Singapore – The Singapore green building industry’s recent accomplishments demonstrate a compelling business case for a more sustainable future. As sustainable practices and eco-friendly construction methods continue to gain momentum, the industry’s remarkable achievements are reinforcing the economic, environmental, and social advantages of green buildings.
These remarkable achievements were celebrated at the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) Gala Dinner 2023, a prestigious event held in support of World Green Building Week 2023 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront, where over 500 key stakeholders and industry leaders gathered to recognise and honour the relentless efforts and innovations that are shaping Singapore’s sustainable future.
Assoc Prof Dr. Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development, graced the event as the guest-of-honour.
In collaboration with the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), SGBC played a pivotal role in Singapore’s nominations for the ASEAN Energy Awards 2023. Nine nominations from Singapore were submitted, and SGBC Members Azendian Solutions, Innovative Polymers, and Samwoh Corporation emerged as the winners in their respective sub-categories under the Energy Efficient Building – Special Submission award category. The ASEAN Energy Awards represents the pinnacle of recognition in Southeast Asia for acknowledging the private sector’s increasing involvement in and commitment to energy advancement within the ASEAN region.
During the SGBC Gala Dinner 2023, 14 exemplary Green Mark projects were also presented with Green Mark Certificates for their exceptional performance under the Green Mark 2021 (GM 2021) certification standard. These outstanding green building projects achieved exceptional Energy Efficiency (EE) performance and attained best-in-class GM ratings such as Positive Energy (PE), Zero Energy (ZE) or Super Low Energy (SLE), as well as demonstrated excellent performance in the Sustainability Badges. To better recognise a building project’s sustainability efforts, BCA introduced five badges in GM2021: Whole Life Carbon (Cn), Intelligence (In), Health & Wellbeing (Hw), Resilience (Re), and Maintainability (Mt). With corporate sustainability goals gaining prominence, there is a growing demand on property developers and building owners to exceed best-in-class all-round building performance.
Notably, the Paya Lebar Green projects are the first in Singapore to attain all five Badges under the GM2021 certification standard, making them exceptionally well-equipped to meet the increasing demands of corporate clients seeking the most sustainable spaces. Furthermore, three private residential building projects were designed to meet the GM2021 Platinum SLE standard, each achieving at least three Badges. This underscores the private sector’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and emphasises their dedication to creating green and sustainable homes that offer lasting benefits to residents and the environment.
In line with this emphasis on green homes, SGBC is expanding GreenBuildings.SG – the Council’s homeowner and public engagement resource hub. Through these renewed efforts, SGBC aims to highlight the multifaceted advantages that green buildings bring to Singapore through a wealth of new resources, innovative digital tools, and engaging activities. These initiatives are poised to significantly enhance awareness and understanding of green buildings, empowering individuals and communities with the knowledge and tools needed to embrace and advance sustainability within our built environment.
SGBC also launched the Embodied Carbon in Buildings Calculation Guide during the SGBC Gala Dinner 2023. As the latest offering in SGBC’s growing toolbox of carbon-centric initiatives for the built environment sector, the Guide supports Singapore’s decarbonisation efforts by providing guidance on defining the scope and methodology for measuring and reporting the embodied carbon emissions of building and construction activities. It is particularly useful for understanding the upfront carbon of building and infrastructure projects, and is intended to serve as an informative resource to harmonise carbon data collection efforts during the design and construction phase of projects. The Guide is free to use and is hosted on SGBC’s website.
To cap off an eventful evening, nearly 40 organisations received their Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) and Singapore Green Building Services (SGBS) certificates. These certifications signal a resounding testament to these organisations’ commitment to creating, developing, and delivering green building products and services that contribute to a low-carbon future. Several SGBC Member organisations have proudly held SGBP certifications for more than a decade.
From reduced operational costs to enhanced occupant well-being, these sustainability successes underscore the robust case for embracing green building initiatives, setting the stage for a brighter and more sustainable built environment.
