The main highlight of the Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW), the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2011, will see industry experts and practitioners, and policy-makers from across the Asia-Pacific and North America gather in Singapore from 13 to 16 September 2011. Together, they will address challenges and explore solutions in green building development, including innovative, sustainable and actionable solutions for the tropics and sub-tropics.
Organised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the government agency responsible for the built environment and green building policies1 in Singapore, IGBC 2011 is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants – from real estate developers to urban planners, architects, engineers and other industry professionals – committed to understanding and putting into action real-world, tangible green building solutions. Also present at the conference will be policy-makers and key government officials from several growth markets, specially invited by the BCA, who will give their unique public sector perspective on green building solutions, policies and plans.
“We all know that there is a critical and urgent need to build green and retrofit existing buildings into more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly living spaces”, said Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA. “
For this very reason, the intention behind organising IGBC was to enable industry practitioners to take action, not just sometime in the future, but now.
“To achieve this goal, the conference will bring together some of the world’s leading experts in this field who will share their thinking, approaches and tangible, proven, yet innovative green building solutions including real-world examples right here in Singapore. Our exhibition partner, BEX Asia 2011, will showcase the latest technology and specific green building solutions available. And, BCA has gathered policy-makers and governmental decision-makers from key growth markets to facilitate near-future opportunities for the industry.
“But we have to act now - hence this year’s conference theme is ‘Build Green. Act Now’. IGBC 2011 can be declared a success if every single participant takes one step, no matter how small, to invest in, design or retrofit a building using the green building solutions presented and discussed during the conference”, he concluded.
IGBC 2011 features three main plenary sessions and tracks, covering policy, industrial solutions and cutting-edge technology –
- The policy track features a panel discussion with policy-makers from the US, China, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Singapore on developing and implementing national policies on energy, climate change and sustainability.
- The industry solution track will see industry professionals (architects, developers and city planners) discuss green design methodologies and construction.
- The cutting-edge technology track will examine how existing buildings can be retrofitted.
Some of the prominent expert speakers at IGBC 2011 include –
- Jane Henley, CEO of the World Green Building Council, who will speak on the topic “Gearing Up for the Energy Revolution” – the natural successor to the Industrial Revolution and the Technological Revolution.
- Dato’ Dr Ken Yeang, Chairman, Llewelyn Davies Yeang. Dr Yeang will speak about on “Strategies for Green Design and Masterplanning” – 5 approaches for optimum green building and environment design and planning.
- Mr Clay Nesler, Vice President, Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Control International. Mr Nesler will present his insights on “Greening Existing Buildings” including case studies of green existing building retrofits such as that of Empire State Building in New York City which is undergoing a major retrofit to reduce energy use by 38%.
- Donovan Soon, Senior Associate at WOHA Architects, who will speak on “The Design of Sustainability: The Tropical High-rise Tower” during which he will cover the importance of applying an integrated design approach for high-rise projects.
- Rod Leaver, CEO Asia, Lend Lease, whose topic “A Sustainable Built Environment: Every Action Adds Up – Act Now” covers the challenges and opportunities in Asia and the company’s integrated approach to sustainable development.
All conference delegates will have the option to join the Green Mark eco-tours of exemplary building projects in Singapore which have been accorded the BCA Green Mark GoldPlus or Platinum Award for outstanding tropical green building design and solutions. The tours will run on 13 September and will cover a wide range of projects including commercial, residential, hospital, office and infrastructure projects.
IGBC’s exhibition partner, BEX Asia 2011, will take place from 14 to 16 September, and will feature new green product launches and technologies, the participation of building and research institutes, and green city pavilions from the Asia-Pacific region.
For the first time, IGBC 2011 will see extensive collaboration between BCA and other partners, including international and Singapore bodies in organising joint symposiums under the conference umbrella. Partners include the American Society for Civil Engineers, the China Green Building Council, the Singapore Green Building Council, the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore, the World Green Building Council and the United Nations Environment Programme.
As a result, this year’s IGBC will host a total of 6 symposiums, making the conference a very unique “7 in one” event. The symposiums are -
1. Tropical Sub-Tropical Green Building Councils Alliance Symposium
2. Eco-Cities Symposium
3. Green Buildings Symposium
4. Sustainable Infrastructure Symposium
5. Case Studies Symposium
6. Sustainable Construction Symposium
In addition, under the SGBW umbrella, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will jointly convene the Second Green Building Workshop on 12-13 September, the first time APEC is holding this event in Singapore. Supported by the US Department of Commerce, the workshop will gather senior officials and green building experts from APEC 21 Economies to discuss green issues and negotiate solutions to trade barriers on green products and services, as well as examine green building standards within the APEC economies.
More information on IGBC 2011 is available at: www.sgbw.com.sg. To register for IGBC 2011, go to: www.sgbw.com.sg/registration.
About the 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
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