From 2005 to 2022 (17 years), Singapore promoted Green Building Development and drew up a series of development blueprints. I would like to briefly introduce you to explore opportunities for cooperation and development between Singapore and China in building and developing Green Buildings.
Singapore is a tropical developed country with a higher standard of living compared to other tropical countries. Hence, with greater resource consumption, I am afraid no country like Singapore can turn on air-conditioners all year round.
Singapore is in great demand for resources and relies heavily on imported resources such as water, electricity, and gas. Electricity comes from three main sources: Firstly, waste incineration (5 percent). Secondly, natural gas imports from other countries, and lastly, electricity imports from Malaysia. Only 5 percent of the electricity generated from waste is owned by oneself. Besides collecting some fresh water, Singapore’s water supply is completely constrained by Malaysia. If Malaysia does not provide water, or if the weather is dry and there is a shortage of water, Singapore can only suffer.
Hence, in terms of resources, the Singapore Government has always attached great importance to raising revenue and cutting expenditure. Founding Prime Minister (PM) Lee Kuan Yew once said, “On the day Singapore separated from Malaysia, we knew that the other party would put pressure on water supply, so we had to systematically use every drop of rain that fell from the sky.”
Buildings in Singapore account for 40 percent of the country’s total electricity consumption and more than 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. This high electricity consumption has enabled the Government to actively improve energy efficiency in buildings. From 2005, the BCA released the “Green Building Certification Scheme”, setting the 2030 “80-80-80” target:
- 80% of buildings meet green building standards.
- 80% of new buildings meet the “ultra-low energy consumption” requirement.
- 80% improvement in energy efficiency for all buildings.
Green buildings are not just about planting flowers and plants, BCA’s five key indicators are energy efficiency, water conservation, environmental protection, indoor environmental quality, and green features and innovation.
Progress Milestones for Green Buildings in Singapore:
2005 – Launch of BCA Green Mark Certification Scheme in Singapore
2006 – Launch of the First Green Building Masterplan
2007 – Launch of Sustainable Construction Masterplan
2008 – Amendments to Building Control Act to enforce minimum environmental standards for new buildings
2009 – Building and Construction Authority Zero-Energy Building was launched as a model for the Second Green Building Masterplan
2012 – Achieved the goal of 1000th Green Mark Project and 100th Platinum Award Project. Revision of the Control Act of Parliament / Introduction of minimum environmental sustainability standards requirements for existing buildings / Submission of energy consumption and related data by utilities and construction companies / Periodic review of air-conditioning system efficiency.
2014 – The 3rd Green Building Masterplan was launched As the number of green buildings advanced from 17 in 2005 to 2,100 in 2014 (62 million m2, equivalent to 25% of total building area).
3 Strategic Objectives:
- Continue to lead green buildings
- Expand collaborations & participation
- Practise sustainable performance
2017 – Conducted a mid-term review of the 3rd Green Building Masterplan
Achievements and targets of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan: 2005 (0.1%), 2010 (13%), 2020 (43%), 2030 (80%).
Singapore is a leader in green building development in ASEAN and Asia, and is the first green building rating system designed specifically for tropical climates, gaining international recognition and accolades.
Nevertheless, Singapore still has a long way to go to meet the target of 80 percent of green buildings. The huge demand for green building materials, including building structural materials, interior and exterior decorative materials, air-conditioning, lighting, lighting and innovative solutions for green buildings, will provide excellent business opportunities for local and Chinese enterprises.
With a population of 5.6 million and a land area of 720 square kilometres, Singapore is a major financial and port hub in the world. With its excellent geographical location and political stability, it is still the largest investor country in China. Apart from the Singapore market, we hope that Chinese enterprises will work with Singapore to open a third-party market. Both sides complement each other in terms of resources, capital, technology and management, and tap on ASEAN’s huge market to achieve the goal.
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