Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, at the Singapore Green Building Council Awards Gala Dinner 2026 on 30 July 2026

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to join you this evening at the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) Awards Gala Dinner 2026.

I attended this event four years ago. I am heartened to learn that SGBC has continued to champion environmental sustainability by galvanising industry action, rallying stronger community support, and raising awareness of green building design and practices.

Geopolitical Shifts and Importance of Energy Resilience

The ongoing Middle East crisis is a timely reminder of the importance of energy resilience. Beyond strengthening our energy supply chains, improving energy efficiency and conservation are equally important to manage energy demand and operational risks. These efforts lower operational costs and support broader sustainability goals.

Driving Sustainability Across Our Built Environment

The built environment sector plays a critical role in advancing Singapore’s climate ambition. It accounts for around 20% of our national emissions and is the 2^nd largest sectoral consumer of electricity after the Industrial sector.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and SGBC, developed the fourth edition of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan (SGBMP) in 2021. The SGBMP sets the target of "80-80-80” of (i) greening 80% of our buildings by Gross Floor Area (GFA), (ii) having 80% of new developments be Super Low Energy (SLE), (iii) and achieving an 80% improvement in energy efficiency from 2005 levels for best-in-class buildings by 2030.

These targets are not just about decarbonisation. Green buildings make strong business sense. For example, developers typically recover their investment in new Green Mark SLE commercial buildings within about five to six years, while continuing to enjoy energy cost savings over the building’s lifespan. These savings also strengthen our energy resilience.

I am heartened by the steady progress we have made in greening our building sector.

1. We have greened 66% of our buildings by GFA. In other words, 66% of all our buildings in Singapore has either met the minimum environmental sustainability standards set out under the Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations or attained BCA’s Green Mark. This is a significant achievement, and we must sustain this momentum. SGBC has been an important partner in this effort, working closely with BCA and the industry to support building owners through capability-building, industry outreach, Green Mark adoption, and recognising exemplary green building projects, products and solutions.

2. Adoption rate of SLE standard for new buildings has reached 33%, with the public sector leading the way in making SLE buildings mainstream. This demonstrates that higher energy performance is increasingly achievable as the industry rises to the challenges.

3. For our best-in-class green buildings, we have achieved 72% improvement in energy efficiency compared to 2005 levels, and we are committed to pushing energy efficiency even further.

Insights from Design Prototyping for Decarbonisation Consultancy Study

With the energy efficiency goal of achieving 80% improvement in mind, BCA had commissioned the Design Prototyping for Decarbonisation (DPfD) consultancy study, which explored various decarbonisation pathways towards energy efficiency, focusing on high-rise commercial offices, hotels and mixed-development buildings.

The findings revealed that achieving 80% improvement in energy efficiency is technically feasible across new and existing office buildings, new hotel and mixed development buildings. Two strategies stood out as particularly impactful.

1. First, the active management of building tenants' energy consumption, for example through green leases which enable landlords and tenants to co-share cost savings.

2. Second, the adoption of Alternative Cooling Technologies (ACTs) such as Passive Displacement Cooling and Hybrid Cooling can achieve thermal comfort and space cooling, while significantly reducing building energy consumption by 30% to 50%.

As cooling accounts for 40% to 60% of building energy consumption, ACTs is an impactful way to improve our building energy efficiency. As of July this year, 33 public buildings and 14 private buildings in Singapore have adopted ACTs.

I am pleased to share that Singapore Land Group (SingLand), one of the developers involved in the DPfD study, has decided to pursue higher energy efficiency improvements through the Green Building Innovation Cluster (or GBIC) Demonstration programme for The Clifford at Raffles Place.

1. SingLand will adopt high efficiency lighting solutions and implement a plug load management system in its office floors, with a target to raise its office block’s energy efficiency performance from 65% to 75% (as compared with 2005 baseline).

2. SingLand will also test-bed Passive Displacement Cooling (PDC) solutions in the building’s retail space. PDC is a type of ACT that has been adopted in office and classroom settings. If proven viable, this could pave the way for broader adoption to improve energy efficiency in retail spaces across the industry.

The DPfD report will be made available in the second half of this year. It offers practical insights to help building owners improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. I encourage everyone to take a look and consider the decarbonisation pathways and solutions most suited to your buildings.

Strong Participation for Go 25 National Movement

Beyond innovative design and improving infrastructure, we must also shift our mindsets, as users, towards sustainable cooling. To tackle overcooling and reduce energy use, SGBC and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, supported by the National Environment Agency and BCA, launched the Go 25 national movement last year. Go 25 encourages businesses and the public to set their indoor air-conditioning temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius in support of sustainable cooling.

1. Go 25 has seen strong participation from more than 200 private organisations and almost all public sector premises, with energy efficiency pledges translating to more than 17 million square meters of GFA across public sector spaces and buildings, roughly equivalent to 188,800 4-room HDB flats.

2. In addition to urging businesses and individuals to set their indoor air-conditioning temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius, I am glad to note that SGBC has launched a guide on climate appropriate attire for the private sector. The guide complements Go 25 by providing practical recommendations on dressing comfortably at 25 degrees Celsius in corporate settings. This includes guidance on suitable fabrics that support thermal comfort in both indoor and outdoor settings. Since 2020, the public sector has adopted flexible dressing where public service officers are encouraged to dress comfortably while being presentable based on their daily work activities.

We will continue to partner SGBC to drive the Go 25 movement forward, and I call on more businesses and individuals to join us.  

SGBC-BCA Leadership in Sustainability Awards 2026

Today, we honour leaders amongst us who champion a greener, more resilient built environment. The SGBC-BCA Leadership in Sustainability Awards 2026 recognise professionals, organisations, and building projects that have demonstrated exceptional sustainability excellence. I am particularly inspired by the building project category.

1. The Greenhouse at Dulwich College (Singapore) adopted Passive Displacement Cooling extensively across its classrooms, auditorium, and collaborative spaces, which achieved a remarkable 49.5% energy savings.

2. The GEAR, Kajima Corporation’s regional headquarters, adopted integrated passive and active design strategies to achieve exceptional energy efficiency and occupant comfort in the tropics. Hybrid cooling with ceiling fans and high-performance radiant cooling panels formed an energy-efficient cooling system that enhances indoor comfort. These were complemented by technologies and design features such as AI optimisation and a semi-outdoor workspace. Together, the building achieved a 45% reduction in energy consumption compared to reference buildings.

3. Paya Lebar Green demonstrated that a cooling system combining active-chilled perimeter beams, interior Variable Air Volume Air Handling Unit systems, and a highly efficient dual-temperature chiller plant, can achieve 45% energy savings.

Conclusion

Let me conclude. Building a green and climate-resilient future requires collective effort.

The green building movement in Singapore has come a long way, and SGBC has contributed tirelessly to uniting key stakeholders and building strong capabilities across the sector.

As the world grapples with a warmer environment and more frequent and extreme heatwaves, technology and knowhow in building and running resource efficient buildings represent green growth opportunity. I am confident that with the continued commitment of our built environment sector, we will not only build a climate-ready home for Singaporeans but a competitive, future-ready sector.

For the green buildings that you build, I hope that they last for a long time, because that is what sustainable development is about. In the past, we would not have blinked an eye when we tore down a 10 year-old building. But now, we want our buildings to last longer, because all of this regeneration in a short time is also a waste of resources. If your buildings last and operate for 20 or 30 years, what you build, install, and implement now will leave an impact for the next 20 to 30 years. So, have some care for future owners, tenants, and the future population in Singapore, who will have to live with the results of your decisions today. Build something that lasts, that leaves a legacy, and that is good for businesses and for the future.

Thank you and have a good evening ahead.