Chitra Kumar Channel NewsAsia 20 Jun 14;
SINGAPORE: The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has released environmentally-friendly guidelines for landlords and tenants that can be adapted as part of a Green Lease agreement.
A Green Lease agreement ensures that the landlords and tenants list down their commitments to, for example, cut energy use.
All tenants at 313@Somerset in Orchard Road are bound by a Green Lease agreement.
The Green Lease agreement formed part of the leasing contract when the mall opened in 2009.
It commits both parties to improve energy-saving practices and for the landlord to provide resources to encourage tenants to adopt energy-efficient equipment and materials.
Building owner Lend Lease said initial challenges include engaging the tenants and changing their mindsets.
Tenants in its other malls -- Jem in Jurong East and Parkway Parade in Marine Parade -- are also on Green Lease.
Thirukumaran Jallendra, head of Sustainability (Asia) at Lend Lease, said: “We have a team of retail design managers and a centre management team who will work with them, who will share with them our guidelines and take them through the process, make them understand what works, what doesn't work.
“From our assessment of all three malls, we're averaging something between 20 and 30 per cent of energy savings on a monthly basis. So that's how much tenants tend to save if they comply with the requirements that we set out for them."
Speaking at the opening of the Green Building Exhibition on Friday (June 20), Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Ms Grace Fu also said that two new Government Land Sales sites -- in Woodlands Regional Centre and Punggol -- will have to meet BCA Green Mark Gold Plus standards.
- CNA/nd
Toolkit aims to get more to sign 'green leases'
Grace Chua The Straits Times AsiaOne 23 Jun 14;
It takes landlord and tenant to agree on how to cut energy and water use, and the authorities have introduced guidelines to nudge more to sign such "green leases".
Yesterday, the guidelines by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) were announced by Ms Grace Fu, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, at the launch of its Green Building Exhibition at Marina Square.
The commercial and service-related building sector uses 38 per cent of Singapore's energy, she said. Tenants in a commercial building typically are responsible for half of that usage.
The BCA has put out examples of how "green leases" might work. For instance, landlords could ask tenants to install energy-efficient lighting and fittings. In turn, they may offer the tenant renovation advice to cut energy use.
BCA chief executive John Keung said the green lease toolkit serves as "a starting point" for landlords and tenants to discuss what can be done.
Why suggest leases rather than issue guidelines for tenants? "I think all this boils down to a matter of commitment, because if it's part and parcel of the lease... then both parties can understand what they should and shouldn't do," Dr Keung said.
The BCA wants to attract "as many as possible" to sign such leases, he said.
And greener lease terms would complement existing Green Mark certification programmes for developers. "I suppose it's quite true that if your tenants sign up for a green lease, then the chances of you getting recertified at a higher level are much better," he said.
Currently, at least eight malls by developers CapitaLand and Lend Lease offer some or all of their tenants such lease terms. They are Bedok Mall, Bugis+, JCube, Junction 8, Westgate, 313@Somerset, Parkway Parade and Jem.
Mr Thirukumaran Jallendran, Lend Lease's head of sustainability for Asia, said all of its tenants are on such green leases. For instance, they may use at most 35 watts of power to light each square metre of space.
Lend Lease malls here - 313@Somerset, Parkway Parade and Jem - are Green Mark Platinum certified.
Yesterday, Ms Fu, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, announced that developments at two more strategic sites - Woodlands Regional Centre and Punggol - would have to meet Green Mark Platinum or Gold Plus standards.
Woodlands has many new projects and Punggol is a demonstration eco-town, Dr Keung noted. Currently, only those in Marina Bay and Jurong Lake District must meet these requirements, the highest two of four awards for new buildings.
