Engagement key to green building drive

GLOBALLY, buildings account for 40 per cent of energy use and 38 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries. In Singapore, the building sector contributes more than one-third of the nation's electricity consumption, with the tenant and occupant activities within a building taking up as much as 50 per cent of the total electricity consumption of a typical office or retail building.

Singapore's 2030 ambitions are themselves remarkable - to have peaked and to start reducing its carbon emissions by 2030, and to have 80 per cent of the building stock meeting the BCA Green Mark standards, require a transformation that is not without challenge.

In the UK, building occupant engagement plays a very important role in creating sustainable places. In Singapore, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is also embarking on a journey to further support and galvanise building users and tenants to take the first step in going green.