Written Answer

Use of Carbon Footprint of Building Materials for Public Housing Projects

5 April 2021 · Ministry of National Development

Speakers

Desmond Lee (Minister for National Development, Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration) Dennis Tan Lip Fong

Summary

This question concerns Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong’s inquiry into whether the carbon footprint of building materials affects HDB tender outcomes and the targets set for carbon reduction. Minister Desmond Lee clarified that carbon footprint is not a direct tender criterion, though sustainability is integrated into HDB’s project designs and specifications. All new developments must meet BCA Green Mark Gold or GoldPlus standards, requiring the computation of embodied carbon for concrete, glass, and steel. These certifications encourage the use of recycled and low-carbon materials, with HDB researching further alternatives through the Cities of Tomorrow Research & Development programme. The adoption of such materials will depend on research outcomes balanced against considerations of availability, cost, quality, and performance.

Transcript

54 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the carbon footprint of building materials used for public housing projects has any bearing on HDB tender outcomes; and (b) what targets have been set to reduce the carbon footprint of building materials procured for HDB projects.

Mr Desmond Lee: Contractors tender for HDB projects based on designs and specifications provided by HDB which take into account life-cycle costs, sustainability and maintainability. The carbon footprint of building materials is not a direct criterion for tender evaluation.

Nevertheless, as the largest master planner and housing developer in Singapore, HDB has been actively driving sustainability efforts in the planning, design and development of public housing towns and estates. All new HDB public housing developments achieve BCA's Green Mark Gold certification or higher, while new public housing developments in new towns / districts (e.g. Tengah, Punggol, Bidadari, Tampines North & South) achieve Green Mark Gold^Plus certification or higher. The Green Mark scheme encourages the adoption of sustainable building materials, including the use of recycled materials and low-carbon concrete. Currently, projects targeting the Green Mark Gold^Plus certification or higher are required to compute the embodied carbon of concrete, glass, and steel used in construction.

Going forward, as part of the ongoing Cities of Tomorrow Research & Development (R&D) programme, HDB will study the use of alternative building materials to further reduce our carbon footprint. If the research outcomes are promising, the adoption of such materials will be balanced against other considerations such as availability, cost, quality and performance requirements.