Regulatory Requirements for New Buildings and Existing Buildings undergoing Major Additions and Alterations (A&A)
To advance sustainable development, the Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations requires a minimum environmental sustainability standard for new buildings and existing buildings that undergo major retrofitting.
Last updated 18 March 2026
Scope and Details
The Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations and Amendments are as follows:
Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations 2008
Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) (Amendment) Regulations 2022
Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
Applicability:
| Applicable for projects with 1st submission date for planning permission from 1 Dec 2021 onwards |
| Applicable for projects with 1st submission date for planning permission from 15 Apr 2008 to 30 Nov 2021 |
Note: Alteration to existing buildings which does not involve major retrofitting works is not subject to this requirement.
Submission Requirements
The requirements on environmental sustainability of buildings are integrated with the Building Plan and TOP processes. The qualified person (who submits the building plan) and the other appropriate practitioners are jointly responsible to ensure that their building works meet the minimum environmental sustainability standard. They are to submit their declaration and Submission form along with their Building Plan submission for approval. Upon project completion, they are to submit their declaration and as-built Submission form before making TOP application.
To generate the Submission form for submission via:
CORENET 2: Access the ES Online Portal (previously known as GM e-filing Portal)
CORENET X: Use the BC ES Appendix 1 form [XLSX, 69 KB]
Please refer to the latest CORENET X Code of Practice (COP) under Environmental Sustainability sections (Construction Gateway/Completion Gateway) and Building Envelope sections for more information
Sample ES forms for planning reference only. For BP/TOP submissions in CORENET 2.0, QPs must generate ES forms via ES Online Portal as per BC(ES) Regulations 2008.
Compliance Standard
Compliance with the respective environmental sustainability standards will be based on the first submission date for URA planning permission as stated in this table.
1st submission date for URA planning permission | Compliance standard |
|---|---|
From 1 December 2021 onwards | Code for Environmental Sustainability of Buildings, 4th Edition, Sep 2021 [PDF, 6.2 MB] |
From 15 January 2013 to 30 November 2021 | Code for Environmental Sustainability of Buildings, 3rd Edition, Oct 2012 [PDF, 1.78 MB] |
From 1 December 2010 to 14 January 2013 | Code for Environmental Sustainability of Buildings, 2nd Edition, Aug 2010 [PDF, 1.42 MB] |
From 15 April 2008 to 30 Nov 2010 | Code for Environmental Sustainability of Buildings, 1st Edition, Apr 2008 [PDF, 968 KB] |
Note: Projects with building cooling systems will be required to submit the Air Conditioning System information template [XLSX, 67 KB], signed by the project’s Professional Engineer (Mechanical) when it is ready.
Mandatory Higher Green Mark Standard for Government Land Sales (GLS) sites
To maximise the potential for cost-effective energy savings in our built environment, projects developed on land sold under the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme will be subject to higher Green Mark standards.
Related Links
Access the following sources for more information related to the Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations:
Daylighting_Template-NonResBldg (for 4th Edition ES Code) [XLSX, 81 KB]
Daylighting_Template-ResBldg (for 4th Edition ES Code) [XLSX, 80 KB]
Daylighting_Template-ResBldg_Appendix (for 4th Edition ES Code) [XLSX, 22 KB]
ETTV/RETV Calculation Format in respect of an Air-conditioned Building (BPD_BP04) [DOCX, 54 KB]
Code on Envelope Thermal Performance for Buildings [PDF, 807KB]
FAQ on Environmental Sustainability Requirement [PDF, 1.08 MB]
FAQs on Measurement and Verification (M&V): For ES Regulations and GM Certification [PDF, 219 KB]
To ascertain if your project is subject to the regulation, please submit detailed scope of works using this Work Scope Information form [XLSX, 29.3 KB] via BCA Feeback Form