Singapore Green Building Council

The global race to adopt artificial intelligence (#AI) has fuelled a surge in #energy consumption. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that data centres can consume as much power as the country of Sweden by 2026. With the urgency for sustainable energy sources in the tech sector, tech giants such as Microsoft and Google are drafting new initiatives and partnerships for renewable energy. This is especially so because grid limitations make it difficult for tech firms to obtain the necessary permits to build new data centres unless they also invest in strengthening energy infrastructure and securing a reliable electricity supply. #DataCentres #RenewableEnergy

Refurbishment works at the Golden Mile Complex is slated to complete in late 2029, where it will be renamed The Golden Mile. This project has been closely monitored by built environment professionals as a test case to understand how large, modernist buildings can be conserved and rejuvenated sensitively and profitably. At 22 storeys, this development is expected to have office units and medical suits. SGBC Member DP Architects explains that they plan to create something clearly “new versus old” while retaining its history. #GoldenMileComplex #UrbanRejuvenation

As the built environment sector intensifies efforts to achieve net-zero goals, low-carbon building materials are instrumental in shaping a more sustainable future. By aligning low-carbon innovations with global measurement standards like environmental product declarations (EPDs) and life cycle assessments (LCA), the built environment sector can quantify improvements and track carbon reduction efforts better. Additionally, rethinking the lifecycle of building materials can unlock new opportunities for sustainability. On 14 Jan. 2025, the first SGBC Seminar of 2025 - supported by SGBC Established Member Mapei Far East - will provide an outlook and analysis of the latest sustainability trends and developments. Diving into the importance of low-carbon construction materials, attendees will gain valuable insights from Mapei as well as City Developments Limited on how EPDs and LCA can drive a low-carbon future. Register for the Seminar here: https://lnkd.in/gatmj7qv #SGBC #SGBCSeminar #GreenBuilding #Sustainability #Decarbonisation #EPD #LCA #NetZero #LowCarbonMaterials

Launched in 2019, two urban rejuvenation schemes of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA), the Central Business District Incentive (#CBDI) and the Strategic Development Incentive (#SDI) schemes, reached their five-year term in late November. The schemes have collectively spurred development in built-up areas where the private sector and developers control most of the land. Given the moderate success, these schemes will be adapted to bring up the momentum. #CentralBusinessDistrictIncentive #StrategicDevelopmentIncentive #UrbanRejuvenation

Following the intense rainfall and consequent flash floods in recent months, SMRT Corporation Ltd has stepped up its flood mitigation measures. Last Thursday, SMRT staff at One-North station demonstrated an exercise simulating a flood, where stackable metal barriers were installed at one of its entrances to prevent water from inundating the premises. It is noteworthy that various flood mitigation infrastructures have been gradually incorporated and improved over the years. The newest Thomson-East Coast Line has flood barriers that can be activated by a single person. #FloodMitigation #FloodBarriers

Singapore has urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for clearer legal frameworks on climate action. Speaking in The Hague, Ambassador Rena Lee emphasised Singapore’s climate vulnerabilities and limited #renewable energy options due to its size and geography. She further highlighted the importance of technological maturity and international cooperation to meet #decarbonisation targets. Singapore seeks the #ICJ's advisory opinion to guide global legal standards, ensuring all states fulfill their climate obligations and enhance collective decarbonisation efforts.

Vacant school sites have been gradually adapted for reuse and slated for other development plans. Of the 20 former school sites managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), 9 have been handed over to public agencies to facilitate development for healthcare and housing purposes. The remaining 11 sites have been adapted for community, education and healthcare accommodation purposes. For example, half of the former Loyang Primary School now houses a pre-school while the remaining land parcel has been tenanted to Vidacity, a sustainable start-up innovation centre.

Green building and built environment sustainability span many facets and perspectives, all of them working in tandem to move the needle on our climate goals. #SGBC Members come from every segment of the building and construction value chain, each of them pivotal to achieving our climate ambitions and instrumental in helping to shape a greener, healthier and low-carbon built environment. The #SGBCommunity Spotlight series, housed on the refreshed SGBC website, highlights what sustainability means to SGBC Members and showcases how they are working to help make our buildings greener. Get to know our Members better and find out how they can add value to your own sustainability journeys. Read the Spotlights in detail here: https://lnkd.in/g5utWnh8 #GreenBuilding #Sustainability #BuiltEnvironment #SGBCMember

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), US$21 billion in investments annually from 2026 to 2030 will be needed to upgrade ASEAN’s #energy infrastructure, and another US$422 billion will be needed to build resilience. The financial outcome at #COP29 will thus be crucial for developing the region's power grid and #carbon trading. The ASEAN power grid in vision will reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and raise resilience against fluctuations in the global energy market. #PowerGrid

The Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (#Cares) has been managing two projects worth $31 million on research processes that aim to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels among the chemical industry and energy systems. These efforts will contribute to decarbonising Singapore’s #energy and industrial sectors by reducing greenhouse gas #emissions. One project investigates the use of hydrogen and ammonia to generate power and ways to minimise pollution caused. The other project will develop methods to convert fossil-free starting materials into products for the chemical industry.