ST : Guidebook, certification for builders to go green

Jun 16, 2010

Guidebook, certification for builders to go green

By Grace Chua

CONSTRUCTING a building requires a lot of raw materials, water and energy - producing up to 10 per cent of the building's total carbon emissions over its lifetime.

To get the multibillion-dollar construction industry in Singapore to cut back on energy, recycle more and be more environmentally friendly, the authorities and trade groups have put together new incentives.

Yesterday, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) launched its Green And Gracious Builder Guide, which lists ways to recycle materials, save energy and keep the peace with residents and communities near construction sites.

Joining the push is the Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal) and Singapore Environment Council, which have put together a certification scheme for contractors employing eco-friendly practices - a kind of green label for the construction industry.

The scheme aims to give Singapore's 3,000 to 4,000 small and medium-sized contractors the resources and know-how to cut waste, noise, energy use and pollution, said Scal president Andrew Khng.

This differs from existing green building programmes such as the Green Mark certification, which looks at a building's environmental impact over time but may not account for the impact of its construction.

Both the guide and the scheme were launched at a conference on sustainable green practices for Asean contractors yesterday. Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, who was the guest of honour, said: 'As buildings worldwide consume about 40 per cent of all raw materials, the building sector has an important role in ensuring that our future developments are not only economically, but also environmentally sustainable.'

At least 21 companies here, winners of the BCA's Green and Gracious Builder Award last year and this year, are putting sustainable practices in place.

For example, no bar of steel or plank of timber goes to waste at Gammon Construction's worksites. Its sites even have small, medium and large generators to match the demand for power. In the day, when power demand is high, the largest generator kicks in, but at night, when power demand is lower, the smallest generator is used.

While the measures might push a project's upfront costs up by 15 per cent, these costs are easily recouped from energy savings and other savings over the project's two- or three-year lifetime, said Gammon executive director Jon Button.