Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at The Education in Motion (EIM) Grand Opening of the Greenhouse at Dulwich College (Singapore)

Nov 23, 2023

A very good morning to all of you. I'm very happy to join you for the opening of the Greenhouse here at Dulwich College in Singapore.

Today marks a major milestone for you. The Greenhouse is Singapore’s first international school building to achieve the Green Mark Platinum Zero Energy certification under the latest Green Mark 2021 scheme. You have also earned three badges in Intelligence, Maintenance and Health and Well-being, demonstrating your commitment towards building a sustainable future.

Congratulations to Education in Motion and your partners on this remarkable achievement! The Greenhouse exemplifies how close partnerships between different stakeholders can push boundaries in sustainable development.

Greening our Buildings

The impact of climate change is already being felt very acutely both in Singapore and all around the world. To safeguard a sustainable future for our children, we have to plan ahead and take decisive action today.

Underpinning all these efforts here on our island city state is the Singapore Green Plan 2030, a whole of nation commitment to promote and encourage sustainable development across a diverse range of sectors spanning from energy and buildings to finance and education. I'm delighted that Dulwich College, representing the international community here in Singapore, is all in on this.

Now, let me talk a little bit about the built environment sector as an example of the things we need to do to meet the targets of the Green Plan. Our buildings contribute over 20% of our carbon emissions and nearly 40% globally. The transition to greener buildings is therefore crucial in our journey to achieving net-zero.

Under the latest edition of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan which we launched in 2021 in the midst of the pandemic, we have set three ambitious targets. In Singapore we like numbers, so "80-80-80 in 2030". I wasn't going to go into all the details, but each number means something. For example, the first "80" means that we want to green 80% of our buildings by gross floor area (GFA) by 2030; and when I say "green", it means baseline environmental standards in terms of energy and water efficiency, which we will ratchet up over the years.

The second "80" is for 80% of our new developments from the year 2030, in every year, to achieve Super Low Energy (SLE) standards. And when I say Super Low Energy I'm not saying the people in the buildings should be super low energy, least of all students. I'm saying you should be thriving and fully energised in a building that consumes Super Low Energy.

The third 80 is to ensure that the best in class in our Super Low Energy buildings achieve 80% in terms of energy efficiency, over the 2005 baseline when we started. You have to measure against a certain baseline.

This Greenhouse exemplifies a Super Low Energy building, one that achieves at least 60% improvement in energy efficiency compared to where we started in 2005, and you've achieved this through a combination of good design, harnessing natural light and ventilation to reduce the need for artificial lighting and cooling. You've also used sustainable technologies such as passive displacement cooling systems, as well as smart environmental sensors to lower the energy consumption in this building.

The building maximises renewable energy production through the extensive integrated photovoltaic system on your roof and the northwest facade of your building, as well as the solar panels that you have placed around your campus.

So I applaud Dulwich College and Education in Motion for your efforts in pushing the boundaries of energy efficiency and would encourage more organisations to follow suit. It can be done. It has been done, we have demonstrated it as have other buildings in Singapore and industry should follow suit.

This will not only allow companies to develop a competitive edge, but it also helps to align them with the growing environmental consciousness of governments, investors and building users. I encourage everyone to explore the various incentive schemes and green financing options available for you to embark on your own sustainable green building initiatives.

Nurturing the next generation

Nurturing the next generation goes beyond brick and mortar, goes beyond infrastructure; it's a crucial aspect of our journey to a sustainable future. Education institutions, such as Education in Motion, are leading the way by integrating sustainability into everyday life, through holistic as well as experiential learning.

For example, when I just arrived I was told I had to do a bit of work later and jump on the kinetic floor tiles. We haven't quite done that yet, but we'll remove our jackets later and do it. The kinetic floor tiles in your lobby, I'm told, allow students to generate energy as they step across the floor, really just creating opportunities for learning and learning by doing. I hear that this experience can also be gamified where students compete on a leadership board while learning fun facts about sustainability.

You have also included, I'm told, a rooftop edible garden so that your students can harvest food that they grow, cook plant-based meals, and better appreciate nature.

Overall, the Greenhouse's value lies in its ability to give your students a renewed sense of ownership and confidence as well as the tools to lead and make positive impact in our world. So let's continue to empower our children and young people to care for the planet, lead the way and create a brighter, more sustainable future. On that note, congratulations once again. Thank you.