BCA and UNEP Establish a Centre on Sustainable Buildings in SE Asia [Press Releases]

(18 October 2011 – Paris/Singapore) The Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have joined forces in the fight against climate change. The two organizations finalized an agreement to collaborate on work to promote and establish sustainable building policies and practices in the Southeast Asia region. On 14 September, at the International Green Building Conference 2011, held during Singapore Green Building Week, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed, formalizing cooperation between BCA and UNEP to provide policy advice and outreach activities related to sustainable resource management in the building sector.

The agreement between UNEP and BCA formally established BCA’s Centre for Sustainable Buildings as a “Centre Collaborating with UNEP” to assist in developing tools, approaches and support to countries in the region in a coordinated effort to elevate sustainable solutions in the building sector. Through identification of successful policies, strategies and technologies at the regional and national levels, BCA will support the propagation of sustainability in the building sector in Southeast Asia. Read more

New Financing Scheme and Minimum Standards for Existing Buildings Announced at the International Green Building Conference 2011

Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, BG (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin announced a new financing scheme and minimum Green Mark standards for existing buildings at today’s opening of the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2011, which is part of the annual Singapore Green Building Week.

In the Singapore Sustainable Blueprint, the government has set a target to green 80% of Singapore’s buildings by 2030. 95% of Singapore’s building stock are existing buildings. The challenge is how to green the existing buildings, given the higher cost of retrofitting and the lack of financing.

To help existing building owners overcome the barrier of high upfront retrofitting costs, BG (NS) Tan announced that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will launch a pilot scheme from 1 Oct called the Building Retrofit Energy Efficiency Financing (BREEF) Scheme. Read more

Green buildings help sustain Asia’s growth [News]

By Rod Leaver, The Business Times, 14 Sep 2011.

This week marks the opening of Singapore’s third Green Building Week since it was established in 2009. Yet, in many ways, this amazing nation-state has already leapt ahead of its time to reflect what future green cities in Asia can look like as the region strives to adopt the kind of sustainable practices that are vital for maintaining long-term development and growth.

Going green is not some lofty ideal. A sustainable built environment is all about using our available resources more efficiently which, in turn, lowers costs in the long term.

The basic unit of a sustainable built environment is a green building. Buildings have become our standard dwellings and we spend a significant amount of time in them, making a critical impact on the environment. Read more

International Green Building Conference 2011 to Explore Innovative, Sustainable, and Actionable Green Building Solutions Especially for the Tropics and Sub-Tropics [Press Releases]

Singapore, 16 August 2011 – The main highlight of the Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW), the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2011, will see industry experts and practitioners, and policy-makers from across the Asia-Pacific and North America gather in Singapore from 13 to 16 September 2011. Together, they will address challenges and explore solutions in green building development, including innovative, sustainable and actionable solutions for the tropics and sub-tropics.

Organised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the government agency responsible for the built environment and green building policies1 in Singapore, IGBC 2011 is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants – from real estate developers to urban planners, architects, engineers and other industry professionals – committed to understanding and putting into action real-world, tangible green building solutions. Also present at the conference will be policy-makers and key government officials from several growth markets, specially invited by the BCA, who will give their unique public sector perspective on green building solutions, policies and plans. Read more

International Green Building Conference and BEX Asia 2009

The inaugural International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2009 was held recently in Singapore as part of the Singapore Green Building Week. The conference theme was “Build Green. The Future is Now.” and drew about 1,000 delegates from more than 20 countries to focus on sustainable building issues, green building technologies and designs.

During the conference, the new Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) was launched to help lead and coordinate the building industry’s efforts, together with the government, and accelerate the development of green buildings.

As part of the Singapore Green Building Week, there was also a building exhibition, BEX Asia 2009, which showcases green-related products and services for the building industry. Here are some photos taken at the exhibition:

HDB Green Living

Green Roof System

Green Wall

Wood and Plastic Composite

Recycled Concrete

Solar Roof

Solar Street Lighting

Wind Turbine

Greywater Recycling System

LED Lamps