The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has unveiled Green Mark Version 7 (GM v7), a significant refresh of Singapore’s national green building certification scheme. Announced at the International Built Environment Week (IBEW) 2026 Opening Ceremony, GM v7 marks a new chapter in the nation’s journey towards a more sustainable built environment.
The new framework introduces key enhancements to accelerate decarbonisation of the built environment in support of Singapore’s broader climate commitments, while also adopting a pro-business approach in alignment with evolving global sustainability trends. With the building sector contributing over 20% of Singapore’s carbon emissions, GM v7 strengthens the key lever used to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint.
Here are the key updates building owners and industry professionals need to know:
➡️ The BCA Energy Rating – GM v7 introduces a standalone pathway focused purely on energy performance. The new BCA Energy Rating provides building owners with an alternative entry point to the green building ecosystem. This allows more buildings to be recognised for their tangible energy savings without having to tackle all aspects of sustainability if they are not practical, creating a clear business case for energy retrofits.
➡️ SLE70 – For industry leaders ready to push boundaries, GM v7 introduces a new SLE70 tier. This represents a 70% energy efficiency improvement over the 2005 baseline, raising the ceiling for high-performing green buildings. To make this higher tier more achievable, buildings can use recognised Alternative Cooling Technologies (ACTs) – such as hybrid cooling, passive displacement cooling, and radiant cooling – as a performance offset.
➡️ More efficient recertification processes – Building owners with large portfolios of similar properties can recertify multiple buildings concurrently, reducing time and administrative effort.
➡️ Increased competitiveness and access to green financing – GM v7 is further aligned with globally recognised ESG reporting frameworks and international sustainability standards, reflecting the core themes that investors and sustainability reporting requirements increasingly use to evaluate real estate assets
The GM v7 framework has already been successfully piloted by 26 projects across various building typologies including the new Comcentre, the Singapore Management University Administration Building as well as Gardens By The Bay, demonstrating that these outcomes are achievable today.
GM v7 was developed in close collaboration with industry stakeholders across the built environment value chain, financial institutions, Trade Associations and Chambers, and other Government Entities. It incorporates feedback from consultation sessions with over 150 organisations and 280 professionals across the built environment value chain. Designed with businesses in mind, GM v7 balances sustainability ambition with practical, cost-effective implementation.
GM v7 is a key step forward in transforming Singapore’s built environment, making it more resilient, efficient, and ready for a low-carbon future.
Read more about GM v7 here: https://go.gov.sg/gmv7
Stay tuned for SGBC Learning Activities that will explore and unpack the intricacies of GM v7.
