Already under pressure from Covid-19 and related manpower shortages, the built environment sector must also contend with rising calls for green buildings and certifications. How can the construction sector, which accounted for 2.7% of Singapore’s nominal GDP last year, prioritise competing interests and build a landscape that lasts?
The construction sector has been named as one of the most polluting industries worldwide. Including operational and construction emissions, the sector accounts for 38% of the total energy-related emissions, says one United Nations (UN) report from 2020.
The 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction from the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) places the blame on a shift from the direct use of coal, oil and traditional biomass towards electricity, which had a higher carbon content due to the high proportion of fossil fuels used in generation.
