Plans to Regulate and Assess Design and Construction Carbon Footprint of New Buildings
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong’s inquiry on plans to regulate the carbon footprint of new building designs and construction to promote sustainable technologies. Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee noted that the Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations already mandate minimum standards for environmental sustainability in buildings. He explained that the BCA Green Mark scheme further evaluates resource efficiency, including the use of recycled materials, low-carbon concrete, and embodied carbon calculations. Currently, 99% of construction waste is recycled, reflecting existing efforts to minimize environmental impact across the building sector. BCA is also preparing the next Singapore Green Building Masterplan for launch next year to further enhance sustainability standards and reduce building emissions.
Transcript
37 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for National Development whether there are plans to regulate and assess the design and construction carbon footprint of new buildings including materials, process and lifecycle maintenance requirements, and material recyclability to ensure that progressive and sustainable construction technologies are gradually being implemented.
Mr Desmond Lee: Under the Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations, all new buildings and existing buildings undergoing major retrofitting works are required to meet minimum environmental sustainability standards. These include incorporating environmentally friendly practices for the planning, design, construction, and operation of the buildings, which serve to reduce their carbon footprint.
On top of this, the BCA Green Mark scheme recognises projects that go beyond the mandatory requirements. Under the scheme, developers are assessed on the resource efficiency of their building designs and their adoption of progressive construction methods and technology. The assessment criteria include the use of recycled materials and low-carbon concrete, and the calculation of the embodied carbon of the building materials.
Currently, 99% of construction waste is recycled. BCA is working with industry and the community to develop the next edition of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan, which aims to further raise environmental sustainability standards and reduce carbon emissions from buildings. We target to launch the Masterplan next year.