by Shane Henson — November 11, 2011—The Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) have finalized an agreement to collaborate on work to promote and establish sustainable building policies and practices in the Southeast Asia region.
The agreement between UNEP and BCA formally established BCA’s Center for Sustainable Buildings and Construction, a dedicated research unit that focuses on sustainable building solutions for the future through research and development. Through identification of successful policies, strategies and technologies at the regional and national levels, BCA will support the propagation of sustainability in the building sector in Southeast Asia. These measures should have a significant, positive impact on facilities managers and building owners throughout Southeast Asia needing more guidance on decreasing energy consumption and promoting sustainability in all aspects of their businesses.
In addition, BCA is currently producing a series of “State of Play” reports for eight Southeast Asian countries to contribute to UNEP-SBCI’s growing publications assessing policies and practices in sustainable building. According to BCA officials, the formal collaboration will expand these joint activities to include workshops, training, outreach, fundraising, and potentially the implementation of international projects in the region, broadening the reach and distribution of UNEP’s work on sustainable buildings and cities.
