Opening Address at Singapore-International Green Building Conference - Ms Grace Fu

Good morning.

2 Thank you for having me at IGBC 2025. This platform continues to grow in strength and relevance each year – thanks in no small part to the leadership of SGBC and continued strong partnership between government, industry, and the wider built environment community.

3 IGBC is an important platform to push the envelope on what sustainable buildings can achieve. As climate change impacts intensify, the work that you do within this community is more important than ever.

4 Last year, the Centre for Climate Research Singapore launched Singapore’s Third Climate Change Study, or V3. Based on V3 climate projections, by 2100, the annual average daily mean temperature for Singapore could increase by up to 5.0°C. Very hot days and warm nights will be the new normal in that scenario. This will be amplified by the Urban Heat Island effect, as buildings in our urbanised city trap heat.

5 In response, we stepped up the implementation of cooling strategies to reduce urban heat. These include leveraging climate-sensitive urban planning and design, intensifying greenery within our urban environment, and reducing heat emissions. One particular issue which must be addressed is air conditioning. The paradox of air conditioning is that while it cools us, it generates waste heat which, in turn, makes the city warmer. It also drives energy demand and increases emission. We need to manage this paradox in smarter ways.

6 This is why heat resilience must go hand-in-hand with energy resilience. Decarbonising the built environment is critical in our path to net zero emissions by 2050, given that buildings account for about 20% of Singapore’s total emissions. To meet our climate change ambitions, BCA rolled out the Singapore Green Building Masterplan in 2021 to accelerate our transition towards a low-carbon built environment.

7 Energy efficiency is a no regrets move for building owners as it reduces the operating cost. The Government provides funding support to raise the energy performance of existing buildings, with the aim of greening 80% of our buildings by 2030. Building owners can tap on BCA’s Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings 2.0 to offset costs of energy efficiency retrofits, particularly for buildings achieving Super Low Energy or Zero Energy standards. The public sector is also leading the way, by setting aside an Energy Efficiency fund for public sector buildings, that will invest in worthwhile public sector energy efficiency projects over the next 5 years.

8 Along with improving building energy efficiency, managing daily cooling consumption is equally important as air-conditioning is one of the largest energy uses for buildings. This is why we are encouraging a collective step to Go 25. Launched this year as part of our national sustainability movement Go Green SG, Go 25 encourages homes, offices, and buildings to achieve an indoor ambient temperature of 25°C, where possible.

9 25°C is a widely recognised benchmark for thermal comfort, backed by international studies and standards. When the aircon temperature is increased above 25°C and combined with hybrid cooling methods like fans, it can feel as cool as 23°C—while using much less energy. A study by Ngee Ann Polytechnic found that raising the office air-conditioning setpoint from 24°C to 25°C can reduce cooling energy use by 6 to 12%. For a typical 3,000 m2 office—about the size of 30 four-room HDB flats—that translates to annual savings of around S$6,400.

10 Importantly, Go 25 is about changing mindsets. The voluntary pledge to call on businesses and building owners to Go 25 where possible, has since drawn support from over 50 organisations, ranging from public agencies to SMEs. It is heartening that individuals, businesses and our community are signing up to do their part, in offices, shops and classrooms across Singapore. We encourage more to join this collective movement.

11 Today, I am pleased to share two new resources that will support Go 25.

12 The first is the Go 25 Indoor Comfort Snapshot, which revealed occupants’ preferences for indoor temperature based on more than 5,000 responses from an online quiz by SGBC. The survey indicates that respondents are comfortable with an indoor temperature of around 25°C, which provides a good basis for building owners to Go 25.

13 The second is the Go 25 Industry Guide that supports building managers and owners to implement Go 25. The Guide covers case studies, checklists, and technical guidance to ease the transition towards more sustainable cooling in different types of premises.

14 Both tools illustrate the comfort preferences of users, cost savings to building owners and carbon emissions to our shared environment.

15 Colleagues and friends, as professionals shaping the future of our built environment, your role in building heat resilience through design, materials, systems and standards has never been more critical.

16 Let us act today with commitment and purpose towards Go 25.

17 We will dive deeper into some of these themes in the fireside chat shortly. But for now, let me leave you with this question:

18 In this warming world, what will you do to Go 25?

19 Thank you. I look forward to a fruitful discussion.