More Carrots Likely To Build Green Buildings

Source : The Sunday Times, Feb 24, 2008

Panel looking into further measures. Spiralling costs a challenge and opportunity for builders to go greener

THE Government is looking into further incentives and legislation to ‘green’ more buildings here.

This is integral to Singapore’s sustainable development strategy, which remains a key priority, Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan said yesterday.

Meanwhile, spiralling construction costs present both a challenge and an opportunity for the building sector to go greener, with alternative methods of construction which are energy- and resource-efficient.

Mr Mah was speaking at an inaugural talk, attended by building sector bigwigs, on green building and corporate social responsibility.

The talk was organised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). Its preliminary estimates show that a basic Green Mark building costs about 0.3 per cent to 1 per cent more, with a payback of two to five years.

But the benefits go beyond the savings, over the whole lifespan of the building, Mr Mah said.

Green buildings are generally designed, built and maintained for energy efficiency and are better for human health and the environment.

The BCA Green Mark rates buildings for their environmental performance.

Some Green Mark buildings include the National Library and City Developments’ Oceanfront@Sentosa Cove, both of which have features such as energy-efficient air-conditioners, efficient lighting and extensive greenery to keep the buildings cool.

Mr Mah called on the ‘private, people and public sectors’ to work together.

Several incentives are already in place, and a new inter-ministerial committee - co-chaired by Mr Mah and Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim - is looking into further measures.

Mr Mah said incentives alone will not solve the problem. ‘There is a need for us to take stock and spend some time on this. By the next Budget, I hope to have in place a whole road map.’

Property chiefs such as CapitaLand’s Mr Liew Mun Leong and City Developments’ group general manager Chia Ngiang Hong affirmed yesterday that going into green projects not only saved them money but has also improved their brand names.

Mr Liew called for more incentives, such as granting additional gross floor area for a green building.

Meanwhile, Mr Mah said the postponement of up to $3 billion in public projects is expected to ease the industry’s manpower crunch by at least 10 per cent.

A BCA spokesman told The Sunday Times yesterday the projects to be deferred to after next year included student hostels, school upgrading, hawker centres and some minor projects.