, the new Board is well poised to advance, connect and engage with the green building industry.

Read more about the Board here: https://www.sgbc.sg/about-us/the-board

SGBC's executive director Ms Yvonne Soh has been named a climate champion for using her expertise and passion to build a better place for everyone.

Echoing the #BalanceforBetter theme of #IWD2019, Ms Soh is confident of the way forward: “We face different challenges in our different parts of the world but there is so much scope to learn from each other. It is common sense to take a global approach to solving the global challenges of sustainable development.”

Read more about her achievement here: https://www.sgbc.sg/images/SCC2019.pdf

More than 200 industry representatives heard from the Building and Construction Authority and other subject matter experts on energy performance contracts and audits during an exclusive briefing session held yesterday afternoon at the Lifelong Learning Institute.

From understanding more about energy performance contracts to knowing about new smart tools and technology to help manage building energy consumption, the knowledge shared will definitely go towards benefiting our buildings and the people who help manage them.

Find out more about EPC here:https://www.sgbc.sg/zero-capital-partnership/epc-contract

SGBC is celebrating its 10th year anniversary, starting with the launch of a dedicated logo that will be used to brand all SGBC events and activities for 2019!

The SGBC 10th Year Anniversary Logo is an evolution of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) corporate identity as we celebrate what we have achieved in the past decade and where we are heading to next.

SGBC’s corporate name stands proudly beside the visual presentation of the 10-year anniversary with the twin leaves emerging from the well of the “0”, symbolising the Council’s strong and steady growth that germinated from humble beginnings.

Coming full circle, the anniversary logo was designed by Singaporean designer Ms. Jaime Tai who created the original SGBC corporate logo in 2009. An art and design student at Central Saint Martins at the time, Ms. Tai has also grown into running her own eponymous studio, specialising in visual communication design and trend forecasting.

Look out for a whole plethora of SGBC Anniversary events in the coming months!

"I am what I am because of who we all are" - this was one of the key takeaways from Minister Masagos Zulkifli during the annual SGBC Leadership Conversations 2018 thought leadership forum. The Ubuntu philosophy strongly echoes Singapore's emphasis on climate action, all of us must work together to address the challenges brought about by climate change.

On 23 April 2018, SGBC organised the first-ever SGBC Green Catalyst Challenge 2018, a educational event themed around the UN SDGs for green building.

Involving all five polytechnics in Singapore, student teams are tasked to conceptualise and develop workable green building solutions that are able to address one or more of the UN SDGs, involving the social and economic aspects of green building along with the architectural and design considerations.

As a hackathon-inspired format, student teams pitched their proposed solutions to our panel of Mentors, Winners of the SGBC-BCA Sustainability Leadership Awards 2017. As leaders of their respective fields, the Mentors gave all teams plenty of food of thought, helped them to crystalise their ideas as well as inspired them to further develop their solutions. The Mentors will work with the student teams to refine their proposals before the Final Pitch event in July 2018.

If you would like to know more about this event, contact James Tan at 6732-5518 or [email protected]

On 27 March 2018, SGBC held its 9th Annual General Meeting to close to 100 Member Representatives. Acknowledging the support and assistance from many of SGBC's Member companies, the Council's activities have gained much traction in the building and construction industry.

In the coming year, Members can look forward to more seminars, workshops and clinics as well as social events and the annual SGBC Gala Dinner which will host the WorldGBC Asia Pacific Network Leadership Awards for Green Building. 

Bukit View Secondary School (BVSS) students can look forward to having lessons in a green classroom fitted out with environmentally-preferred green building materials and eco-features.

Officially opened on 22 February 2018 by Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, the JOULES (Junior Outstanding Leaders in Environment for Sustainability) Smart Centre @ BVSS is a prime example of green building consciousness. With the support of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), BVSS worked with various like-minded environmentally-conscious industry partners to make the facility a reality.

As BVSS is an advocate for sustainability education and environmental stewardship, the JOULES Smart Centre is intended to bolster their four-year JOULES enrichment programme in order to better educate their students on key environmental issues and developments. Constructed with sustainability in mind, the JOULES Smart Centre was of the brainchild of SGBC’s Green Schools Initiative (GSI) educational outreach programme. These SGBC Green-certified professional services and products have helped the Centre to be energy efficient while creating a healthier indoor environment for the students.

Mr Masagos said, “The JOULES Smart Centre, with its green products and features, is a good example of sustainability practised. I hope the facility will inspire students to think about incorporating sustainable living in every aspect of their life, and to turn some of these ideas into action.”

Fitted out with a wide range of certified green building products ranging from paint to the flooring, the facility also makes use of proven green building design features to overcome building issues. For example, using a combination of ceiling fans with air-conditioning set to higher temperatures can maintain comfort while reducing electricity consumption at the same time. An indoor green wall located at the front of the room improves indoor air quality and reduces noise levels by absorbing acoustic energy, giving students a healthy, positive place for learning. Apart from these, fittings and furniture provide for a conducive and attractive learning facility.

“When we first started on this endeavour, we were hoping to find building products that were suitable for our needs,” recounted Mr Vasuthevan K Ramamurthy, Principal of BVSS. “Through SGBC, we were able to gain access to a pool of certified building solutions that helped us to create a Smart Centre that exceeded our expectations. I am confident that our students will be making good use of this facility for the years to come.”

The JOULES Smart Centre will be used for BVSS’ special curricular classes, as well as other school events and functions. Furthermore, plans are in the pipeline to enable community usage of the JOULES Smart Centre. SGBC is also looking into developing a case study using the JOULES Smart Centre as a benchmark to make the case for greener, healthier classrooms.

“Green building should not be adopted by just the building and construction industry alone. Research has shown that Green Mark-certified buildings are not only better for the environment, but also have positive effects for the building occupants. In the case of the JOULES Smart Centre at Bukit View Secondary School, it also serves as an invaluable learning opportunity to students,” highlighted Mr Tan Swee Yiow, President of the SGBC. “In Singapore’s Year of Climate Action, SGBC will ramp up educational efforts on the benefits of green buildings.”

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the China Green Building Council (ChinaGBC) and the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) signed a memorandum of understanding on 21 March 2017 in Beijing during the 10th Plenary Session of the China Green Construction Committee.

SGBC is pleased to announce the appointment of  Ms Joelle Chen as the World Green Building Council’s Asia Pacific Regional Network Manager. Her appointment is made possible with the support of Founding Regional Partners AGC Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and LG Electronics. She will be based in Singapore and will operate out of SGBC’s office premises.

An architect by training with a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise gleaned from her previous roles at both private firms and the Economic Development Board (EDB), Joelle will work with Asia Pacific GBCs from 15 countries to develop programmes and meaningful cross-sector collaborations.  She will be focusing on strengthening the green building business case for investors; reinforcing the role that health, wellbeing and productivity plays in green buildings; and sharing best practices through the WorldGBC’s Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards, among other initiatives.

The Asia Pacific Regional Network Manager serves as the nexus between regional green building organisations, at the same time providing a direct link to the WorldGBC. SGBC is delighted to have the opportunity to further strengthen our connections with regional GBCs and provide members with greater insights and outreach into the greater green building marketplace beyond Singapore.

If you would like to have a discussion on regional projects and initiatives, you can contact the SGBC Secretariat at [email protected] or 67325518.

About the WorldGBC Asia Pacific Network

Comprising Green Building Councils from 15 countries, the Asia Pacific Network drives the development of green building across the region. Member GBCs tap on the network and collective expertise to develop regional initiatives and key green building programmes.

The following GBCs are members of the WorldGBC Asia Pacific Network:

1. Green Building Council Australia
2. Green Building Council Indonesia
3. Green Building Council of Sri Lanka
4. Hong Kong Green Building Council
5. Indian Green Building Council
6. Japan Sustainable Building Consortium
7. Kazakhstan Green Building Council
8. Korea Green Building Council
9. Malaysia Green Building Confederation
10. New Zealand Green Building Council
11. Pakistan Green Building Council
12. Philippine Green Building Council
13. Singapore Green Building Council
14. Taiwan Green Building Council
15. Vietnam Green Building Council

The winners of the inaugural SGBC-BCA Sustainability Leadership Awards 2016 were announced tonight, before a crowd of local and foreign professionals from the built environment sector. Jointly conferred by the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the Awards recognises buildings and businesses for being green and sustainable in an innovative way.

Announced during the SGBC Gala Dinner 2016 at the Pan Pacific Singapore, these Awards aim to be among Singapore’s leading accolades that recognise and celebrate professionals and their work in the Jointly conferred. The winners for two award categories (Business Leadership in Sustainability and Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance) will go on to represent Singapore in the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Buildings Awards 2016, which will be held in India on 5 October 2016.

The full list of Winners can be found here.

For more information on the Awards, click here.

Mr Tai Lee Siang, Honorary Advisor on the board of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), has been appointed Chair of the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) Board of Directors – an influential group of global leaders on green building and sustainability in the building and construction industry.

Mr Tai, a past president of the SGBC, was appointed Chair of the Board for his leadership in the green building movement and dedication to improving the sustainability of buildings, both in Singapore and at the global level. He is the first Asian Chair of the WorldGBC Board since its formation in 2002.

“I would like to congratulate Lee Siang on this very remarkable achievement, which speaks volumes about SGBC’s contribution to the global green building movement,” says Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, President of the SGBC. “Having been on SGBC’s board since our founding days, Lee Siang constantly creates new inroads and opportunities for SGBC, elevating our presence within the industry and our stakeholders. During his term as SGBC’s president (2011-2013), Lee Siang’s expertise and leadership has helped to formulate many of the policies and programmes of SGBC, many of which are flourishing today.”

As SGBC’s second president from 2011 to 2013, Mr Tai established SGBC’s Singapore Green Building Services (SGBS) certification scheme and formed strategic partnerships for the Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) labelling scheme. These schemes have grown tremendously over the years and have helped the industry to make greener, more informed decisions regarding building design and material selection for buildings. As a prominent figure in the local green building circuit, Mr Tai also actively contributes to many green building conversations through his speaking engagements.

“As one of the leading pioneers and thought leaders for green building in the region, Lee Siang has worked closely with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) towards putting Singapore on the global map for green buildings,” notes Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA. “His appointment as the new Chair of the WorldGBC is a strong indication of the progress we have made on this front. We certainly look forward to working closely with Lee Siang and SGBC to create a liveable and sustainable built environment for ourselves and our future generations.”

Terri Wills, CEO of the WorldGBC, said: “Lee Siang has been a true champion of sustainability, and has worked tirelessly to transform the industry and position green building as a one of the most effective solutions to climate change. It is this commitment, expertise and strong leadership that has earned him his place as the new Chair of our Board of Directors. Together with our fellow Directors, I look forward to working with Lee Siang further as we to seek to create a world in which greener buildings lead to a better quality of life for everyone, everywhere.”

Mr Tai takes over the role of Chair as the term of Mr Bruce Kerswill, the previous Chair, comes to an end. The WorldGBC Board of Directors is comprised of senior leaders from 15 Green Building Councils around the world, including India, Australia, Colombia, USA and Jordan. The Board guides the strategy of the WorldGBC and ensures that it successfully delivers on its mission. With one hundred thousand buildings and almost one billion square metres of green building space registered globally, WorldGBC works with member councils such as SGBC and other organisations to ensure that green buildings are key facets of any comprehensive sustainability strategy.

On his appointment, Mr Tai is thankful for the confidence placed in him, “I am honoured to be able to contribute towards a more sustainable global built environment. Although green building as a movement has advanced significantly in recent years, there is still much to be done and can only be done with the collective effort of the entire industry. I look forward to collaborating closer with our friends and partners to create better places for people all over the world.”

Global experts will discuss the role of green buildings in reducing carbon emissions at a three-day conference that kicks off in Seoul on Thursday, officials said Sunday.

Hosted by the World Green Building Council, the conference brings representatives from the Asia-Pacific region together to seek ways to promote the use of environmentally friendly buildings after a landmark agreement reached in Paris late last year.

Global leaders urged the building sector to devise ways to cut down carbon emissions on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

As parts of efforts to reach the goal, participants of the upcoming conference are expected to discuss various roles of the building sector, which takes up one-third of global carbon emissions. They will also talk about how to adopt zero-energy building systems and reduce the use of fossil energy, organizers said.

“The conference will be a venue for governments, businesses and academics in the Asia-Pacific regions to find more practical ways for the building sector to reduce carbon emissions,” Kim Eun-sun, a spokesperson at the Korea Green Building Council, told The Korea Herald. KGBC is the Korean arm of the WGBC.

European Union Ambassador to Korea Gerhard Sabathil is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech titled “The role of green buildings in EU climate change policy.” He will share the EU’s strategies and performances in response to climate change, they added.

Korean experts, in particular, will present ideas to curb greenhouse gases emitted from existing buildings in Seoul, which accounts for two-thirds of carbon emissions of the capital city, they added. At the Paris Climate Conference, the Korean government vowed to cut emissions by 37 percent from the expected business-as-usual level by 2030.

The WGBC’s vice chairman Tai Lee Siang will also speak about the current trends in green building sector in the Asia-Pacific region and will propose some ideas applicable to the Korea industry.

Yaki Wo, a specialist from nonprofit organization Architecture 2030, who has stressed the need to reduce carbon emissions in the building sector since the early 2000s, will share some issues about green building certifications.

Click here to find out more about the Conference. 

Last year, the BCA Green Mark Scheme has reached an important milestone as it marks a decade of sustainability. In the recent release of the Global Sustainable Buildings Index, Singapore has fared well in terms of green building certifications, incentives, and policies.

To date, BCA has greened more than 30% of Singapore’s building stock. A Photo Story has been created to update key green initiatives championed by BCA in spurring the green building movement, together with various stakeholders.

The key highlights are:

• Green buildings enjoy increase in asset value and greater energy savings.
• Green buildings now enjoy greater business opportunities as public sector agencies are required to lease office venues and rent event spaces from green buildings through the Public Sector Taking the Lead in Environmental Sustainability (PSTLES) initiatives,
• BCA introduced various measures under our 3rd Green Building Masterplan to achieve continued leadership, sustained high building performance and wider collaboration and engagement in our green building movement, with emphasis on users’ contribution, and
• BCA, alongside with industry’s stakeholders, have been playing an active role in pushing the boundaries of sustainability. This has transformed Singapore into an internationally recognised Green Building Hub with established green capabilities.

Click here to view the full Photo Story.

For more information on the BCA Green Mark Scheme, please click here.

The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) is pleased to announce that the Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) label is now supported under SPRING Singapore’s Capability Development Grant (CDG) financial assistance programme. 

With this CDG support, qualifying SMEs can look forward to adopting international and industry benchmarks to develop capabilities, improve processes, sharpen their competitive edge as well as access new markets. The CDG will defray 70 percent for both the costs of SGBP certification (for up to two products) as well as for ISO 14001:2015 certification, capped at $30,000. 

“I am very excited about this collaboration as it ties in directly with what SGBC is doing for the industry,” stated Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, President of SGBC, “In a challenging economy, this added support from SPRING Singapore’s CDG will be a great help to the industry, helping companies to boost their capabilities in developing products that are not just green in performance but also in how they are sourced and manufactured as well. Furthermore, there is now greater demand for green building products due to better appreciation and awareness of the impact of procurement decisions on the environment, as well as the benefits that green products bring to the building’s interior environment, energy and water efficiency, and occupant well-being. Switching to greener building products can only bode well for Singapore’s built environment.”

Adding greater value to certification of building products, recognition for certified products has been enhanced and has been made more comprehensive in the latest version of the Green Mark Scheme, Singapore’s national rating tool for green buildings administered by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). In Green Mark 2015, higher-rated SGBP certified products are also able to accrue higher scores for building projects, giving the industry more impetus to specify SGBP-certified products for use.

With the CDG’s support, SMEs can now work towards the industry-recognised SGBP certification without being deterred by the costs involved.

To find out more, click here.

On ChannelNewAsia's Firstlook Asia’s episode on environmental series, Mr Tai Lee Siang, Vice Chair of the Board of the World Green Building Council and Honorary Advisor for the Singapore Green Building Council, was interviewed for his insights on Sustainable Cities. 

Click here to view the video. 

New global report finds that Singapore is an important, growing market for green building products and services.

The first major report to be released under WorldGBC's Better Places for People campaign was launched on 2 February 2016 in London.

The report, Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Retail: The Impact of Green Buildings on People and Profit, finds that retailers can improve the shopping experience for their customers and potentially increase their profits by providing greener, healthier stores.

This report breaks new ground by presenting ways in which retailers can begin to measure the impact of place on profit using data which may already be available at their fingertips.

Click here to download the full report.

An energy performance contract (EPC) can guarantee energy savings for an existing building without an initial financial outlay.

To help building owners overcome the initial financial barrier to retrofit their buildings, the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) has collaborated with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to develop a standard EPC template for building owners and EPC firms to use. The EPC template was developed in consultation with several established EPC firms and building owners. The standard template assists in accelerating the retrofitting process by clearly spelling out the key conditions of contract for both the building owner and the EPC firm so that building owners can better focus on the critical component in any EPC: the amount of energy savings guaranteed.

The EPC template complements the Building Retrofit Energy Efficiency Financing (BREEF) scheme by BCA which offers financing to building owners, Management Corporation Strata Titles (MCSTs), Special Purpose Vehicles and EPC firms for energy efficiency retrofits.

In an EPC, the EPC firm will guarantee specific energy savings for the building over a set period of time, either in monetary terms or a savings percentage. The EPC firm can either provide financing to undertake all the necessary works to complete the retrofit of the building, or the building owner can finance the retrofit. For the first option, the building owner will not need to incur an initial financial outlay to start saving energy. In both cases, the cost of these works will be offset by the energy savings as a result of the retrofitting.

“With this standard template, building owners can ease into building retrofit projects, allowing their buildings to become more energy efficient, with a healthier environment for their occupants. Having in place an EPC will also allow building owners to focus on other aspects of the building, knowing that the building’s energy efficiency and performance is in the hands of professionals,” said Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, President of SGBC.

As buildings present a tremendous opportunity to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change, this new EPC template is part of SGBC’s commitments made during Buildings Day at COP21 in Paris on 3 December 2015 to drive change and market transformation for green buildings.

“As Singapore remains committed to reduce its emissions through its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, retrofitting existing buildings through an energy performance contract can lower the carbon emissions intensity of buildings and create a more sustainable and greener built environment,” Mr Chia added.

In the latest BCA Building Energy Benchmarking Report 2015, a study on 83 existing buildings which are certified to have met the Green Mark Gold rating or higher, showed that retrofitting existing buildings can save up to $41 million annually.

“There is a strong business case to retrofit energy inefficient buildings. The EPC provides a market solution to help building owners achieve energy savings and it has been gaining popularity over the years. It is now timely to launch the standard template contract, putting together the best practices. We hope that this will inspire confidence in building owners to make the decision to embark on energy-saving initiatives,” said Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA.

Sim Lim Tower, Ngee Ann City and Treetops Executive Residences are proof of older buildings that have gleaned tremendous benefit from EPCs.

36-year old Sim Lim Tower has achieved 41 percent savings in electricity bills (excluding tenants) with average monthly energy savings of approximately 86,000 kWh since the retrofits were completed in March 2015 under an EPC arrangement.

Mr Lee Ong Chun, Chairman of MCST of Sim Lim Tower, is satisfied with the results of the EPC retrofit: “The retrofit has improved our building’s energy performance, efficiency and occupants’ comfort. In achieving the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS Award, the entire exercise has added value and enhanced the image of our building. The EPC firm can help to oversee the efficiency upkeep of the retrofitted works to ensure the same efficiency is maintained at all times, hence sustaining long term energy savings.”

25-year old Ngee Ann City, an iconic building along Orchard Road, is expected to enjoy estimated energy savings amounting to more than 20 percent of electricity bills (excluding tenants) or equivalent to more than six million kWh per year through its energy efficiency retrofits. Mr Eric Chan, General Manager of Ngee Ann Property Management Pte Ltd, said: “Under the EPC, energy savings generated will be sufficient to pay for these retrofits over the term of the contract. After the contract ends, we will still continue to enjoy energy savings and at the same time, be able to do our part to protect the environment by reducing our carbon footprint. The retrofits also enhance the building asset in terms of its value. Any prospective buyer is willing to pay more for an energy efficient building as the operating expenses will be kept to its minimum.”

Treetops Executive Residences, a 16-year old residential building, has reaped energy savings of 52 percent after its retrofit.

“By having an EPC with a professional vendor, the energy savings and measures that have been proposed can be constantly measured and guaranteed,” said Mr Tay Hock Soon, General Manager of Treetops Executive Residences. “The team can also give professional advice on how the targets can be achieved and ensure that the improvement in energy efficiency is sustained in the long term even upon completion of the retrofits. As the expert in this area, the EPC firm can also advise on new and better green initiatives that tap on the latest technology advancements to push for greater sustainability. This green retrofit has also helped us to anchor our brand position as an eco-friendly building in an increasingly competitive market.”

The standard template EPC will be available for purchase from SGBC in early 2016. EPC firms certified under SGBC’s Singapore Green Building Services (SGBS) labelling scheme will also use this contract in their EPC projects.

Mr Lim Fatt Seng, managing director of SGBS-certified Comfort Management Pte Ltd and the project lead for the EPC template, is confident of the document’s utility to the industry, “This standard template comes at an opportune time as building owners are increasingly looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their existing buildings especially older buildings. With this template, there will likely be a greater and faster take-up for EPC projects, which will benefit building owners, the occupants and our future generations.”

To read the full media release jointly issued by SGBC and BCA, click here.

To find out more about the EPC standard template, call +65 6732-5518 or email [email protected]

To see the list of SGBS-certified EPC firms, click here.

The buildings and construction sector can contribute towards achieving climate goals and limit global warming to below 2°C

The Building and Construction Authority is representing Singapore in the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction which was launched at the inaugural ‘Buildings Day’ at the United Nations climate change summit in Paris. The Alliance involves the participation of governments, major building and construction stakeholders and potential funders, to help the buildings and construction sector achieve the climate goals and common objective of limiting global warming to below 2°C.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the buildings and construction sector is responsible for 30% of global CO2 emissions. This figure is growing rapidly and could reach 50% of CO2 emissions by 2050. This rise in emissions will increase the risks and vulnerability of countries, regions and local communities to the impacts of climate change.

Limiting global warming to below 2°C requires reducing the building sector’s energy consumption by at least 30% through means of mainstreaming highly energyefficient new buildings and a deep renovation of the existing stock of buildings by 2050, said the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The Alliance will facilitate the mobilisation of international resources for efficient local operational solutions, align existing initiatives, commitments and programmes to achieve greater scale, and catalyse greater pace and impact of climate action in the buildings and construction sector. 

Initiating partners and members of the Alliance including BCA, will participate through regular engagements and sharing sessions, making climate actions visible and reporting on their progress, developing common and appropriate climate goals and promoting transparent measurement protocols. They will also lead or contribute to key climate change mitigation opportunities through initiatives such as net zero energy buildings, sustainable housing and tropical architecture solutions.

In addition, members of the Alliance will collectively address the major challenges in the following areas:

• public strategies and policies on building efficiency;
• transformation of the entire buildings value chain; and
• the financing options available to accelerate investment and funding for greenhouse gas mitigation projects and programmes for the building and construction sector.

“The activities of the Alliance have potential synergy with our collaboration with the UNEP in the BCA Centre for Sustainable Buildings (CSB) and the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) Development for the Building Sector in Asia. Our annual International Green Building Conference (IGBC) also attracts a wide audience and can serve to enhance communication and facilitate greater action to reduce the building sector’s impact through this global platform. As a part of a worldwide alliance among key stakeholders in the building sector, we will leverage on existing BCA initiatives to contribute towards the “below 2°C path” and facilitate the objectives of this Alliance,” said Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA.

The BCA CSB has been promoting sustainability in the building sector in Southeast Asia through identification of successful policies, strategies and technologies at the regional and national levels. It is also working with UNEP through the NAMA project to support countries in Asia to develop national plans and frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their building sectors.

Mr Ang Kian Seng, BCA’s Group Director of Technology Development represented BCA Singapore in the formal launch of the Alliance and participated in the panel discussion on Government Leadership in Policy and Strategies at the Buildings Day, where he shared Singapore’s experience and approach towards green building development.

In support of the COP21, the World Green Green Building Council and green building councils worldwide, including the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), have also embarked on a new campaign: #BetterBuildGreen. The campaign highlights the key role of green buildings in reducing emissions and their economic and social benefits. SGBC has pledged a number of commitments to drive this initiative and change.

“It is imperative for us to start building green today, as it is the key to the liveability of the environment for the generation of tomorrow,” said Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, President of SGBC, “Green buildings present a powerful opportunity to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The industry already has many tried and tested solutions to improve energy efficiency and reduce our environment footprint. We stand ready to work with all stakeholders to drive change that will make a difference for our collective future.”

For more information, click here.

The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) has pledged robust commitments to drive change and market transformation for green building at COP21 in Paris today.

Broadly, SGBC will continue to work with both the public and private sectors to support the goals of Singapore’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) to reduce emissions intensity by 36% from 2005 levels by 2030, to continually promote green building design, practices and technology as well as to enhance current certification schemes to remain relevant to a dynamic marketplace.

“Since our inception in 2009, SGBC has been bringing together industry players and advocates for green building,” stated Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, President of SGBC, “Our strong public-private sector partnership has enabled the greening of Singapore buildings to progress steadily. We will continue to work with our members and partners to spread awareness on the role of buildings in climate change and greenhouse gas reduction, as well as the added benefits of lowered energy bills, healthier building spaces and a better environment for all.”

The commitments were made at Buildings Day - the official COP21 meeting led by Mrs Ségolène Royal, the French Minister of Ecology and former presidential candidate. The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, aimed to scale up the implementation of ambitious sustainable actions, was also launched on this day, and the World Green Building Council along with all 74 member green building councils and their 12,000 member companies will be part of this new Alliance.

All 74 national green building councils support the high level commitment from the World Green Building Council to achieve Net Zero carbon for new buildings and energy efficient refurbishment of the existing building stock by 2050. A total of 25 green building councils, including Singapore, also unveiled national commitments to register, renovate or certify over 1.25 billion square metres of green building space - almost twice the size of Singapore - and train over 127,000 qualified green building professionals over the next five years.

“SGBC is demonstrating real leadership on green buildings by launching its ambitious commitments at these critical climate change negotiations in Paris,” said Ms Terri Wills, CEO of the World Green Building Council, “We know how to build bigger and bigger. The challenge is to build bigger and better. And it is commitments like these that will help to transform the global buildings industry so that not only is a 2 degree world possible tomorrow, but we can realise the benefits from this new way of building – today.”

Buildings currently account for around one third of global emissions, but green building is one of the most cost-effective solutions to climate change, which generates significant environmental, economic and societal benefits. Green buildings have been proven to improve people’s health, wellbeing and productivity – for example, improved indoor air quality can lead to productivity improvements of up to 11 per cent.

“Buildings present a tremendous opportunity to create positive change for the environment and efforts today will go a long way as the lifespans of buildings typically stretch into the decades,” highlighted Mr Tai Lee Siang, Vice-Chair of the World Green Building Council Board of Directors and Honorary Advisor on the SGBC Board, “By tapping on the collective wisdom of the global green building movement, we can derive best practices, technologies and measures to take a more consolidated and affirmative global action.”

To read more on Singapore's commitments, click here.

SGBC is greatly saddened to hear of Mr Kwek Leng Joo’s passing.

Mr Kwek and CDL were instrumental in the establishment of the Singapore Green Building Council in 2009, keenly supporting the Council’s activities and initiatives in advancing the green building agenda over the years. A visionary in advocating environmental conservation and sustainable practices, Mr Kwek had also tirelessly led CDL’s green journey since 1995, when CDL first embarked on its “Conserve as it Constructs” approach towards property development and management. Since then, CDL has set innumerable benchmarks for green building and resource conservation.

For his enduring onus on sustainability, Mr Kwek was bestowed the first Green Visionary Award in this year’s BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Awards, a testament to his passion, dedication and leadership in the industry. CDL also emerged as the first ever Winner for the World Green Building Council Asia Pacific Awards for Business Leadership in Sustainability in 2014.

SGBC Members and staff offer our deepest condolences to Mr Kwek’s family for their loss, and our thoughts remain with them during this difficult time.

Better Build Green is the World Green Building Council’s new campaign which focuses on the UN climate change negotiations - COP21 in Paris.

The campaign aims to show the world that green buildings offer one of the best and most cost-effective ways to tackle climate change and help keep global temperature rises within the two degrees limit.

The message is simple: not only had we better build green if we are to reach a two-degree world tomorrow, but we are better off today if we do.

The campaign will highlight green buildings’ key role in reducing emissions and creating economic and societal benefits.

It will also draw attention to Buildings Day - the first ever day dedicated to the building sector and its contribution to tackling climate change at COP, led by France, UNEP, WorldGBC and other partners.

The campaign will also highlight WorldGBC’s global collective commitment for COP21 and national commitments from Green Building Councils - which will be unveiled at Buildings Day.

Click here to find out about SGBC's commitments and how you can be involved in #BetterBuildGreen.

Click here to go to the Build Better Green website.

  It is aimed at: • Helping to place job-seeking PMEs into suitable SME job roles • Assisting SMEs to recruit, train, manage and retain newly-hired PMEs • Promoting progressive human resource practices within SME ecosystem For more information, please click here.

The English telecast has premiered on Tuesday, 6 October 2015, 8.30pm on Channel NewsAsia, while the Mandarin telecast was broadcast on Channel 8 on Sunday, 11 October 2015, 10.30pm.  To watch episode 1 online, kindly click on the following image. 

The 7th Singapore Green Building Week has drawn to a successful close!

As one of the largest green building events in the region, Singapore hosts the Singapore Green Building Week each year to resounding success, and the 7th edition, held from 1 – 4 September 2015, was no different. Playing host to hundreds of foreign delegates from every segment of the construction value chain, SGBW 2015 will remain on visitors’ minds for a long time.

Click here to read more!

Green Mark 2015 was officially launched for piloting on 2 September 2015, and it will play a more prominent role in driving and communicating sustainability outcomes.

The scheme has been restructured to encompass four main sections: Climatic Responsive Design, Building Energy Performance, Resource Stewardship as well as Smart & Healthy Building. In addition, a bonus section on Advanced Green Building Efforts has been added to recognise sustainability efforts that go beyond assessment requirements.

Through SGBC’s consultative sessions with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) on Green Mark 2015, SGBC has been seeking greater recognition for products and services certified by SGBC’s labelling schemes. These feedback culminated in certain sections of the criteria that give added focus to certified products and services.

Click here to read more about the enhanced recognition in Green Mark Ver. 2015.

To download the Introduction Slides to Green Mark Ver. 2015, click here.

The 2016 FuturArc Prize (Launched in 2008) is the first International Green Building Design competition in Asia open to professionals and students. The 2016 FuturArc Green Leadership Award (Launched in 2009) recognises the team behind a completed project: the developer, consultants and contractors, who have collectively pushed the limits and definition of What a Green building is in Asia Pacific.

For more details of both competitions, please click here: FuturArc Prize & FuturArc Green Leadership Award 2016.

SGBC LAUNCHES NEW MAGAZINE TO RAISE PROFILE OF GREEN BUILDING PRODUCTS

SG Green magazine focuses on the practical applications of green building products

Singapore, 3 September 2015 – The SG Green magazine, a new periodical published regularly by the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), is set to elevate the awareness and recognition of green building products in the local building and construction industry.

Unveiled at SGBC’s 6th Anniversary Dinner with Mr Quek See Tiat, Chairman, Building and Construction Authority (BCA) bearing witness, the SG Green magazine focuses on the practical and technical applications of green building materials and products certified by SGBC’s Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) and Singapore Green Building Services (SGBS) labelling schemes.

Click here to read more.

For more details, please see the PDF.

“I am very encouraged to see the level of interest and commitment towards sustainability,” enthused Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, President of the Singapore Green Building Council, “The strong turnout suggests an increasing emphasis put on sustainability principles by architects and engineers, both key players of the construction value chain.” This event brought together architects and engineers from Southeast Asia for an informative evening which included insightful presentations by prominent eco-architect, Ken Yeang, as well as Big Ass Fans and AIA representatives. Big Ass Fans representative, Kelly Williams, opened with a review of recent changes to ASHRAE Standards 55 and 90.1, and an exploration of the benefits of the innovative HVAC design strategy. As the evening’s highlight, keynote speaker and prominent eco-architect, Ken Yeang, spearheaded a discussion of key factors in ecological design and his approach to net zero energy systems design principles. “I appreciated Mr. Yeang’s message that included the need to change our approach to comfort to include more eco-technology. Big Ass Fans is an enabler of this movement, allowing users to reduce their energy usage without sacrificing comfort.” David Williams, Big Ass Fans, General Manager Asia Pacific. To read the full coverage on SGBW, click Here

For more details, please see the PDF.

SGBC, together with World Green Building Council, is pleased to be partnering with Dodge Data & Analytics (formerly McGraw Hill Construction) on an update to the World Green Building Trends SmartMarket Report (SMR).

The World Green Building Trends survey will offer key insights on construction activity around the world by examining important trends affecting and transforming the construction industry on a global, regional and national level. Most critically, the survey will provide information on the benefits experienced in green construction globally and the variation of green practices and standards by region. By participating, Singapore industry will be able to inform the global building community about the Singapore’s green building market.

To participate in the survey, please go to: Here.

The results of the survey will be disseminated worldwide to professionals in over 90 countries. The results will also be used to produce a new, updated World Green Building Trends SmartMarket Report (SMR), an update and expansion of the 2013 report. This study was ground breaking in its reach because of the participation of GBC members globally, and garnered widespread global attention.

SGBC is pleased to partner the 2015 GRESB Survey and members are encouraged to participate in the survey.

The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) assesses the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios around the globe.

Participating in the survey provides respondents with the opportunity to measure their sustainability performance, benchmark the organization against industry peers, and identify areas for improvement. The GRESB survey provides a useful platform for the real estate sector to report portfolio-level sustainability achievements to the investment community. The survey closes on 1 July 2015 and registration can be made via www.gresb.com.

For more details, please see the PDF.

The annual BCA Awards was held on the 14 May 2015, where 372 companies received their well-deserved recognitions for construction excellence, design and engineering safety, construction productivity and green buildings.

A number of SGBC members were recognised for their contribution towards a greener built environment.City Developments Limited (CDL) in particular, won the inaugural BCA Green Mark Pearl Prestige Award for their existing Green Mark Platinum City House in the Central Business District. The building has exemplary total building performance, with 70% of its interior office space also greened to Green Mark Office Interiors standards.

Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd also joined the coveted ranks of Green Mark Champion, standing proud with only eight other Champions as a selected group of organisations with complete understanding of business and environmental sustainability, demonstrated as well by a commitment towards high performance buildings. Mapletree is the sole recipient of the Green Mark Champion accolade this year, which is given to developers who have a substantial number buildings certified to at least Green Mark Gold level.

SGBC would like to congratulate all members who have been recognised for their efforts in greening the built environment in Singapore and beyond.

For more details, please refer to the PDF.

Demonstrating by example, the Singapore Green Building Council's office premises have been certified Platinum, the highest possible rating for the Green Mark Scheme administered by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

Read more to find out the solutions implemented to achieve the rating: PDF.

A staple in many neighbourhoods in Singapore, the humble playground have to upgrade itself to be safer, sturdier and more fun for children. The Unity Collection playground system by Playworld is first of its kind to be certified under the Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) Certification Scheme.

For more information, please click Here.

But what more can be done? For more details, please see the PDF.

For more details, please see the PDF.

To recognise outstanding industry practitioners and professionals for their consistent contribution and significant achievements in the development of a green and sustainable built environment, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) have launched a joint BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Awards since 2011.

The BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Awards accord recognition to like-minded individuals, from across the building and construction value chain, for their consistent contribution and outstanding achievements in this challenging yet fulfilling journey towards greater environmental sustainability in the built environment. This initiative will go a long way in raising the profile and ensuring the retention of capable professionals and practitioners in the industry.

The closing date of submission is extended to 15 May 2015. Interested parties are to submit the Nomination Documents (in soft copy and/or CD-rom) directly to BCA by 12 noon on 15 May 2015 (Fri).

For more details, please refer to the PDF.

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has announced the appointment of Terri Wills as its new Chief Executive Officer.

For more information, please click Here.

More industry-relevant initiatives and programmes are in the pipeline, pledged Mr. Chia Ngiang Hong (Group General Manager, City Developments Limited) as he took over the reins of leadership for the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) from Er. Ng Eng Kiong (Managing Director, Squire Mech Pte Ltd).

Announced during SGBC’s Annual General Meeting on 23 March 2015, the newly-minted SGBC Board (2015/17) led by Mr. Chia as the President was formally introduced to about 100 SGBC corporate members and representatives from Singapore’s building and construction industry. Comprising a good mix of individuals from each crucial pillar of the construction sector value chain, the new Board is well-poised to accelerate the awareness and adoption of green building practices.

To see the full media release, please refer to the PDF.

Held in the ballroom of Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, SGBC members received a report of the activities and initiatives accomplished for year 2014, with the respective office bearers from the SGBC Board sharing key highlights of specific SGBC programmes. For more details, please see the PDF.

World Wide Fund for Nature’

We are pleased to inform you that nominations are now open for the Green Building Individual Awards 2015, jointly awarded by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and SGBC.

Starting this year, the Awards will be presented on a biennial basis and are open to both local and international green professionals. The main objective of the Awards is to accord recognition to local and international individuals from the built environment sector for their consistent contribution and outstanding achievements to sustainable development in Singapore and Green Mark. The Awards comprise of the categories listed below:

• Green Architect 
• Green Engineer 
• Green Advocate 
• Green Innovator 
• Green Facilities Manager 
• Young Green Individual (automatic eligibility for nominees of the above categories who are below age 40 in 2015)

SGBC and BCA would like to invite both local and international professionals and individuals who have contributed significantly to the development and management of green and sustainable buildings in Singapore and/or Green Mark projects overseas to participate in the Green Building Individual Awards. The Awards will be presented at a ceremony during the Singapore Green Building Week in September 2015.

Do share with your colleagues/ members and strongly encourage them to participate in the Awards. The closing date for nomination is 24 April 2015, Friday. Interested parties can submit either:

• the nomination forms directly to the Organising Committee, OR 
• an ‘Expression of Interest’ form first, prior to proceeding with the submission of nomination forms.

For more details on the Awards, please see the PDF or visit the BCA website at link.

For more details, please see the PDF.

Singapore Green Building Council’s product certification scheme helps the building industry raise its sustainability standards and creates new business opportunities for its members.

To read more, including an example of how a SGBC member benefitted from the membership and SGBP certification, please refer to the PDF.

Please refer to the link.

As part of an interconnected ecosystem, research, technology and financing all play critical roles in any green building initiative. Individually important but more potent if applied in unison, companies onboard the green building bandwagon must be able to achieve synergy among these three pillars in order to full reap the benefits uncovered by research, executed with technology while being adequately financed for maximum efficiency. For more details, please see the PDF.

With effect from 23 September 2014, Mr Tan Swee Yiow of Keppel Land Limited will be appointed as Treasurer of SGBC Board and Mr Ler Seng Ann of the Urban Redevelopment Authority will assume the position of Assistant Treasurer.

Mr Tan Siong Leng, who has served as Treasurer on the SGBC Board from the start of the Board’s current term since March 2013, has retired from service at the Urban Redevelopment Authority. During his term as Treasurer, Mr Tan’s vast experience and knowledge of the industry had been instrumental in elevating the profile of SGBC and generating greater awareness of SGBC’s initiatives. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has appointed Mr Ler Seng Ann as URA’s Official Representative to the Council.

The SGBC Board and Secretariat would like to thank Mr Tan Siong Leng for his significant contributions to SGBC and welcome Mr Ler Seng Ann to the Board.

Held in the Pod of the National Library Board building on the evening of 16 September 2014, the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) and carpet tile designer and manufacturer Interface organised a cosy networking session for members and associates. The evening’s guest speakers – Ms Erin Meezan, VP of Sustainability from Interface and Ms Jamie Dwyer, Biologist and Design Strategist – took participants through an abridged journey of Biomimicry, sharing interesting information about the applications of natural principles in human designs. For more details, please see the PDF.

1 Sep - Companies who specialise in services such as architecture, quantity surveying, and energy performance contracting can access global opportunities with the Green Services Certification endorsement from the Singapore Green Building Council.

To continue reading the Eco-Business article on SGBS Certification, click Here.

For more information on SGBS Certification, click Here or email us at [email protected]" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(60, 159, 0); text-decoration: none;">[email protected].

In its sixth year, the annual Singapore Green Building Week 2014 (SGBW 2014) played host to international green building advocates, experts, policy makers, academicians and industry professionals. SGBW 2014 provided a valuable platform for a diverse green building community from over 20 countries to share knowledge, ideas and suggestions for a greener planet and built environment.

The activities for the Week included the International Green Building Conference, BEX Asia exhibition, Design Green!, World Green Building Council Asia Pacific Network Forum 2014 and SGBC Anniversary Dinner.

To read the full coverage on SGBW, click Here

Local firms City Developments Limited (CDL) and Keppel Land Limited are the inaugural Winners for the Business Leadership in Sustainability category in the first ever World Green Building Council Asia Pacific Regional Network Leadership Awards in Green Building.

From a pool of seven Finalists made up of green building champions across the Asia Pacific region, CDL and Keppel Land received their trophies alongside fellow category Winner ITC Limited (India) from the evening’s Guest-Of-Honour Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.

The Presentation Ceremony, which was held during the Singapore Green Building Council’s (SGBC) 5th Anniversary Dinner, also honoured New Zealand early childhood centre Te Mirumiru as the Winner for the Leadership in Sustainable Design & Performance category.

Out of the seven Finalists for the Business Leadership category, three are SGBC Member companies. In addition, two out of eight projects in the Design & Performance category are Singaporean buildings, a testament to the high quality and standards of Singapore green buildings.

More information about the APN leadership award winners can be found Here.

To read the SGBC President Mr Ng Eng Kiong's speech for SGBC Anniversary Dinner 2014, click Here.

Members of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) have been named as Finalists in the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC’s) inaugural Asia Pacific Regional Network Leadership Awards in Green Building.

“It is heartening to see SGBC members making such stellar inroads regionally, an affirmation of the enduring emphasis on quality and reliability that Singaporean companies have come to be associated with,” says Er Ng Eng Kiong, President, SGBC. “As the global community becomes more cognizant of the benefits green building can bring, I am glad that the efforts undertaken by our member companies have paid off handsomely and once again put Singapore on the world map.”

More information about the APN leadership awards can be found Here.

More information about the APN Awards and the EDB Roundtable can be found Here.

In any built environment, existing buildings no doubt make up the bulk of the landscape. Many of these were constructed before the global green building movement gained traction, built with methods and materials that were less-than-green, going by modern standards. Therefore, greening existing buildings is a major undertaking Singapore has embarked on since 2012, when the Building Control Act legislating the greening of existing buildings was passed. For more details, please see the PDF.

23 Jul - While it is unusual for any government to be involved in setting up NGOs (non-government organizations), this did not deter Singapore’s building authority in helping to create the city-state’s first industry-led organization to champion green building awareness some five years ago.

Never did they imagine that the fledgling Singapore Green Building Council would grow and evolve to become a powerful green building advocate that would put Singapore on the global map.

To read the full article, click Here.

For more details, please see the PDF.

The afternoon event started off with President of SGBC, Mr Ng Eng Kiong and Chargé d’Affaires and Commercial Counsellor of the Austrian Embassy in Singapore, Mr Volker R. Ammann, providing their insights on developments in the industry and Singapore. For more details, please see the PDF.

Twelve outstanding individuals in the built environment sector will receive the prestigious BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Awards at the annual BCA Awards 2014 held at Resorts World Sentosa on 22 May 2014.

The BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Award accords recognition to individuals from across the building and construction value chain for their consistent contribution and outstanding achievements in driving sustainability in the built environment.

In line with the national push towards effective and efficient management of green buildings, a new category – Green Facilities Manager of the Year – was introduced this year to recognise facility management professionals who have shown strong commitment and contribution towards greening and optimising the operation of existing buildings.

For an overview of the Award winners, pls read our media release.

To get to know our winners, read more about them here.

The WorldGBC, of which SGBC is an Established Member, is pleased to be partnering with McGraw Hill Construction on a new study looking at the impact of buildings on the health of their occupants, and we encourage all of our members to participate.

Online Survey 
Based on survey responses from building and HR professionals, the survey will demonstrate industry awareness and consideration of health issues during project design and construction, the benefits experienced, drivers and obstacles, and the top categories of practices and products used.

If you are a building professional (architect, engineer, contractor, building owner/manager), click here to begin the survey. 
If you are an HR professional, click here to begin the survey.

The results of the survey will be used to produce a Health Impacts of Buildings SmartMarket Report (SMR), which will be widely distributed to the global design and construction community. In appreciation for your time, those completing the survey will have the option to receive this exciting new report directly sent to you.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and participation is only possible through 14 May 2014. Your responses will be completely confidential and used for this survey only. All responses will be analysed in aggregate, and no individual responses will be referenced or used in any way.

Consultation Webinar 
Aside from the survey, there are 2 upcoming consultation webinars for the WorldGBC Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Office Buildings project 6 May 2014 (3pm SG Time) and 7 May 2014 (11pm SG Time). The interactive webinar sessions will allow you as SGBC member to give input on this valuable work. We encourage all members to join the webinar on either dates.

To register your interest, please visit WorldGBC Project - Webinar.

Thank you for sharing your insights.

Please refer to the PDF.

Building and Construction Authority (BCA), with Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) as Strategic Partner, is pleased to announce the Call for Presentations for the International Green Building Conference 2014 (IGBC2014) held from 1 – 3 September 2014 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Themed “Build Green – Lead, Engage, Sustain”, IGBC 2014 serves as a platform to:

• Lead the next phase of green building movement focusing on higher standards of energy efficiency; indoor environment quality through sustainable building products and technologies; and users’ comfort and productivity. 
• Engage and collaborate with the key stakeholders from public and private sector, local and regional, to create a sustainable environment that benefits the communities, environmental friendly, and economically rewarding. 
• Showcase sustained building performance through integrated design, commissioning, maintenance and building operation.

SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACT **EXTENSION OF DEADLINE** 
The deadline for abstract submission is extended till 9th May 2014. The abstract is required to be submitted via online system here.

Please see attached for more information on the IGBC 2014 Call for Presentations.

If you have questions about ‘IGBC 2014 Call for Presentations’, you may contact Eddy Susilo at +65 6325 5028 or email [email protected]. You can find highlight of previous IGBC at Youtube.

The i Light Sustainability Workshop is a partner event of the i Light Marina Bay 2014. Themed “HeART of Creative City”, this workshop explored the contribution of the various aspects of lighting to sustainability, including artificial and day‐lighting. For more details, please see the PDF.

The inaugural Asia Pacific Regional Network Leadership Awards in Green Building have gained momentum, with an awards partner and two high-profile judges announced.

The biennial awards program will honor outstanding organizations for their commitment to sustainability, and will celebrate innovative green building projects that are reducing carbon emissions and other environmental impacts, cutting costs and driving higher levels of health and productivity for building occupants.

Please refer to the PDF media release.

Mr Eugene Seah, SGBC Board Technical Coordinator and Group Managing Director of Langdon & Seah Singapore Pte Ltd, shared with members on changes to SGBC’s Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) certification scheme and on the partnership with TÜV SÜD PSB on product assessment under the SGBP scheme, which would come into effect on 1 April 2014. The 2 nd presentation was delivered by Mr Mann Young, WorldGBC Asia Pacific Network Manager and Head of CLT Business, Asia of Lend Lease Asia, who shared with members on activities and priorities in the Asia Pacific network of Green Building Councils. For more details, please see the PDF.

WorldGBC has launched the inaugural Asia Pacific Regional Leadership Awards in Green Building to provide a platform for your company to promote its achievements, and share industry's best practice green building solutions with the region.

-   Business Leadership in Sustainability: presented to the corporation which best demonstrates a commitment to sustainability as part of its core business model. The award acknowledges leadership in corporate social responsibility, with emphasis on policies and programs that reduce and reverse the impact of business practices on the environment.

-   Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance: recognizes a green building project that demonstrates innovation in achieving minimum impact on the environment and maximum impact on health and productivity.

The awards are open to companies large and small, as well as to projects across the region. Nomination forms are available in the links above and online: www.worldgbc.org/apnawards

Nominations must be submitted through SGBC and a nomination fee of SGD$139.10 after GST (equivalent to US$100) per nomination/ project is applicable.

All nomination fees are payable by cheque addressed to “Singapore Green Building Council”.

Please send in your application form, together with the cheque to:

Singapore Green Building Council

390 Havelock Road, #06-05 King's Centre Singapore 169662

Attn: Asia Pacific Awards

All nominations must reach SGBC by 6 June 2014.

To find out more about the awards and how we can work together to promote your projects and company leadership, you may wish to read the FAQshere or please contact Ms Tham Kai Wai ([email protected]).

Themed “Latest Developments Towards Sustainability”, participants gained useful insights and knowledge on various innovative technologies, research and design solutions to enhance sustainability. Participants at the seminar also witnessed the presentation of joint HDB-SGBC certificates to the pioneer group of companies with products listed on both HDB’s Approved Material List and SGBC’s Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) certification scheme. These products were lauded for their green performance and long-standing quality control. For more details, please see the PDF

Please refer to the PDF.

SGBC has been witnessing growing demand and interest in our SGBP Certification Scheme.

The Technical Coordination Committee has been working tirelessly in the past few months to revamp current SGBC product classification categories. This work has been completed. The aim of expanding the previous classification categories is to align it against the framework of the Construction Electronic Measurement Standards (CEMS). This ultimately improves the procurement process through the definition of items and work sections that facilitate sourcing of materials for construction projects.

The new product categorization will see our current 500 SGBP-certified products housed into 20 work sections. This re-categorization will make it more convenient for practitioners to select green-certified products that correspond to the type of works. In addition, having products classified according to the CEMS framework will lead to a seamless integration of SGBP products into the BIM object libraries, such as the newly launched Singapore Institute of Architect (SIA)’s intelligent internet Design Object Library (iDOL).

SGBC’s Technical Coordination Committee will continue to make the necessary changes to the SGBP certification framework to provide more green building products to the construction industry.

We are pleased to inform that nominations are now open for the Green Building Individual Awards 2014, jointly awarded by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC).

The main objective of the Awards is to accord recognition to individuals from the built environment sector for their consistent contribution and outstanding achievements to sustainable development in Singapore. The Awards comprise of the categories listed below, with the introduction of a new ‘Green Facilities Manager’ award category this year.

-   Green Architect 
-   Green Engineer 
-   Green Advocate 
-   Green Innovator 
-   Green Facilities Manager – (new)
-   Young Green Individual (automatic eligibility for nominees of the above categories who are below age 40 in 2014)

BCA and SGBC cordially invite professionals and individuals who have contributed immensely in the development and management of green and sustainable buildings to participate in the Green Building Individual Awards. The Awards will be presented at the BCA Awards Night in May 2014.

We would appreciate it if you could bring this information to the attention of your colleagues/ members and strongly encourage them to participate in the Awards. The closing date for nomination is 26 Feb 2014, Wednesday. Interested parties can submit either: 
•   The nomination forms directly to the Organising Committee, OR 
•   an ‘Expression of Interest’ form first, prior to proceeding with the submission of nomination forms.

For more details on the Awards, please refer to the PDF or visit BCA website here .

Thank you.

SGBC is pleased to announce that the nominations for the annual Green Building Individual Awards are now open. The Awards are organised jointly by SGBC and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to accord recognition to individuals in the building and construction sector for their consistent contribution and outstanding achievements in the development of a green and sustainable built environment.

For more information, please click here.

Please refer to the PDF.

The Singapore Green Building Council is pleased to become a founding member of the Global Coalition for Green Schools, which works collectively to shape schools and communities to fundamentally change the way students learn about the world around them. Together with 29 founding members, SGBC is committed to establishing and leading a national network for green schools within each of their respective countries. The goal is to promote shared vision of green schools for all within this generation.

Please refer to PDF for full media release.

Please refer to the PDF.

SGBC recently celebrated its 4th Anniversary Dinner at Hibiscus Ballroom at Marina Bay Sands on 12 September 2013. More than 650 SGBC members and guests enjoyed a night of entertainment, dinner and networking. SGBC had the honour of the company of Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, for the evening as our Guest-of-Honour.

Please refer to the PDF for more information and picture gallery.

Please refer to the PDF for in-depth report.

Led by the World Green Building Council, SGBC hosted the regional Green Building Councils (GBCs) at Marina Bay Sands on 11 September. Highlights of the discussions include overview of GBCs’ efforts and the partnership with public and private sectors.

Please refer to the PDF for more information.

Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW) played host to international green building experts, policy-makers, academics and built environment practitioners, for a congregation of ideas, collaboration and learning to achieve a shared vision of a greener planet through the green building movement.

Key highlights of international events that took place during SGBW included International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2013 and BEX Asia 2013 exhibition.

Please refer to the PDF for more information and picture gallery for BEX Asia.

Please refer to the PDF.

The theme for this year was “Unfold the True Value of Green Retrofits”. Speakers shared their knowledge and experience from various aspects of retrofitting buildings for sustainability. For more details, please see the PDF.

SGBC is proud to announce that Mr Tai Lee Siang, SGBC's Immediate Past President, has been appointed to the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) Board of Directors, together with four other leaders in the global green building movement.

Mr Tai is one of the pioneers of Singapore’s sustainability movement. Under his leadership, SGBC had expanded its focus from the industry to the community and youths in particular. He is a strong believer that the green building movement cannot be complete without the buy-in of the people and the general public. During his term as SGBC President, he had forged many strong ties internationally and he is keen to continue to be the conduit for WorldGBC in Asia and help further strengthen the Asia Pacific Network of GBCs.

With the new line-up of WorldGBC Board and now 97 GBCs globally,the World Green Building movement is growing exponentially and SGBC is well-placed to tap on the vast knowledge and expertise in the GBC network.

Our heartiest congratulations to Mr Tai!

SGBC would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Lee Chuan Seng, SGBC's Honorary Advisor and Founding President, for his pioneering efforts in representing SGBC on the Board of the WorldGBC from 2010 to 2013.

For more details, please refer to the official WorldGBC press release.

This lecture series has provided a platform for industry practitioners to gain insights from international award winning designs and projects on greening of buildings. For more details, please see the PDF.

The evening started off with a seminar titled “Design for Life”, with SGBC President Mr Ng Eng Kiong giving the opening speech and presenting Mr Rob Coombs, CEO & President of Interface Asia-Pacific, with SGBC Green Product Certificate for Interface’s Glasbac, GlasbacRe and Cushionbac range of carpets. Interface is the first carpet company to receive green product certification from SGBC and all 3 products were awarded SGBC’s Excellent (3-ticks) certification. For more details, please see the PDF.

SGBC members secured more than half the wins at the latest BCA Awards 2013 ceremony held at Marina Bay Sands. SGBC members were involved in the building projects of 141 out of a total of 247 awards (excluding occupant and overseas schemes).

Leading the winners’ list is SGBC member JTC Corporation, who clinched this year’s Green Mark Champion award. JTC Corporation had chalked up 10 Green Mark projects, including 6 Platinum and 3 Gold awards.

As for the Green Building Individual Awards, the Green Engineer of the Year was awarded to Mr Russell Neil Cole from Arup Singapore Pte Ltd and the Green Advocate of the Year went to Mr Mann Young from Lend Lease Asia Holdings Pte Ltd. The Young Green Building Individual Award, presented to those aged below 40, went to Dr Kelvin Lee from Samwoh Corporation Pte Ltd and Dr Uma Maheswaran from Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd.

Please refer to the media release for more details on the wins of SGBC Members and joint media release with BCA on the BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Awards.

SGBC is pleased to announce the winners of the BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Awards 2013. The awards are presented by SGBC and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to recognise individuals in the building and construction sector for their contribution and achievements in the greening of the built environment. A total of 22 applications were received, with 13 applicants also eligible for the Young Green Building Individual Award, a new category created for those aged below 40.

The winners of the BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Awards 2013 are as follows:

Green Building Advocate Award           - Mr Mann Young, Lend Lease Asia Holdings Pte Ltd
Green Building Engineer Award           - Er. Russell Cole, Arup Singapore Pte Ltd
Young Green Building Individual Award - Dr. Kelvin Lee, Samwoh Corporation Pte Ltd
Young Green Building Individual Award - Dr. Uma Maheswaran, Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd
Commendation Awards - Mr. Jerry Ong, CPG Consultants Pte Ltd
                                  - Ms. Jaye Tan - DP Architects Pte Ltd
                                  - Er. Teh Poh Suan - Housing and Development Board
                                  - Mr. Owen Wee - Surbana International Consultants Pte Ltd

SGBC congratulates the Award winners for their leadership and achievements in green building development. To read more about our Award winners, please follow below links for our exclusive interviews with the winners:

Mr Russell Cole - Mr Russell Cole Interview PDF
Mr Mann Young - Mr Mann Young Interview PDF
Dr Kelvin Lee - Dr Kelvin Lee Interview PDF
Dr Uma Maheswaran - Dr Uma Maheswaran Interview PDF

Please refer to the PDF.

Organized by Carrier, the world leader in high technology heating, airconditioning and refrigeration solutions and a partof UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX); as well as the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), the event addressed more than100 building professionals. For more details, please see the PDF.

SGBC collaborates with Singapore Business Federation (SBF) to feature SGBC Members and Certified Products in the Singapore Sustainability Directory 2013.

The directory will feature a Special Section showcasing and promoting all SGBC Members, as well as companies with SGBC-Certified Products & Services.

For more details, please refer to the Application Form and Fact Sheet.

To read the interview, please click here.

A new Board has been elected for 2013-2015 at Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), with Mr. Ng Eng Kiong as new President. He is taking over from Mr. Tai Lee Siang, who will serve as the Immediate Past President for the coming two years.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

Please refer to the PDF.

Held on a Friday evening, 22 February 2013, the event was well received and was an intellectually stimulating session for over seventy participants. For more details, please see the PDF.

The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) has launched a new programme for schools - the Green Schools Initiative. The programme aims to equip students and schools with an understanding of the role that buildings play in environmental sustainability, and the impact that building design and technology have on the performance of buildings. Green Schools Initiative is built on the foundation laid by Project Green Insights - SGBC’s recently completed schools project on smarter buildings that was funded by the IBM Centennial Grant.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

Mr. Gregg Buchbinder shared his unique vision of building a truly sustainable design brand through revolutionary up-cycling initiatives and the continuous quest to achieve zero wastes. For more details, please see the PDF.

Please refer to the PDF.

SGBC and Temasek Polytechnic (TP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for students from TP’s Diploma in Green Building & Sustainability (GBS) and Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) programmes to embark on a structured internship programme with SGBC and member companies.

For more details, please refer to the press release

More than 130 building professionals attended the event, which delivers lectures to educate and inspire green building leaders across the globe. A Founding Member of the SGBC, Carrier has been working closely with the SGBC to achieve their shared vision of a sustainable built environment. For more details, please see the PDF.

The event was conducted in two parts, beginning with a seminar session where various speakers shared their perspectives, and concluding with a site tour of CleanTech One towards the end of the seminar. For more details, please see the PDF.

SGBC signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 25 Oct 2012 with the Vertical Greening Academic Group of China Green Building Council (VGAG), World Green Roof Congress (WGRC) and the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects (SILA) to support mutual efforts and promotion on urban greenery. The ceremony took place at the World Green Roof Congress 2012 held in Hangzhou, China.

SGBC was represented by President, Mr Tai Lee Siang; whilst the Vertical Greening Academic Group of China GBC and World Green Roof Congress were represented by Vice-Group Leader and Secretary-General, Prof Wang Xianmin; and SILA was represented by SILA President, Mr Damian Tang.

Animated performances by the contestants impressed the judges Mr Tai and Mr Alan Chan, CEO of Alpha Entertainment, who groomed the latest K-pop Sensation, SKARF. For more details on the Awards, please see the PDF .

The team of all Singaporeans - Goh Jia Lin, Ang Mun Ru and Tan Zi Yang - beat other rival finalist teams - two from Temasek Polytechnic and one from Republic Polytechnic to emerge champions in the Quiz.

Whateverwerkz from Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) won e-Pop contest with its lively "Drip Drop" performance

For more details, please refer to the press release.

To find out more on the event happening, please visit www.facebook.com/YESbySGBC.

During the dinner, SGBC President, Mr Tai Lee Siang, thanked members for the strong show of support for SGBC events, particularly for the International Green Building Conference (IGBC). He also thanked members for their contributions and dedication to SGBC’s outreach effortsand product certification work. A number of awards were given out at the dinner. Sponsors for the IGBC were recognised for their support and financial contributions. Awards were also presented to the top 3 winning schools of Project Green Insight competition, namely: Paya Lebar Methodist Girls School (1st place), Nan Hua High School (2nd Place) and Chong Boon Secondary School (3rd place). The first group of 20 certified companies was also presented with the inaugural Green Services certification, in addition to those certified under SGBC’s Green Product certification scheme. The Green Services certification recipients included Architectural firms, Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Consultants, and Environmental Sustainability Design (ESD) Consultants. Allin all, SGBC’s efforts in advancing the green building movement in Singapore has been making good progress and the annual dinner was a great way to celebrate successes. For more details, please see the PDF.

SGBC hosted the World Green Building Council's Asia Pacific Regional Network Annual Forum 2012 on 11 October 2012 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore. Delegates from more than 10 Green Building Councils (GBCs) from around the Asia Pacific region attended the forum.

The forum took the form of a roundtable dialogue session where delegates brainstormed on issues that would shape the regional green building movement, led by Ms Jane Henley of the World GBC and facilitated by Network Manager, Mr Mann Young. Issues discussed included development of rating schemes, policy development, data sharing and education programmes for the development of green buildings. GBCs found the session useful to keep updated on one another’s progress and developments. The forum closed with a pledge to continue support for GBCs’ regional green building initiatives.

The four finalists for the very first Green Quiz, part of the inaugural Youth for Eco-Sustainability (YES) programme, organised by Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) have been named.

Three of the teams are from Temasek Polytechnic while the remaining team is from Republic Polytechnic. The teams beat 16 other teams who took part in the preliminary round of the competition. The other teams were from various tertiary institutions such as Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and the National University of Singapore.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

SGBC celebrated yet another milestone with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC) at the SGBC Pavilion at BEX Asia 2012. The MOU was signed by Mr Tai Lee Siang, President of SGBC and Mr Yannick Millet, Executive Director of VGBC. Guest of Honor, Minister Grace Fu witnessed the signing.

Under this latest MOU, both SGBC and VGBC will work towards recognition of the Singapore Green Building Product & Services Certification scheme under the Green Building assessment scheme of Vietnam. The two parties will also collaborate in training, green building development and other services in Vietnam and Singapore.

Singapore is making new strides in the green building movement with new schemes for an eco-friendly community and new deals to boost Singapore as the green hub of Asia.

Why going green is good for business and the community will be shared by more than 79 industry experts and practitioners to 1,000 participants, and policy-makers from the Asia-Pacific and North America, who are gathered here over the next few days to hear insights from real estate giants, major brands and household names.

They are attending the three-day International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2012, which was officially opened today at the Marina Bay Sands by Ms Grace Fu, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources & Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

They had gathered to listen as more than 79 industry experts and practitioners from real estate giants, major brands and household names as well as policy-makers from the AsiaPacific and North America, shared their insights ongreen building issues and trends. For more details, please see the PDF.SGBC President Opening Speech

SGBC is adding a new zing to engage the young in its drive to bring the green message to the community.

For the first time, it will be launching its Youth for Eco-Sustainabilty (YES) programme, which will to be held as part of the 4th Annual International Green Building Conference (IGBC 2012) at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands on 12 October 2012.

The YES programme, which is in line with this year's IGBC 2012 theme, "Green Community, Green Action", aims to target youths by raising social awareness of green issues that concern young people and educating them to make responsible choices to prepare them for a sustainable future.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) is firing up the country’s drive towards more sustainable buildings with a trio of partnerships and two new green certification schemes. These were announced by Singapore’s Minister for the Environment & Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan at the Council’s 4th anniversary dinner on Thursday (12 Sept 2013).

Please refer to the PDF for the full media release.

A total of 16 exhibitors participated under the SGBC Pavilion at BEX Asia and showcased their latest sustainable products and services. The SGBC Pavilion aimed to be Green in every way, using carpets made of recycled material and also adopting recycled paper in publicity materials. For more details, please see the PDF.

New initiatives to engage the business community will be rolled out at the International Green Building Conference (IGBC 2012) to be held from October 10 to 12, 2012 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

SGBC, in collaboration with IBM, is working with Ministry of Education to raise students' awareness of energy efficiency and going green in schools.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

SGBC members won big at the latest BCA awards 2012 held at the Compass Ballroom, Resorts World Sentosa. They garnered a total of 151 out of the total of 315 awards presented- almost half of the total BCA awards given out at the ceremony.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

Under the first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI), SGBC will work towards recognition of its green building product certification scheme in Indonesia.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

SGBC has signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with China Green Building Council (CGBC中国绿色建筑委员会), its China counterpart in Beijing to collaborate on professional training of green building specialists. This move is a joint effort to promote the "greening" of buildings in China. SGBC will also work towards recognition of its green building product) certification scheme in China within 3 to 5 years.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

SGBC has joined hands with Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) to certify "green" furniture products. This initiative, the first green furniture certification in Asia, marks an important milestone for both industry sectors.

For more details, please refer to the press release.

SGBC members joined BCA in the visit to various organisations in Seoul, Korea to learn more about the policies, initiatives and and programmes to promote green buildings, enhance energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases. The delegation visited the Korea Institute of Construction and Technology, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Ministry of Land Transport & Maritime Affairs, SK Chemical Eco Lab and the Songdo International Business District.

The itinerary in San Francisco, USA included visits to the California Academy of Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, California Lighting Technology Centre, UC Davis Energy Efficiency Centre, UC Davis West Village, SF Environment, 101 California, 525 Golden Gate and the California Energy Commission. The US Greenbuild provided the opportunity for SGBC members to network with fellow practitioners and keep abreast of latest green building technologies and developments.

SGBC congratulates members who were recognised for their efforts to green the built environment both locally and in projects overseas at the BCA Awards 2014 ceremony. Special mention must be made of SGBC Founding Members, Keppel Land Limited and Nanyang Technological University (NTU)’s leadership role in achieving the BCA Green Mark Champion Award.

Keppel Land adopts a proactive approach towards environmental management and protection to create a sustainable future; whilst NTU has been leading in sustainability research and utilising its lush green campus as a living laboratory for sustainability.

For a list of Green Mark Award 2014 winners, pls refer to BCA Green Mark.

BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Award winners were also presented with their awards at the BCA Awards 2014 ceremony. The 12 outstanding individuals were recognised for their contribution and achievements in driving sustainability in the built environment and received their awards from Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of National Development.

Get to know more about our BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Award winners here.