Singapore Green Building Week 2016: Rethinking Green Building for Next Decade

 

The SGBW 2016 officially opened on September 7 by Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong, at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Center in Singapore.

 

 

The historic Paris landmark agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) last December marked a defining point in mitigating climate change, with a commitment to a common goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. Singapore continues to play our part in the global community, by pledging to reduce emission intensity by 36% from 2005 levels, and to stabilise emissions with the aim of peaking around 2030. Climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability are top imperatives for all stakeholders. Translating key policies and involving all stakeholders including the community and students will be crucial for the next decade and beyond.

 

“We needed to not just build, but to build smarter and greener. We needed to embrace new technologies and new methods of building. So we took steps to change, and we’ve come a long way in this green building journey. Today, around a third of our buildings are green. Our Green Mark certification schemes are used in over 80 cities around the world. We are recognised as among the leading cities in the world for our green building efforts,’ Mr Lawrence Wong remarked. He also highlighted three broad areas which Singapore still needs to do, including stepping up green building efforts as part of the overall global effort to tackle climate change, tapping on new technologies to reap the full efficiency benefits, and changing mindsets that must start from young.   

 

Organised by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) in partnership with Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) and Reed Exhibitions, SGBW 2016 features three anchor events, the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2016 alongside Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia 2016 and Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) Asia 2016, and will attract more than 26,000 participants from 50 countries from a total of 23 events.

 

 

The week-long Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW) 2016 aims to engage not only industry experts and policy makers, but also the community including students and end-users.

Themed "Build Green: The Next Decade", this year's IGBC focuses on empowerment and involving the community to drive sustainability. In support of the historic Paris Landmark agreement at COP21 towards taking action on climate change, the conference hopes to inspire and catalyse new thinking, collaborations and partnerships as well as new innovative and holistic solutions to climate change. Through the engagement of global and regional stakeholders, IGBC 2016 strives to accelerate this transformative evolution of our green building movement to shape a sustainable future for generations to come.

 

 

Mr. Lee Fook Sun, BCA Chairman addressed: “Research and innovation has, and will continue to play a crucial role in transforming the green building industry. For the next decade, BCA has set an aspiration for our buildings to be “Positive-energy Low-rise, Zero-energy Medium-rise, and Super Low-energy High-rise buildings. BCA understands that the key to keeping ahead of the global green building movement is innovation. And for that to happen, support from our local and overseas industry stakeholders is most important.”

 

“For the eighth edition of the SGBW, we are focusing our efforts on empowering a collective effort among industry players and building users. Moving to the next decade, there is a need to shift from top-down government initiatives to the pioneering of ground-up initiatives to move the needle in the green building industry. The SGBW 2016 will not only reiterate Singapore’s commitment to the region’s green building and sustainability sectors, but also act as a platform for regional stakeholders to come together to collaborate and share ideas, and envision the possibilities and opportunities to further green buildings in the next decade," said Dr John Keung, Chief Executive Officer of BCA.

At the Opening of SGBW 2016, Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lawrence Wong, announced new measures and initiatives that BCA is rolling out to further drive the greening of the built environment and enhance the green building experience for users. This includes a revised Green Mark scheme for residential buildings with a focus on enhancing the well-being of users, a 2016 edition of the annual Building Energy Benchmarking Report which now includes healthcare and tertiary institutions, signing an MOU with the Rwanda Housing Authority to expand BCA’s Green Mark reach to Africa, and a record level of student participation in this year’s SGBW.

 

 

 

 

 

PARKROYAL on Pickering Hotel, opened in January 2013, is an iconic hotel landmark in Singapore, with a stunning hotel-in-a-garden concept that incorporates energy-saving features throughout the building. The 367-room hotel, strategically located at the key gateways to Singapore’s central business district, Hong Lim Park and bustling Chinatown, offers uncomplicated, modern and efficient service and a team of hotel associates who are passionate about connecting guests to authentic local experiences.