Green drive to focus on older buildings

Source : Straits Times - 3 Oct 2008

Experts say more can be done to make existing buildings energy-efficient

SINGAPORE’S efforts in recent years to green new buildings have made the country one of the world leaders in sustainability, said an international panel of experts yesterday.

But more can be done to convert existing buildings into energy-efficient ones, including providing financial incentives for the private sector.

These were the findings of a newly formed panel of experts invited by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to review Singapore’s green building policies. The findings were presented at BCA’s second ‘breakfast talk for CEOs’ yesterday.

The BCA launched the Green Mark rating system only in 2005 so the ’speed has been impressive’, said Mr Peter Head, panel member and director of British engineering firm Arup Associates.

Mr Head is well known as the architect behind China’s first eco-city in Dongtan.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Parliamentary Secretary (National Development), said yesterday that the BCA will be taking on the panel’s feedback.

Its second green building masterplan, to be unveiled next year, will focus on greening existing buildings and providing further incentives, he said.

Dr Maliki also told industry leaders at the event yesterday that there is increasing evidence worldwide that green buildings command higher rents and asset values, as well as increase productivity of its occupants.

The issue is no longer ‘whether we should go green, but how fast we can go green’, added BCA chief executive John Keung.

Other panel recommendations included mandating the submission of building energy information by owners, as this will help gauge a building’s performance.

The BCA can also take the lead in ‘green procurement’ - sourcing green materials - for the industry, said Ms Maria Atkinson, global head of sustainability for Australian property group Lend Lease.

Further financial incentives were mooted to ‘jump start the process’. These included boosting the availability of funds to building owners by involving banks to provide preferential loan rates to Green Mark projects. This works in Japan, where banks make ‘green loans’ for buildings that aim for higher environmental ratings, said the panel.

It also singled out research and development, capacity building and education as critical in the next leg of Singapore’s green journey.

‘Government and policy are known to be the major driver for sustainability,’ said Ms Atkinson. Singapore’s role is even more crucial, as it is well positioned to be an ‘adviser’ to developing countries in Asia such as Indonesia and Malaysia, she added.

The panel agreed that legislation would accelerate the green building movement and drive energy efficiency.

Other panel members include Professor Joachim Luther, chief executive of Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore; Japanese architect Kazuo Iwamura, known for his urban and architectural research; and Mr Kevin Hydes, chairman of the World Green Building Council.

Buildings account for about half of Singapore’s total end-use electricity consumption. There are about 130 green buildings with 200 awaiting assessment.