Strategies and measures for implementing eco-labelling schemes in Singapore's construction industry

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.06.002Get rights and content

Highlights

  • We reviewed the Singapore Green Label Scheme (SGLS) and Singapore Green Building Product Certification Scheme (SGBPCS).

  • We investigate the extent to which the eco-labelling schemes have been implemented in Singapore's construction industry.

  • We compare the effectiveness of SGLS and SGBPCS across several areas from the perspectives of suppliers and architects.

  • We recommend strategies and measures to enhance the use of eco-labels in the construction industry.

Abstract

The issue of sustainability in the construction industry is very prominent, as the industry often causes adverse impacts on the environment through its use of large amounts of natural resources and by clearing large areas of their natural habitats. After the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro proposed the use of eco-labels to attain sustainable development, the growth and use of eco-labelling schemes have increased significantly. This study focuses on eco-labelling schemes, particularly the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS) and the Singapore Green Building Product Certification Scheme (SGBPCS), and their contributions to the Singapore construction industry. The effectiveness of the schemes and of their drivers is determined through the analysis of survey results from two groups of samples (suppliers and architects) and interviews with some of the key stakeholders involved. It can be observed that the both the supplier and architect groups have some knowledge and awareness of eco-labelling schemes in the Singapore context. However, in terms of implementation, both schemes are only moderately effective in advocating the use and production of eco-labelled building products. It was also found that, out of several factors, “environmental rating” appears to be the only one that significantly influences the decision to use eco-labelled schemes. Furthermore, the results show that SGBPCS was not as heavily promoted in the architect group as in the supplier group. The architects perceived the SGBC advertisements to be less convincing than did the suppliers, and therefore they considered the SGBC's measures to promote the use of eco-labelled materials to be less effective. From the empirical results, strategies and measures are proposed for industry stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of the eco-labelling schemes in the construction industry.

Introduction

In the progress towards rapid urbanization and global economic development, various activities are believed to have contributed to a gradual but accelerating decline in the world's environment. This is especially true in the construction industry, where forest and vegetation are replaced by the impervious concrete surfaces of roads and buildings. The heavy use of natural resources in the fabrication of these infrastructures also imposes great demands on the environment. In Singapore, buildings consume about 31% of electricity and including households, this number rises to almost half of Singapore's total energy consumption (Building and Construction Authority, 2010). Given rising concerns about environmental degradation, the construction industry needs to reduce its consumption of resources. Therefore, a distinction needs to be made between sustainable and non-sustainable resources, so as to make clear which alternatives have the lowest resource inputs, environmental emissions, and waste over their life cycles.

To help consumers make decisions about the products they procure and to decide whether they are environmentally friendly, eco-labels were introduced in the late 1970s (Bratt et al., 2011, Hussain and Lim, 2001), starting with the German Blue Angel. Such labelling aims to conserve the environment, encourage environmentally sound innovations, and build consumer awareness of these environmental issues (Bratt et al., 2011, Gallastegui, 2002). The eco-label, in contrast to a self-styled environmental symbol or claim statement developed by a manufacturer or service provider, is awarded by an impartial third party to products that meet established environmental leadership criteria (Global Ecolabelling Network, 2004). Eco-labels can cover a range of environmental attributes, which may include health issues, atmospheric and other environmental impacts, packaging and other industrial issues, to name but a few. When eco-labels are introduced, just like any other policy instruments, it is important to evaluate and estimate if, and how much, they contribute to achieving the objectives and goals. It appears that the lack of data or knowledge results in decision-makers being unable to determine conclusively if eco-labels are able to improve the overall environmental quality of society (Rubik and Frankl, 2005). Hence, it is essential to evaluate the strategies and measures taken in the implementation of the eco-labels.

Concerns about the environment and development are not new in Singapore. Like many other countries, Singapore too has realized the importance of sustainable development. Currently, there are two eco-labelling schemes that have been introduced in Singapore; however, their effectiveness remained unknown. To evaluate the effectiveness of eco-labelling in Singapore's construction industry, this study reviews the current Singapore Green Label Scheme (SGLS) and the Singapore Green Building Product Certification Scheme (SGBPCS) for a start, followed by investigating the extent of implementation of these two schemes in the construction industry and to recommend strategies and measures to enhance their use.

Section snippets

Background to eco-labelling

Originally introduced in Germany in 1978, eco-labelling has played an important role in the global expansion of environmentally friendly goods and services (Erskine and Collins, 1997). Eco-labelling was identified in Agenda 21 (Ball, 2002), as a way of encouraging consumers to reduce unsustainable consumption and to make wiser use of resources and energy in the drive for sustainable development. The Global Ecolabelling Network (2004) defines an eco-label as a label that identifies the overall

Research design

The aim of this research is to determine the effectiveness of eco-labelling in Singapore's construction industry, to investigate the extent to which the eco-labelling schemes have been implemented, and to recommend strategies and measures to enhance the use of eco-labels in the industry. The literature review above provides a brief background to the eco-labelling scheme and reviews the current Singapore Green Label Scheme (SGLS) and Singapore Green Building Product Certification Scheme

Awareness of eco-labelling

The survey results show that all the respondents (100%) from both samples knew of both the SGLS and SGBPCS, which seems to imply that eco-labelling schemes have good penetration, especially in the case of SGBPCS, which was initiated only recently in 2010. In terms of respondents’ sources of such information, the SEC and SGBC websites were most commonly cited (over 70%), as shown in Fig. 2. For suppliers, 33% of the respondents chose news reports as the second major source for information, while

Discussion and conclusion

This study focuses on and evaluates the effectiveness of the current eco-labelling schemes available in Singapore's construction industry. From the findings shown above, both the supplier and architect groups have shown reasonable knowledge and awareness of eco-label schemes in the Singapore context. SGLS includes broad categories of products, but is not specifically focused on building materials; however, given its longer history, it is highly recognized, especially among the architects.

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