CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS: THEIR IMPACT ON OFFICE BUILDINGS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Climate change is a growing concern especially in Singapore, a country that is exceptionally vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. While buildings have been adapting to climate change in Singapore, the impact that such adaptation measures bring is not fully explored. As Singapore progresses towards a sustainable nation, it is important to understand the impact of sustainability efforts and climate change on office buildings. Thus, this research paper focuses on the impact of sustainability efforts and climate change on office buildings in Singapore.

Empirical results and explanatory research show that climate change has altered the design of new and existing buildings in Singapore. Stated by experts and explanatory research, building envelopes are one of the most common changes in design due to climate change. In addition, through the Kappa Statistics and agreement rate, this paper has determined that office buildings which have implemented sustainability efforts are more attractive to office workers. The explanatory research in this paper further supports this finding as well. Lastly, with the Kappa Statistics and expert’s opinions, for buildings to successfully adapt to climate change, it is necessary for a combination of government incentives, technology and sustainable material use and construction.

The findings show that there is a general lack of awareness about the BCA Green Mark Scheme in office workers and that barriers to sustainable developments in Singapore are the high costs. Given these findings, there should be interventions targeting stakeholder’s perception and awareness of sustainability efforts as a complement to the existing policies in Singapore. This allows the Building Construction Authority to achieve more significant results with their efforts to transform Singapore into a sustainable country with green and sustainable developments.