Sustaining the green building movement

SINGAPORE PUSHES “BUILD GREEN AND LIVE GREEN”

The Singapore Green Building Week is set to fuel the growing green movement in Asia with an expected attendance of 10,000 local and international participants from over 30 countries

The Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW) is set to fuel the growing green building movement in Asia through a series of international events that bring together global green building experts, built environment industry leaders and policy-makers in a collaborative effort to create more sustainable built environments. Bringing together three mega green building events in a single location, this year’s SGBW is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants from 30 countries.

The Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) will partner Reed Exhibitions to host the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) alongside the Build Eco Xpo Asia (BEX Asia) and the inaugural World Engineers Summit (WES), with the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) as a strategic partner. The events will be held from 9 to 13 September 2013 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre (Halls A – B) in Singapore as part of SGBW.

Singapore’s push for sustainable development and green buildings has continued to grow from strength to strength since the release of the first Green Building Masterplan in 2006. In a recent report on World Green Building Trends, by McGraw Hill Construction, Singapore firms recorded the highest level of green involvement compared to other global firms in 2012, with 64 percent engaging in at least 60 percent or more green projects, as compared to 28 percent among their global counterparts. By 2015, this figure is estimated to reach 89 percent.

Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA, remarked, “Achieving a truly sustainable built environment is not the sole responsibility of one sector or one agency, nor can it be achieved in isolation. A Public Private and People (PPP) partnership is critical to help drive Singapore’s green agenda going forward through collaborative efforts between private sector and government, profit and non-profit organisations, countries and individuals. This year’s SGBW has brought together three stellar Green Building events in one location, providing an extensive platform that cuts across industries, sectors and professions, in a concerted effort to tackle green challenges in the region and in Singapore.”

IGBC 2013 – Building Green, Living Green

An annual event, IGBC 2013 continues to build on the vision set out by the Second Green Building Masterplan of Singapore as a lively yet highly liveable and sustainable global city with this year’s theme, “Build Green, Live Green”. The conference aims to provide a platform to discuss sustainable living strategies and explore green building solutions to achieve a greener Asia. At the same time, IGBC 2013 also seeks to inspire a holistic focus on environmental sustainability driven by industry partnerships across the value chain. It will feature dedicated conference topics on green building design, trends and urban solutions, as well as a showcase of the latest green technology and innovation from the region. In particular, business leaders can look forward to special business-focused sessions including, a high-level CEO Roundtable discussion on the Value of Green to Corporations.

IGBC 2013 is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants from over 30 countries - drawing policy-makers, industry practitioners and research experts from countries such as Australia, China, Germany, India, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. Participants can look forward to insights and best practice learnings from an impressive line-up of speakers which include renowned industry leaders such as Mr Harvey Bernstein, Vice President, Industry Insights and Alliances, McGraw-Hill Construction; Mr Gary Lawrence, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, AECOM; Mr Christoph Ingenhoven, Architect and Founder, Ingenhoven Architects and Ms Jane Henley, CEO, World Green Building Council.

Following the success achieved the previous year, the BCA-SIA-SGBC[1] International Tropical Architecture Design Competition for Institutes of Higher Learning is back again with the theme of “Live, Study, Play – Our Green Campus”. As sustainable developments are no longer an option, but a necessity for us and our future generations, this competition sets out to raise the awareness to climate change and encourage students – our future leaders – to recognise the importance of sustainability and adopt a green mindset from an early age. Participants can expect to see innovative green building designs conceptualised and produced by students from around Asia on display. At the same time, students participating in the competition stand a chance to win cash prizes and internship opportunities with the competition’s main sponsor, Surbana International Consultants Pte Ltd, at its regional offices.

As part of IGBC, the popular BCA Green Mark Eco-Tours are back. Participants can look forward to visiting some of latest Green Mark certified facilities such as the W Hotel and Quayside Isle (hotel and F&B), Jem Retail Mall (shopping mall), CleanTech Park Central Green Core (District), TreeTop Executive Residences (service apartment), amongst others.

BEX Asia 2013 – Advocating Energy Efficiency

Held in conjunction with IGBC, BEX Asia is the key green show in the region that promises a multi-disciplinary showcase of the latest green solutions for residential and commercial developments. Over 8,000 industry professionals from 28 countries attended the event last year. This year’s event is expected to draw some 10,000 visitors from 30 countries.

Noting an increase in demand for energy efficiency solutions, BEX Asia 2013 will see a brand new Energy Efficiency Trail that aims to offer a comprehensive range of green solutions from green system software to Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. On this trail, participants learn more about advances in green technologies and solutions.

On top of a greater depth in energy efficiency content being offered this year, BEX Asia 2013 will also provide greater business opportunities and see new country participation from Japan and Switzerland, who will be exhibiting as national pavilions for the very first time. In particular, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), a government-affiliated organisation, will be leading more than 15 Japanese companies to BEX Asia 2013.

WES 2013 – Gathering the International Engineering Community

Rounding off the trio of events is the World Engineers Summit (WES), which also features the World Engineering Expo (WEE), will be hosted for the first time at SGBW. Specially customised for the engineering community, WES 2013 aims to bring together engineers from multiple disciplines and climate change specialists from all over the world to share ideas and insights on climate change. The week-long event will include the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) General Assembly 2013 and committee meetings.

Ms Louise Chua, Project Director of Reed Exhibitions said, “We are excited to have the co-location of BEX Asia with IGBC and WEE / WES. With three events under one roof, it will allow visitors easy access to every aspect of the green sector, reaching out to various players in the green industry- from thought leaders to exhibitors who provide specific green solutions. The co-location of these events also reflects the holistic approach adopted by industry players in creating a truly sustainable built environment for all.”

More information about the Singapore Green Building Week, BEX Asia and the World Engineers Summit are available at www.sgbw.com.sg, www.bex-asia.com and www.wes2013.org.

                                                    ****

About Building and Construction Authority

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore champions the development of an excellent built environment for Singapore. At BCA, our mission is to shape a safe, high quality, sustainable and friendly built environment, as these are four key elements where BCA has a significant influence. In doing so, we aim to differentiate Singapore’s built environment from those of other cities and contribute to a better quality of life for everyone in Singapore. Hence, our vision is to have “the best built environment for Singapore, our distinctive global city”. BCA works closely with its education hub, the BCA Academy of the Built Environment, and industry partners to develop skills and expertise that help shape the best built environment for Singapore. For more information, visit www.bca.gov.sg.

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer, with over 500 events in 41 countries. In 2012 Reed brought together seven million active event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organized by 34 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 44 industry sectors with trade and consumer events and is part of the Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading publisher and information provider. www.reedexpo.com

Media Contacts

International Green Building Conference 2013:
Desiree Tan
MSL Singapore
E-mail: desiree.tan@mslgroup.com
Office: +65 6327 0261
Mobile: +65 9777 0400

BEX Asia 2013:
Louann Wong
Ninemer Public Relations P L (Singapore)
E-mail: louannwong@ninemer.com
Office: +65 6534 8020
Mobile: +65 9728 8771

World Engineering Expo & World Engineer’s Summit:
Teo Hui Hiang
Reed Exhibitions
E-mail: Huihiang.teo@reedexpo.com.sg
Office: +65 6780 4602

[1] Co-organised by the Building Construction Authority of Singapore, the Singapore Institute of Architects and the Singapore Green Building Council.