LEGISLATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR BUILDINGS

As Singapore aspires to be a leading global city in environmental sustainability, there is scope to further improve on energy efficiency requirements in buildings, to address the impact of climate change. While the focus on energy efficiency remains important, a more holistic approach was taken to encourage environmental friendliness in buildings to ensure that environmental quality and comfort are not compromised. Among other initiatives, BCA has enhanced the Building Control Act and put in place the Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations, to require a minimum environmental sustainability standard that is equivalent to the Green Mark Certified Level for new buildings and existing ones that undergo major retrofitting. This regulation took effect from 15 Apr 2008. Projects that are submitted for URA planning permission on or after 15 Apr 2008 will be subject to this requirement.

SCOPE AND DETAILS

The Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations will apply to :

• All new building works with gross floor area of 2000 m² or more ;
• Additions or extensions to existing buildings which involve increasing gross floor area of the existing buildings by 2000 m² or more;
• Building works which involve major retrofitting to existing buildings with existing gross floor area of 2000 m² or more.

Alteration to existing buildings which does not involve major retrofitting works is not subject to this requirement. 

The requirements on environmental sustainability of buildings will be integrated with the building plan process. The qualified person who submits the building plan and the other appropriate practitioners will be responsible for assessing and scoring the building works under their charge using the criteria and scoring methodology spelled out in the Code.

The minimum environmental sustainability standard will be revised with effect from 1 Dec 2010.  The compliance with the respective environmental sustainability standards will be based on the first submission date for URA planning permission as stated in the table below.

1st submission date for URA planning permission	Compliance Standard
From 15 Apr 2008 to 30 Nov 2010	Code for Environmental Sustainability for  Buildings, 1st Edition, Apr 2008 issue
From 1 Dec 2010 and onwards	Code for Environmental Sustainability for  Buildings, 2nd Edition, Aug 2010 issue

Here are the administrative details

		Green Mark (GM) e-Filing System For submission in compliance with BC (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations 2008
GM submission at BP stage	For Projects with 1st submission date to URA planning permission on or after 1st Dec 2010	Green Mark score calculations for residential buildings Green Mark score calculations for non-residential buildings Note : These forms are to be generated from Green Mark (GM) e-filing system.
	For Projects with 1st submission date to URA planning permission from 15 Apr 2008 to 30 Nov 2010	Green Mark score calculations for residential buildings Green Mark score calculations for non-residential buildings Note : These forms are to be generated from Green Mark (GM) e-filing system.
As-built GM submission before TOP stage	For Projects with 1st submission date to URA planning permission on or after 1st Dec 2010	As-built Green Mark score calculations for residential buildings As-built Green Mark score calculations for non-residential buildings Note : These forms are to be generated from Green Mark (GM) e-filing system.
	For Projects with 1st submission date to URA planning permission from 15 Apr 2008 to 30 Nov 2010	As-built Green Mark score calculations for residential buildings As-built Green Mark score calculations for non-residential buildings Note : These forms are to be generated from Green Mark (GM) e-filing system.

 
MANDATORY HIGHER GREEN MARK STANDARD FOR GOVERNMENT LAND SALES SITES IN SELECTED STRATEGIC AREAS

To maximise the potential for cost-effective energy savings in our built environment, it was announced in BCA’s 2nd Green Building Masterplan in 2009 that projects developed on land sold under the Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme sites in the selected strategic areas will be subject to higher Green Mark Standards.

 
SCOPE AND DETAILS

This requirement will apply to buildings works related to any building on land sold on or after 5 May 2010 under the Government Land Sales Programme in selected strategic areas. The building works subject to this requirement are to be designed to meet the prescribed Green Mark Certification as shown in the following table.

Selected Strategic Areas Exact Location to refer to the Building Control (Environmental Sustainability ) Regulations 2008	Requirements for building wholly or partly within area that is on land sold under the Government Land Sales Programme
Marina Bay	Green Mark Platinum Rating
Downtown Core – including areas within the CBD located next to Marina Bay	Green Mark GoldPlus Rating
Jurong Lake District	Green Mark GoldPlus Rating
Kallang Riverside	Green Mark GoldPlus Rating
Paya Lebar Central	Green Mark GoldPlus Rating

For building works that are subject to this requirement, the qualified person and appropriate practitioners need not submit their declarations of the Green Mark scores along with the building plan submission. Instead, the qualified person should ensure that, prior to the building plan submission, an application is made to BCA for the project to be assessed certified under the certification standards approved by the Commissioner of Building Control. Upon completion of the building works, the qualified person should submit the Green Mark Certificate showing the Green Mark Certification rating achieved for the project along with his application for a temporary occupation permit (TOP) or certificate of statutory completion (CSC). It is important to note that the prescribed Green Mark Certification rating for the building has to be obtained before a TOP/ CSC can be granted.

The certification standard will be revised from 1 Dec 2010 in tandem with the changes in the Green Mark Criteria.  The compliance with the respective certification standards will be based on the tender award letter issued by URA to the successful developer under the Government Land Sales (GLS) programmes for the selected strategic areas and as stated in the table below.

Date of Tender Closed under the GLS programmes	Compliance Standard
From 5 May 2010 to 30 Nov 2010	BCA Green Mark Certification Standards for New Building, GM Version 3.0, May 2010 issue
From 1 Dec 2010 and onwards	BCA Green Mark Certification Standards for New Building, GM Version 4.0, Aug 2010 issue