Bồ Xuân Hiệp

Viet Nam News SINGAPORE — Global stakeholders in the construction industry promised to put into action leading green building solutions to mitigate climate change at an international conference that opened in Singapore yesterday.

More than 1,000 delegates from over 30 countries are attending the International Green Building Conference at the iconic Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.

They include thought leaders and urban planners to real estate developers, architects, engineers, builders and other professionals.

Also present are policymakers and key government officials from several growth markets who will give their public sector perspectives on green building solutions, policies and plans.

Academics will share their latest research findings in green building development.

Held as part of the Singapore Green Building Week (September 5-11), the conference aims to achieve a shared vision of a greener planet through the green building movement as well as seek a congregation of ideas, collaboration and partnership.

The three-day conference is organised by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore under the Ministry of National Development and its strategic partners, the Singapore Green Building Council and Reed Exhibitions.

This year’s event, “Build Green: The Next Decade”, the eighth edition, aims to signal new hopes and aspirations for the green building journey in the next decade while also mitigating climate change.

As a global platform, the event will envision what the next decade could behold and serve as an avenue for widening the possibilities of green buildings as a part of the built environment and co-existing with the natural environment.

By engaging global and regional stakeholders, the conference strives to strengthen the evolution of the international green building movement to shape a sustainable future.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. John Keung, chief executive officer of the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore, said: “We are focusing our efforts on empowering a collective effort among industry players and building users.

“Moving to the next decade, there is a need to shift from top-down government initiatives to the pioneering of ground-up initiatives to move the needle in the green building industry.

“We would need to invest more time and resources to mitigate and adapt to climate change before it is too late. Translating key policies into action will be crucial for the next decade and beyond.

“Empowerment will be key. Our community must join us in driving sustainability. The conference this year will also tap into the power of community through building bridges and harness the inspiration of collective vision and action.”

Tai Lee Siang, a director of the World Green Building Council, said: “Singapore is widely regarded as a liveable and sustainable city as a result of meticulous planning, foresight and more importantly multi-party and inter-country collaboration.

“We’ve seen how advancements in technology are disrupting the eco-system, and the green building industry is no exception.”

Climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability have become imperative for survival.

This year, in support of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Paris last year, the conference is expected to inspire new thinking as well as new innovative and integrated solutions to global warming.

In addition to the conference, two other major events have also opened - the Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia and Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) Asia 2016, which have attracted more than 450 exhibitors from 27 countries and 12,000 visitors comprising green building experts, policy-makers, academics and built environment practitioners.

There are seven exhibitors from Việt Nam, which is participating in the exhibition for the fourth time.

BEX Asia, a premier tradeshow for the green-building and construction industries in the region, will deliver ideas and solutions to futureproof the built environment with an increased focus on smart, energy-efficient technologies.

It will also showcase ways in which green buildings and new technologies can work in tandem for a regenerative approach to building designs.

Louise Chua, project director and business development director of Reed Exhibitions, said, “As an event organiser, we want to ensure we deliver relevantly to the industry needs for more sophisticated solutions to mitigate climate change.”

During the Singapore Green Building Week, participants will be able to join Green Mark tours, which will take them to projects or sites that apply green building technologies. — VNS