Special Changi shore finally cleaned of oil, still alive!
wild shores of singapore
16 Sep (Sun): Marine identification workshop
wild shores of singapore
Going vegetarian for the environment
BES Drongos
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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Sep 18
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How supermarkets fight food waste in Singapore
Gilaine Ng The New Paper 10 Sep 18;
Last month, 24-hour store Mustafa Centre was found to be disposing of nearly 100kg of fruits and vegetables daily, sparking concerns about food waste in Singapore.
According to the National Environmental Agency, the amount of food waste generated in Singapore has increased by about 40 per cent over the past 10 years.
This number is expected to increase with Singapore's growing population and economic activity.
Last year alone, 676,800 tonnes of food waste was disposed of. Only 133,000 tonnes of food waste was recycled. The remaining food waste was disposed of at waste-to-energy plants for incineration.
Mustafa Centre typically throws out produce that remains unsold after three days, Shin Min Daily News reported.
It also receives new stock of fruits and vegetables daily.
"There are no stipulated rules or regulations in place, with employees free to determine what types of produce should be disposed of and what can be kept," a worker from Mustafa Centre told Shin Min.
But most major supermarkets - including Giant, Cold Storage, FairPrice and Sheng Siong - emphasised the importance of minimising food waste and environmental sustainability, when interviewed by The New Paper.
Sound purchasing policy and proper inventory management systems help supermarkets prevent overordering from suppliers.
Reduced-to-clear promotions for fruits and vegetables that are close to expiry or blemished are a common strategy adopted by these supermarkets.
A FairPrice spokesman told TNP that by doing so, it was able to save 675,000kg of fruits and vegetables across 145 stores islandwide last year.
Where products still remain unsold, FairPrice donates them to Food from the Heart (FFTH) as part of a long-term partnership.
The donations amount to more than $25,000 worth of items monthly, distributed across 41 charities.
"Over the recent Hari Raya, we partnered FFTH and Food Bank (another charity) to benefit the community in line with their celebrations for the month of Ramadan.
"We also supported Ngee Ann Polytechnic's 10-Tonne Food Drive for Food Bank, which gives to the needy and reduces food waste by providing three collection points for the public to drop off their food donations," the spokesman said.
The spokesman added: "Our efforts are paying off as we contribute less than 0.3 per cent of the yearly total food waste generated in Singapore."
RECYCLE
As part of an initiative to recycle food waste, Giant hypermarkets at Tampines and Suntec have installed the Eco-Wiz, an on-site food waste treatment system that converts food waste to potable water.
The water is then used for a number of applications in store, such as general washing and cleaning.
Organic supermarket Ryan's Grocery provides staff discounts and gives away items to drivers so they can distribute to their family and friends to combat food waste.
"As we deal with organic food, we not only appreciate the farmers for their effort, but we also believe strongly in sustainability," a spokesman for Ryan's Grocery told TNP.
It also puts up a box for items that are near expiry and allows customers to pick any items they want free of charge.
In return, customers have to donate at least a dollar to the Association for Persons with Special Needs, which Ryan's Grocery supports.
The box, with items such as fruits, vegetables, meat and frozen foods, is put up when the supermarket has goods to clear.
The Ryan's Grocery spokesman told TNP: "Through these initiatives, we are usually able to clear any produce within two to three days and our friendly neighbours love it.
"Drivers are also more than happy as they are able to try our gourmet foods."
In April, Sheng Siong helped the anti-food waste effort by supporting the Food Unfiltered campaign, which was launched by four final-year students from Nanyang Technological University.
The campaign encouraged members of the public to embrace "ugly food" as a simple way to reduce food waste in Singapore and featured educational posters across Sheng Siong supermarkets.
Said Ms Lin Ruiwen, executive director of Sheng Siong Group: "It is natural that not all fresh produce is perfect-looking. Small blemishes can definitely be tolerated."
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Malaysia: 3.9 million hectares of Sabah land earmarked for forest reserve
Bernama New Straits Times 8 Sep 18;
SANDAKAN: Over 50 per cent or 3.9 million hectares of land in Sabah have been earmarked for forest reserves and wildlife conservation areas, said Sabah Forestry Department chief conservator, Mashor Mohd Jaini.
He said the success of the tropical rainforest protection and conservation programme in the state was due to the forest, wildlife conservation and parks enactments.
“Through sustainable forest management policies, sufficient land area could be reserved and managed for conservation,” he said at the closing of the Environmental Education Course for Teachers here today.
According to Mashor, the state government had also decided that 30 per cent of the tropical rainforest area in the state would be gazetted as fully protected area by 2025.
He said in the last two years, totally protected areas covered almost 1.9 million hectares or 25 per cent of the total area of Sabah which was equivalent to 18 times the size of the state of Penang.
Mashor added that the Deramakot Forest Reserve was a fine example of a natural reserve which had been certified well managed by an international certification body, the Forest Sterwardship Council Standard' in 1997.
In addition, he said, the country's largest Ramsar site covering an area of 78,000 hectares is situated in Kinabatangan.
However, he said there were also challenges facing sustainable forest management, among them low returns, high cost of forest conservation, illegal occupation and farming on forest reserve land.
Thirty-one teachers from 28 secondary schools in the state attended the six-day course initiated by the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok. — BERNAMA
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Indonesia: BMKG: Satellite Found 15 Hotspots in Sumatra
NetralNews 9 Sep 18;
BANDA ACEH, NNC - The local Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that the satellite has encountered 15 hotspots monitored by fashionable sensors in four provinces in Sumatra. "There are three hotspots from the total of 15 points in Sumatra," Head of BMKG Data and Information Section Blang Bintang Meteorology Station, Zakaria Ahmad, said in Aceh Besar, Aceh Province, on Sunday, Sept 9.
Those three hotspots showed as monitored hotspots in two provinces, Bengkulu and Lampung, as it had a confidence level above 81 percent. Then there were seven hotspots, including suspected hotspots in four provinces, including three points in Aceh. The remaining four points were spoted in Bengkulu, South Sumatra and Lampung.
Meanwhile, the remaining five hotspots in Sumatra, he said, have not shown alarming figures, as it have a low level of confidence. "There are five concentrated hotspots in three districts in Aceh, three of it included as hotspots lasting since since yesterday. Two points in Tawar Sea, Central Aceh, and Geulumpang Tiga in Pidie," he said. "Two hotspots in Bandar Dua in Pidie Jaya, and Linge in Aceh Tengah with a low level of confidence," Zakaria said. The government in 2018 closely guarded forest and land-prone areas, thus successfully reducing the number of hotspots up to 96.5 percent throughout Indonesia in the 2015-2017 period.
"Based on NOAA's satellite monitoring data, the number of hotspots in 2015 reached 21,929 while it reduced in 2016 to 3,915. In 2017, the number of hotspots declined to 2,257," said Forest and Land Fire Control Director of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Raffles B Panjaitan. KLHK recorded that the area of forest and land burned in 2015 reached 2,611,411 hectares (ha). The number was decreased to 438,360 ha in 2016, then dropped again to 165,464 ha in 2017. "Since 2016, companies do not have the audacity to clear lands by burning it. This definitely has an effect. Even if there is a fire, its only small spots from negligence," Raffles said.
Satellites detect 22 hotspots in three Sumatran provinces
Antara 10 Sep 18;
Illustration. Photo document of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan. (gs.reddplus.go.id/monitor)
Banda Aceh, Aceh (ANTARA News) - Satellites detected 22 hotspots, indicating forest and plantation fires, in three provinces on Sumatra Island on Monday.
The three provinces were Lampung, Bangka Belitung, and South Sumatra, Zakaria Ahmad of the Blang Bintang meteorology office, stated here, Monday.
Of the total 22 hotspots, four were believed to have arisen from fires.
Aceh was free from hotspots on Monday, but the province`s over 347 hectares of forest area were destroyed due to wildfires over the last two months.
Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo earlier remarked that land and forest fires had declined significantly this year as compared with previous years due to the country`s firm stance in protecting its forests.
"This assertiveness would not have yielded these ideal results without public support and participation," Widodo stressed in his presidential speech on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of Indonesia`s independence at the parliament building in Jakarta on August 16, 2018.
The head of state expressed gratitude to the Indonesian military and police, local administrations, and the public for their dedication in preventing forest fires.
"We need courage to make the leap. We have to be firm in making the best decision for the people of Indonesia, including being firm in protecting our land and forests," he stated.
South Sumatra bore the maximum brunt of one of the country`s biggest forest fires in 2015 that ravaged the nation`s tropical forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan, sending haze of thick smoke as far as Malaysia and Singapore.
Environmentalists blamed farmers and plantation companies for the disaster that resulted in boycott of the country`s plantation commodities, mainly palm oil, by certain countries.
The government, however, has succeeded in reducing cases of forest fires over the past several years, although hotspots are still reported during drought that occurs almost every year.
Based on data of an Indonesian environmental NGO, Walhi, from January to August 14, a total of 2,173 hotspots were detected in various areas in the country, including 779 in West Kalimantan and 368 in Riau.
Reporting by Muhammad Said
Editing by Fardah Assegaf
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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Indonesia: Fire razes 9.5-hectare forest area in Mt Sindoro, C Java
Antara 9 Sep 18;
A wildfire razed an area measuring 9.5 hectares in Mt Sindoro forest located in Wonosobo and Temanggung districts, Central Java Province, Sunday (Sept 9, 2018). (ANTARA FOTO/Anis Efizudin/foc)
Jakarta (ANTARA News)- Efforts went on to extinguish a wildfire that has razed an area measuring 9.5 hectares in Mt Sindoro forest located in Wonosobo and Temanggung districts, Central Java Province, Sunday.
The fire was spotted for the first time on Friday (Sept 7) in Wonosobo and spread to Temanggung, Sutopo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), said in a statement here, Sunday.
Some 9.5 hectares of bushes and vegetation area were gutted by the fire that had inflicted losses worth Rp1.4 billion, he added.
A total of 219 people among others comprising military officers and volunteers, worked hard to extinguish the fire. The efforts, however, were hampered by difficult terrain, strong wind and lack of supporting facilities.
The authorities have declared Mount Sindoro closed to climbing since Saturday because of the wildfire.
Reporting by Monalisa
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Mount Sindoro`s forest fire extinguished: BNPB spokesman
Antara 11 Sep 18;
Smoke billowed from the Sindoro mountain forest fire, a photo taken from the village of Sigedang, Kejajar, Wonosobo, Central Java, Saturday (8/9/2018). (ANTARA PHOTO/Anis Efizudin/foc)
Temanggung, C Java (ANTARA News) - A forest fire on Mount Sindoro in Temanggung District, Central Java Province, which has destroyed around 156 hectares of land, has been extinguished, a spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.
"However, the mountain`s climbing trails remain closed," BNPB Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in his Twitter account that ANTARA qouted here on Monday evening.
Local residents and visitors, who want to perform an annual ritual to commemorate the Javanese New Year, or commonly known as 1 Suro, are not allowed to climb the mountain for safety reasons, he noted.
The fire could likely engulf the affected areas due to the drought and strong winds, he explained, adding that the climbing trails had been closed to prevent people from climbing.
Meanwhile, Head of Temanggung Disaster Mitigation Agency Gito Walngadi earlier remarked that the strong winds had caused the fire to spread quickly towards the East.
The forest fire, which has engulfed Sigedang area in Wonosobo District since Sept 9, has destroyed around 156 hectares of land. It then affected the patches of 10-4 in Temanggung District, he revealed.
At least 180 people, including local volunteers and personnel of military, police, state-owned forestry company Perhutani, and disaster mitigation agency, have participated in the fire-fighting efforts, he noted.
"The Purbalingga and Batang Search and Rescue Agencies also deployed tens of their personnel to assist the fire-fighting efforts," he added.
Another forest fire had earlier engulfed Mount Lawu, located on the border of Central Java and East Java Provinces.
Owing to its scenic view, beautiful Edelweiss flowers, and crater, Mount Lawu has become one of the mountains in the Indonesian island of Java, which is frequently scaled by mountaineers.
Reporting by Heru Suyitno
Editing by Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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Australia drought extends despite 'widespread, significant rain'
AFP Yahoo News 9 Sep 18;
A devastating drought that has left Australian farmers struggling to stay afloat is set to persist despite widespread and significant rain last month, authorities have said.
Graziers in eastern Australia have been battling a long-period of severe conditions that have turned green pastures brown and forced some to sell down or shoot their stock.
There was some welcome relief last month when "widespread (and)... significant rainfall" was recorded in parts of New South Wales, the state government said in its seasonal update late Friday.
"While the rain has been welcomed and has provided a more positive outlook for field conditions in some regions, the drought is far from over," NSW Department of Primary Industries' agriculture climate specialist Anthony Clark said in a statement.
"We need more significant widespread rainfall in the coming weeks and months for agricultural recovery to commence and farmland to return to a productive state."
Clark warned that if dry conditions continued instead, "we would see an increased intensification of the drought".
Some 99.8 percent of the state remains in drought, officials added. In neighbouring Queensland, the government said last week that 57.4 percent of the state remains drought-affected.
The update came as Major General Stephen Day -- appointed to the newly created role of national drought co-ordinator -- said his focus was to improve fundraising efforts for farmers.
He told Sydney's Sydney Telegraph there was a "lack of co-ordination and coherence to all that's going on".
"That means there are some gaps, that means there are some overlaps, that means there are some inefficiencies," he said ahead of an planned meeting with some of the major charities raising drought funds.
"I think if we can look at this as a team sport, we'll have a better effect."
While droughts are not uncommon in Australia, the length and severity of the dry conditions have placed enormous strain on farmers in the eastern states.
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Mynahs trapped in Potong Pasir tagged and released as part of noise control measures: AVA
Toh Ting Wei Straits Times 8 Sep 18;
SINGAPORE - A large population of around 2,800 mynahs in Potong Pasir had caused complaints about noise from residents, prompting authorities to carry out measures to address the issue.
Among these measures include pruning trees near residences and tagging mynahs in the area to study their movement patterns, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said on Saturday (Sept 8) in response to queries from The Straits Times.
The mynahs are caught in traps that contain food and water, and are released back into the wild after they are tagged.
The traps are also closely monitored to ensure that non-target bird species are not caught, said AVA.
Pictures posted online in the Nature Society (Singapore) Facebook group by Janan Nai on Wednesday show mynahs trapped in cages on a grass patch along Potong Pasir Avenue 1.
Mr Janan said that a big flock of parakeets, rather than mynahs, were responsible for the noise in the area, but AVA clarified that mynahs were the actual culprits.
An AVA spokesman said that since January, the authority has received about 10 complaints relating to noise caused by the mynah population in the area.
It said that noise levels in the early morning and late evening periods were affecting nearby residents.
The spokesman said: "The Javan mynah is a non-native bird that is found in urban areas and often roosts in large numbers, leading to noise and hygiene issues.
"In such numbers, they can compete with native bird species for nesting and food resources."
It is working with the National Parks Board (NParks) to address the issue in Potong Pasir. As an immediate measure to relieve residents of the noise, NParks has pruned the trees near residences to prevent mynahs from roosting in the trees.
Tagging of the mynahs enable authorities to study the mynahs' dispersal after the trees are pruned, and also provides information on the mynahs' movement patterns from roosting sites to feeding sites.
AVA said this information will provide insights into possible measures to "mitigate nuisance caused by mynahs", such as food waste management. The data will also help authorities understand which trees or sites the mynahs prefer to roost at.
Members of the public are advised not to feed mynahs and to dispose of food scraps properly, so as to mitigate the population growth of mynahs.
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Malaysia: Sabah looking to end conflict between humans and elephants
The Star 9 Sep 18;
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah wants to resolve the conflicts between humans and pygmy elephants once and for all.
An unprecedented 26 Borneo pygmy elephants were killed in the first eight months of this year, said Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew.
She said a task force headed by the state Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry’s permanent secretary Datu Rosmadi Datu Sulai was set up to tackle the matter.
“The Sabah Wildlife Department has done everything within its capacity in trying to resolve the human-elephant conflict.
“But there are no takers until now. I am very sure the workers know who killed the animals,” she said after attending the state-level Women’s Day celebration here on Friday.
“Right now, we want all plantation owners to cooperate with the state government to help stop the elephant deaths,” she said.
Liew, who is also the state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said she was not accusing anybody of killing the elephants.
“What I am stressing here is that if an elephant dies on someone’s land, the onus is on the landowner to inform the Sabah Wildlife Department and provide an explanation,” she said.
Under Section 39 (1) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, Liew said a landowner could take reasonable steps to protect his land, crops and other property from entry and damage by protected animals.
“Put up fencing to protect your land or plantation. Do not kill the elephants which may be roaming around or destroying fruit crops,” she said.
She advised plantation owners to inform the Wildlife Department of the presence of the elephants or deaths, personal injury or damage to their properties caused by the protected animal.
On the statement by Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok that there was no evidence of plantations being involved in the elephant deaths, Liew asked for Kok’s help to get the landowners and plantation owners to cooperate with the state government, including asking them to remove traps.
Jumbo death task force comes up with proposals
The Star 8 Sep 18;
KOTA KINABALU: A task force set up to oversee the worsening situation of elephant deaths in Sabah has come up with several recommendations.
Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), which is part of the task force, said these efforts would include reanalysing past cases and post-mortems as far as 10 years ago to ascertain the major cause of the deaths.
He said all cases should be mapped to identify hotspots on human-elephant conflict, poaching, snaring and poisoning, said DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens (pic).
“We need to identify the potential poisons that could lead to a slow death of elephants and revise the use of herbicides and pesticides in oil palm plantations while increasing anti-poaching patrols in all protected and unprotected areas with the presence of elephants,” he said.
Dr Goossens said the authorities could create an intelligence unit that would gather all information, then analyse it and give feedback to the enforcement team on the ground.
He said the authorities should enforce a zero-snaring policy in Sabah’s protected areas, forest reserves, forest plantations and oil palm plantations.
“We need to also find newer and friendlier strategies for pest control and do research on the impact of agrochemicals and heavy metals in the forests,” he said.
Authorities as well as plantations could consider adopting an integrated electric fencing (mobile fencing) strategy so that elephant movements were not compromised, Dr Goossens said.
“We can continue monitoring the movements of elephants in all ranges by using satellite collars where the information provided will help design corridors and monitor potential risk of human-elephant conflicts,” he said.
As for the death of elephants this year, he said: “It is difficult to identify the main factor. Some deaths are due to poaching, some due to conflicts, poisoning, and several other deaths caused by injuries from snares.”
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Indonesia: Three songbirds removed from new protected list
The Jakarta Post 8 Sep 18;
The Environment and Forestry Ministry has removed three popular songbirds from the newly revised protected species lists following protests from bird owners.
The birds are the kucica hutan (white-rumped shama), cucak rawa (straw-headed bulbul) and jalak suren (Javan pied starling) — the latter two of which are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered and critically endangered species, respectively.
The newest revision has been signed recently by Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, said ministry spokesman Djati Witjaksono Hadi.
“It has been signed. We are now waiting for approval [and promulgation] from the Law and Human Rights Ministry,” Djati told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The list of protected species was first revised in mid-July, 19 years after its enactment in 1999.
Activists have lauded the July list, which aimed at promoting sustainability and the proper treatment of protected animals and plants.
Yet, the policy has since stirred opposition from bird lovers who feared prosecution.
Under the 1990 law on natural resources and ecosystem conservation, those who trade or keep protected flora or fauna face up to five years in prison or a fine of Rp 100 million (US$6,734).
The ministry’s biodiversity conservation director, Indra Exploitasia, said earlier that her office had conducted a social and economic study on the issue following protests from bird lovers, Antara reported.
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Indonesia: Forest fire destroys part of Mount Lawu areas
Antara 8 Sep 18;
Ngawi, E Java, (ANTARA News) - A forest fire on Mount Lawu, located on the border of Central and East Java, has destroyed 25-30 hectares of land, but the extent of damage has likely increased, a government official stated.
Joint efforts to extinguish the forest fire have been made over the past few days, but the prolonged drought and strong winds had hindered the fire fighters` endeavors, Djohan Surjoputro, Mount Lawu`s administrative authority, stated here on Saturday.
Several hundreds of people, including local volunteers and personnel of state-owned forestry company Perhutani, military, police, and environment agency, participated in the joint efforts, he said.
Moreover, the fire fighting task force also deployed its personnel in the hotspot-affected areas, Surjoputro said.
"We have not yet calculated the total width of the affected areas, as we still focus on extinguishing the fire," he stated, adding that five patches of protected forest in Ngawi District, East Java Province, were also engulfed by the fire.
However, the forest fire engulfing the patches of protected forest Number 30, 39, and 19 could have been put out while those of Number 15 and 17 remain under threat, he stated.
Owing to its scenic view, beautiful Edelweiss flowers, and crater, Mt Lawu has become one of the mountains in the Indonesian island of Java, which is frequently scaled by mountaineers.
Reporting by Louis Rika Stevani
Editing by Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Climbers trapped on Mount Lawu amid threats of forest fire
Antara 11 Sep 18;
Climbing path of Mount Lawu, Magetan Regency, East Java. (ANTARA PHOTO/Fikri Yusuf)
Magetan, E Java (ANTARA News) - Around 100 mountaineers remained trapped on the peak of Mount Lawu in Magetan District, East Java Province, amid threats from a forest fire engulfing part of the mountain, a disaster mitigation agency`s official said.
A rescue team had been deployed to evacuate the trapped climbers, Head of the Magetan Disaster Mitigation Agency`s Emergency and Logistics Unit Fery Yoga Saputra said here on Monday evening.
"The rescue team members comprising local volunteers, and personnel of the Magetan Disaster Mitigation Agency and National Search and Rescue Agency have started climbing on Monday afternoon," he said.
The trapped climbers were part of 200 mountaineers, who climbed Mount Lawu on Sunday. Around 100 of them had gone down while the remaining 100 might still be on the mountain`s peak area, he said.
Due to the forest fire, which again engulfs certain parts of the mountain`s northern and southern slopes, the local authorities notified that the Mount Lawu`s climbing trails have temporarily been closed since Monday.
The fire-fighting efforts have been made since Sunday evening, he added.
The forest fire on the mountain, located on the border of Central and East Java, had reportedly destroyed at least 25-30 hectares of land.
Owing to its scenic view, beautiful Edelweiss flowers, and crater, Mt Lawu has become one of the mountains in the Indonesian island of Java, which is frequently scaled by mountaineers.
Meanwhile, a forest fire also engulfed certain parts of Mount Sindoro in Temanggung District, Central Java Province, though, according to a spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, it could have been extinguished.
The forest fire destroyed around 156 hectares of land, and the local authorities still closed the mountain`s climbing trails, BNPB Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
Local residents and visitors, who want to perform an annual ritual to commemorate the Javanese New Year, or commonly known as 1 Suro, are not allowed to climb the mountain for safety reasons, he noted.
The fire could likely engulf the affected areas due to the drought and strong winds, he explained, adding that the climbing trails had been closed to prevent people from climbing.
Reporting by Louis Rika/Siswowidodo
Editing by Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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Green Mark scheme to now recognise firms which encourage healthier living for employees
Aw Cheng Wei Straits Times 7 Sep 18;
SINGAPORE - Firms that design green offices and encourage their employees to quit smoking, exercise more and eat healthily will be recognised under a new government scheme.
Called the Green Mark for Healthier Workplaces, the scheme is an expansion of an eponymous benchmarking programme that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) currently has to acknowledge energy-saving buildings.
The regulator is working with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) on this latest addition.
The scheme was announced by Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, on Friday (Sept 7) at an industry event that more than 300 business leaders attended.
Mr Zaqy said that office designs, such as ventilation and lighting systems, have an impact on energy use and their occupants' health and well-being.
So "it makes sense to dovetail the two objectives, to create environmentally friendly and healthy office spaces... This was the impetus behind this new scheme", he added.
Ten companies took part in the four-month pilot programme that started in May (2018), and six were certified last month.
The rest are working on their certification, according to a BCA statement.
Facility Link, a firm which builds offices, hosts health screenings and workout sessions such as zumba classes for its 140 employees. On Fridays, employees who smoke are encouraged not to light up.
The firm also recycles leftover materials from its renovation processes to use as furniture and decor.
Both the BCA and the HPB have incentive schemes to help more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) follow Facility Link's example, said Mr Zaqy.
For example, the BCA will co-fund SMEs up to $40,000 for the firms to be certified under this new scheme, as part of its current Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings and Premises.
Similarly, the HPB has the SME Health+ and Workplace Alliance for Health schemes.
At the same event, Mr Zaqy also revealed results of a two-year pilot programme that aims to get building occupants to save energy.
Currently, six organisations are participating in the pilot that started in September last year (2017). "Several have already achieved significant energy savings," Mr Zaqy said.
For example, Swissotel Merchant Court in Clarke Quay saved more than 100 MW-hours after adopting energy-saving measures.
Now, the laundry department operates machines at full load, instead of half load as it used to. Employees have also been encouraged to use the stairs.
Mr Zaqy said that the BCA will work with the Singapore Green Building Council to develop standardised toolkits for firms which want similar results.
He added: "We wish to see more following in their paths, and will do our part to support."
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