AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROSPECTS OF GREEN BUILDINGS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

This dissertation is an attempt to investigate the sustainability of the prospects of green buildings (GB) in Singapore through evaluating the general public’s behavior and attitudes towards GB. It begins with a literature review on the global and local standards and guidelines governing the construction of GB, followed by the business case for GB which offers invaluable insights on the factors that promote and impede the construction of GB worldwide. An overview of the current GB industry which discusses the Government’s efforts in providing a favourable platform for the proliferation of the GB industry in the arena of social change, technological advancement, legislation, financial practice and industrial training were also presented. Lastly, marketing strategies were devised to increase the public’s receptiveness towards GB to ensure the sustainability of GB in response to the results obtained. From the results obtained, it is found that the general public has a certain degree of awareness and understanding on GB. Based on the degree of understanding on GB coupled with the willingness to pay an extra premium to occupy a green unit, the demand for GB was then examined. Respondents whom are familiar with GB are willing to pay the extra premium while those whom have not heard of GB are unwilling to expend the extra costs. Another third group of respondents whom have heard of GB are however, divided over the issue of paying of extra premium. In addition, education does not play an important role in determining the demand for GB, in contrast to the commonly held view that the more educated the person is, the more the person would engage in purchasing environmentally-friendly products. The analysis also presented that knowing the benefits of GB did not determine the purchasing behaviour of the respondents towards GB. A majority of the respondents were not prepared to accept the high initial costs involved in purchasing a green property. To them, factors such as price, accessibility and proximity to amenities were more important when it comes to purchasing a property.