UNEP-BCA
In 2009, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote sustainable buildings and construction in the region and to conduct research on regional policies to support this aim.
The UNEP is the leading organization within the United Nations (UN) system in the field on environment and has a major area of focus of its global mandate, the conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and natural resources, including biological diversity, worldwide.
UNEP has the mandate to promote the global adaptation of sustainable buildings, and in particular buildings with low climate change impact, and is conducting this work mainly through the Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (SBCI), a global partnership between UNEP and worldwide leading companies, to promote and support sustainable solutions in the buildings and construction sector, and is also supporting public organizations to move towards climate neutral organizations through UNEP’s Sustainable United Nations (SUN).
Signing MOU by John Keung (BCA CEO) and Arab Hoballah (UNEP Director)
UNEP SBCI-BCA
The Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI) brings together stakeholders from all phases of the life span of buildings. This Initiative provides the stakeholders with a common platform to work together with the United Nations to identify opportunities for change towards sustainability and develop mechanisms for realising those opportunities.
In 2010, BCA’s Executive Director (Services) Mr Choo Whatt Bin was successfully elected into the UNEP-SBCI Board 2010-2011. The UNEP-SBCI Board serves as the main advisory body for the implementation of UNEP-SBCI activities.
Presenting the UNEP-SBCI Board in May 2010 including Choo Whatt Bin (BCA Executive Director, Service)
The work of the Initiative will be driven by two main Committees: the Sustainable Building Index (SB Index) Steering Committee and the Advocacy / Outreach Committee. The SB Index Steering Committee has a mission to deliver the SB Index with various building performance indicators, whilst the Advocacy / Outreach Committee will steer the development of policy actions and advocacy towards governments and international policy-making processes, including liaising with the United Nations Framework for Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC). The Advocacy / Outreach Committee will begin preparations for COP 16 soon and reach out to governments.
In 2010, BCA was elected into the Sustainable Building Index Steering Committee (SC) and will be represented by BCA Director (Research), Mr Ang Kian Seng.