Benefits of Green Building
Many of us spend more time inside buildings than we think: whether at home, at work, and in schools. Green building attributes of buildings and indoor environments can improve work productivity and occupant health and well-being, resulting in bottom line benefits for businesses. For instance, reducing pollutant sources such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and having better ventilation rates to keep carbon dioxide levels similar to outdoor levels can help to reduce Sick Building Syndrome significantly, up to 70-85%.
A green building generally refers to a building that is resource-efficient and environmentally responsible throughout its life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.
Increasingly, green buildings also take occupant health factors into consideration, focusing on ensuring that the indoor environment quality supports occupants’ comfort and wellbeing. In Singapore, green buildings are certiifed through the Green Mark Scheme, administered by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). SGBC certifies green building products and materials that play a complementary role to the national green building rating tool.
What is Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)?
These occur during situations in which building occupants experience health and comfort symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, eye, nose and throat irritation etc that appear to be linked to time spent in the building and which lessen after leaving the building.
Green buildings and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change.Buildings are not only an inanimate structure –they embody both the physicality and the process by which they are created. Hence, green buildings present an opportunity on a greater scale to not only save resources and reduce carbon emissions but to educate, create jobs, strengthen communities, improve health and wellbeing, and much more.
Green Means GO
To find out more about going green at home, visit GreenBuildings.SG.