Annual Conference and Meeting, IIUM, Kuala Lumpur, July 2011

Transcription

1 Green Building Technology: The Construction Industry Perspective and Current Initiatives Zuhairi Abd Hamid, Kamarul Anuar Mohamad Kamar, Mohd Khairolden Ghani, Maria Zura Mohd. Zain, and Ahmad Hazim Abdul Rahim Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM), Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract The adoption of sustainable construction and green buildings has become an important issue in Malaysia in recent years and has been duly highlighted under the Malaysian Construction Industry Master Plan ( ). This paper discusses the perspective of construction industry on green building technology and highlights current initiatives taken by the government and private sectors to encourage the adoption of sustainable development and green buildings in Malaysia. Keyword: construction industry, green building, technology, Malaysia 1 Introduction The construction industry in Malaysia plays an important role in generating wealth to the country and development of social and economic infrastructures and buildings. The industry provides job opportunities for 762,000 people which represented 6.6% of total workforce. Construction in 2015 is expected to employ thousand persons or 5.9% of total employment [1]. The construction industry is one of the productive sectors

2 that constantly contribute to the economy. Recent data showed that the construction sector annual average growth rate under the 9 th Malaysian Plan was at 4.4%. Construction GDP in 2015 is expected to be RM 21,818 million (2009 = RM 17,321 million). GDP is expected to grow at 6.0% per annum and construction GDP at 3.7% per annum and construction's share to GDP is estimated at 2.9% [1]. In addition to the RM 230 billion allocated for development that would either directly or indirectly benefit the construction sector, the 10 th Plan also include a host of initiatives and incentives that are expected to generate more robust activities in the construction sector. These include economic reforms in terms of private sector led economy, innovation led growth, rationalisation of the government's role in business by increasing privatisation and Public-Private Partnership (PPP), and developing the SMEs. The industry creates a multiplier effect to other industries, including manufacturing sector, financial and banking, agriculture, mining and professional services and has predicted by many as the catalyst of economic recovery and as a driver for the modernisation of Malaysia. Some of the more prominent infrastructural facilities earmarked for development under the 10 th Plan are [1]: RM 2.7 billion for roads and rail networks leading to key ports and airports. Completion of the double-track rail project between Johor Bharu and Padang Besar (RM 16.5 billion). MRT to cover a 20 km radius from the Kuala Lumpur city centre that is expected to carry 2 million passenger-trips per day when completed. RM 1 billion for capital dredging of port channels to cater for bigger vessels for Westport Port Klang and PTP Johor, and RM 6 billion upgrading works to these ports and Penang Port. Expansion of airport capacity at a cost of RM 3.3 billion (to cater for 62 million passengers in 2015: 47 million in 2008), a new low cost carrier terminal at KLIA and upgrading of the Penang International Airport 2 Problem statement Construction industry is a major consumer of non-renewable resources and a massive producer of waste, and the operation of buildings is responsible for around half of the total CO2 emissions. Based on recent study in developed countries, 30-40% of natural resources were exploited by building industry, 50% of energy used for heating and cooling in buildings, almost 40% of world consumption of materials converts to built environment and 30% of energy use due to housing [3]. The similar percentage is expected in the

3 developing countries including Malaysia. This is a huge amount of resources and energy consume in the building life-cycle, let alone the usage of resources and energy during the construction phase. It was recorded that more than six million tones of waste has been generated which quarter was produced in the Klang Valley alone, the most affluent area in Malaysia [4] and today, solid waste issue is one of the biggest environmental problems in Malaysia [5]. The construction exploits natural resources such as forest for timber, housing and industry without proper control contributes to the environmental problems [6]. Many of environmental issues that occur in this country are due to lack of environmental considerations in the exploitation, development and management of resources as well as lack of control of pollution resources. These issues if not tackled strategically will further aggravate and exert challenges towards sustainable construction in the following way. It was observed that the Malaysian construction industry is still behind in waste management, rainwater harvesting and reduction of carbon footprint as compared to the developed nations. 3 Sustainable Development and Green Technology Sustainability has become buzzwords in the last 10 years. In 1987, the Brundtland Commission articulated the concept of sustainable development, as it known today. The Commission provided the most simple and widely used definition for sustainable development as Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs [7]. In this concept, social well-being environmental conservation as well as intra and intergenerational equity are simultaneously possible while a nation achieves its full economic potential and enhances its resources base. The concept was given currency at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992, and reinforced at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in UNCED saw the first global agreement on programmes for action in all areas relating to sustainable development, as documented in Agenda 21. The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was established to monitor the progress of implementing Agenda 21 which also includes sustainable construction as one of the key area under it [8]. Figure 1 below shows the three spheres of sustainability which describes the pertinent elements in sustainability agenda including the social, economy and environmental. The sub-elements of sustainability spheres are socialenvironmental, environmental-economic, and economic-social. In a developing country like Malaysia, the sustainable construction trend tends to focus on relationship between construction and human development and marginalising environmental aspects. However, in light of the severe

4 environmental degradation experienced by most of the developing countries, construction industry cannot continue to ignore the environment [9]. Figure 1: Three Spheres of Sustainable Development [10] Apart from the three spheres of sustainable as mentioned above, the main thrust of the sustainable in construction is encapsulated in three areas of classic construction management target namely time, cost and quality. Each of these is not standing itself, but dynamically complemented with the other elements which would pertinent to be part of the holistic structure for sustainable construction that consider safety, security, environmental and health in construction as seen in Figure 2. With the technology advancement and competitive environment striving for excellence positive balance of

5 interaction between all aspects in, sustainable development is no longer beyond expectation. Figure 2: Holistic Structure in Sustainable Construction On the other hand, green technology is the important elements under the sustainability domain. Based on a research by Lockwood [11] published in Harvard Business Review, there are 10 principles to be adopted if one wants to implement green construction. Figure 3 below shows the 10 principles of the green as a guiding principle for industries in implementing green building as a holistic approach. This principle will guide the way forward with regard to green construction and implementation of sustainability.

6 Figure 3: Principles of the Green Sustainability [11] 4 Sustainable policies and commitment of Malaysia Malaysian in fact, is one of the earliest nations in the world to have adopted a serious concern towards our environment by enacting the Environment Quality Act way back in Recently, the honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia in his speech at the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Conference (Copenhagen Summit) has stated the commitment of Malaysia to reduce the carbon dioxide emission by as much as 40% compared to 2005 levels. As the results, the Malaysian government is working on the Green Technology Roadmap to guide Malaysia in becoming a low carbon green growth economy. For a start, the government is conducting a baseline study for green technology in Malaysia. The baseline study comprise the following sectors; energy, waste water, building, transportation, manufacturing and ICT [12]. Further, The National Green Technology Policy was developed with the aims to establish green technology as a catalyst and driver to accelerate economic growth and sustainable development. There are four pillars under the policy are [12]:

7 Figure 4: The National Green Technology Policy [11] To coordinate actions and programme inter-ministries, agencies and private sector and all stakeholders, The National Green Technology and Climate Change Council chaired by The Honourable Prime Minister was established. The council is supported by a steering committee and seven working groups; industry, research and innovation, human capital, public awareness, transportation, green neighbourhood and climate change [12]. 5 Sustainable development and green buildings initiatives in Malaysia Under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and The 10 th Malaysia Plan, the Malaysian construction industry will become an important sector in providing infrastructure and buildings for other sector to growth. Therefore, awareness in green and sustainable issues is needed so, all the developments of infrastructure and building as stipulated in these plans addresses the issues of green and sustainability. The Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) is a body to develop and modernise the Malaysian construction industry has always take a proactive actions to address the issue of sustainable construction and assist the stakeholders in its adoption. Back in June 1999, the CIDB had established a technical committee to look into developing good environmental practices in the construction industry. The Technical Committee 9 on Good Environmental

8 Practices in the Construction Industry (TC9) comprises environmental experts from government agencies, professional bodies, academia and construction related associations. Six working groups have been established under the TC9 are [13]: TC 9: Good Environmental Practices in the Construction Industry (CIDB/TC9) WG 1 Development of Strategic and Programmes for Good Environment Practices WG 2 Prevention and Control of Soil Erosion and Sedimentation in Construction WG 3 Good Environmental Practices in Storm Water Management WG 4 Accreditation Scheme for Environment Management System for Contractor (DIY) WG 5 Guideline on Environmental Management System for Construction Industry WG 6 Guideline and Management of Construction Waste Material Figure 5: Technical Committee Good Environmental Practices in the Construction Industry (TC9) Under the TC9, CIDB had published Strategic Recommendations for Improving Environmental Practices in Construction Industry which highlighted recommendation to be the strategic way forward in environment in Malaysian construction industry adopted by all players. The recommendations are summarised as follows [14]: Strengthening the development approval process Enhancing law and enforcement

9 Promoting self-regulation, reflecting the best regulatory practices which is necessary to achieve sustainable construction in future Increasing capacity and public awareness and addressing knowledge gap In June 2006, the Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP) has been published to chart the way forward for Malaysian construction. The CIMP has identified that the demand on environmental sustainability is necessary to achieve and sustain economic growth and social development. The following milestones have been highlighted under the roadmap to be achieved in 2015 [2]: Foster a quality and environment-friendly culture and to increase customer demand in the global environment in construction Encourage external accreditation in quality and environmental management i.e. ISO certifications Promote environment-friendly practices Initiatives on green building materials to ensure impact activities can provide in order to spur economy and social benefits at large. Malaysia Green Building Index (GBI) has been developed and widely used since This private sector driven initiative aims to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise awareness among the industry players about environment issues. Building will be awarded GBI rating score based on six key criteria; energy efficiency, indoor environment quality, sustainable site planning, material and resources, water efficiency and innovation. In February 2010, the CIDB together with industry s stakeholders has met up to strategise the green technology and sustainable agenda. The aim is to formalise the strategic direction in green construction and sustainable. The focus areas which have been identified as the priorities and need urgent action are: Formulation of green technology roadmap for construction industry Establishing eco-labelling task force Standardisation of provision and legislation on green technology Education and awareness

10 Based on the output of the meeting, the CIDB is establishing technical committee for green technology best practices in construction. The technical committee is looking on four area of interest; eco-labelling, training, development of contractors and development of roadmap for green construction. As one of the most important aspect of sustainable construction and green buildings which need urgent attention, eco-labelling task force was established comprised captains from industries to look into the development of eco-labelling scheme for construction materials. Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM), subsidiary of CIDB has set-up product testing facilities in its laboratory to ensure construction materials to be certified as eco-label. CIDB is also developing Green Assessment System in Construction (GASSIC). GASSIC is a system or method to measure and evaluate the green attributes of a construction work from design to construction stage based on developed standard. This assessment system will be used together with GBI as a measure to certified green buildings in Malaysia. GASSIC will be made mandatory to all public projects in the future to ensure total adoption of green technologies and sustainable development. In line with government effort to reduce dependency on foreign workers and utilise green construction technologies, CIDB is geared toward the adoption of innovation method in construction in the form of Industrialised Building Systems (IBS). The fundamental idea of IBS is to move on-site work to more controlled environment in a manufacturing floor. IBS promote sustainability from controlled production environment minimisation of waste generation effective usage of energy, efficient building materials, effective logistic and long term economic stability which can contribute to better investment in environment technologies. IBS also proved that wastage can be reduced greatly due to prefabrication of most of the building components. Prefabrication in factory environment enables waste reduction through process orientation that entails controlled production and standardise process. Since 2008, IBS is made compulsory in public building project, where 70% of components using in the construction must be IBS. In closing the technological gap and changing people mindset, research and development is the ways ahead. Ongoing research areas in sustainable construction and green buildings funded by CIDB are: Construction practices for storm water management and soil erosion control for the construction industry Achieving sustainability of the construction industry via International Environmental Management Systems Standard Waste minimisation and recycling potential of construction materials

11 Materials security and waste management for Industrialised Building Systems (IBS) Environmental management plan in the contract tender document of construction projects Utilisation of waste materials for the production of concrete pedestrian block 6 The future outlook New business will emerge to utilise green technologies and captured market share in construction industry. It includes construction firms that are specialised in providing consultancy services for clients which would like to use green technology. In addition there are potential market for manufacturer to produce innovative green product in the construction such as panels, roof system, walls, rain-water harvesting system and solar panel. The green technology initiative also creates multiplier effect for other industry. More business can be created in the area of recycling, water purification, air purification, environmental remediation, solid waste management, renewable energy and energy conservation. Under Budget 2010, the government provides effective financial incentives through Green Technology Financial Scheme (GTFS) in the amount of RM 1.5 billion to explore green technology and adopt green practices [12]. This fund will provide soft loans to companies that supply and utilise green technology. For suppliers, the maximum financing is RM 50 million and for consumers and companies RM 10 million [12]. In addition, the government is also considering tax incentives such as tax deduction for contribution towards environmental funds and tax breaks for buildings and designs that work harmoniously with nature. For attaining better future, the government of Malaysia is in the midst of integrating green topics in the national education system and increase modules and courses related to green technology in institutes of higher education in both public and private institutions. Further, the government creates green jobs roadmap through integrating skills training standard in National Competency Standards (NCS) and National Occupational Skills Standards (NOSS) [12]. Green ICT Working Group has been set up under The Malaysian Technical Standards Forum Berhad to actively promote the Green ICT concept in relation to the ICT industry, to set up a minimum Green ICT guideline that can be used across industries and to continuously seek to establish a sustainable ICT industry through eco-friendly technology. However, there are several challenges in adopting green technologies in construction. The challenges are lack of skill and capacity in this area, overlapping of roles among the government agencies, slow

12 industry follow through on government programs, lack of research and innovation, lack of understanding of environmental implications and its solutions and cost versus benefits in term of implementation of green technology. The barriers are also related to law and regulation. Currently, the government of Malaysia fails to regulate and enforce due to the lack of a legislative framework specifically for green technology or green growth. Thus, unable to apply the carrot and stick principle and reach industries/people at all levels. These issues need to be addressed to ensure successful adoption in the future. 7 Recommendation Recommendations to accelerate the adoption of sustainable construction and green buildings in Malaysia are: To further incorporate and applies innovation in construction in the form of Industrialised Building System (IBS). The fundamental idea of IBS is to move on-site work to a controlled environment of manufacturing floor. IBS promote sustainability from controlled production environment minimisation of waste generation effective usage of energy, efficient building materials, effective logistic and long term economic stability which can contribute to better investment in environment technologies The introduction and adoption of while whole life cycle costing and green procurement in construction industry is important way forward. The concept refers to the total cost of ownership over the life of an asset. It also commonly referred to as cradle to grave or womb to tomb costs. The primary benefit of wholelife costing is that costs which occur after an asset has been constructed or acquired, such as maintenance, operation, disposal, become an important consideration in decisionmaking. By introducing the whole life cycle costing and green procurement, the industry has resources to plan for sustainable and use green materials when the investment is justified. Environmental considerations will be integrated into all stages of development, programme planning and implementation and all aspects of policy making. Environmental inputs shall be incorporated into economic development planning activities, including regional plan, master plans, structure and local plan.

13 Human capital development is one of the important elements that need to be taken onboard. A system for formulation of grading and certification mechanisms for competent personnel in green technology is the way forward. The learning curve and education syllabus on sustainable and green construction should be included right from primary education until university level. Research and innovation is the best way to improve and expand knowledge and technology. The government should increase grant allocation on the research related to sustainable and green construction and encourage research cluster on green issues. The research agenda needs to include benchmarking and technology transfer of best practices from developed countries in implementing sustainable and green construction agenda. Integrated and effective cooperation and coordination among government and other sectors shall be enhanced in order to achieve efficient environmental management and protection. Environment-related legislation and standards shall be reviewed regularly and revised where necessary to ensure the continued effectiveness and coordination of laws. Particular attention will be paid to effective enforcement. However, there is a need for clarity in the roles of the agencies to avoid confusion and overlapping in roles and programs 8 Final remarks Mitigation to sustainable mentality requires a lot of change in attitude, innovation, creativity, research and support from many stakeholders. Construction industry must inevitably change its historic of operating with little regard for environmental impact to a new mode that makes environmental concern a centre piece of its effort. The era of sustainability is taking its stand and the construction industry must demonstrate that it can abide by this new stand. It is important for the government of Malaysia to exploit their foresight regarding this transition to maximise its potential benefit through policies supporting the development of the private demand for and supply of activities which meet this agenda. Change requires investments, and the vast majority of those investments must happen through the private sector with the government providing adequate enabling effect. Political will is also needed to continue the policy in the future.

14 Reference [1] EPU (2010), Tenth Malaysia Plan , The Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister Department, Putrajaya, Malaysia [2] CIDB, (2008). Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP). Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. [3] Bourdeau, L., (1999), Sustainable Development and the Future of Construction: A Comparison of Visions from Various Countries, Building Research and Information, 27(6), pp [4] Yusoff, S. (2007). Sustainable Solid Waste Management : Incorporating Life Cycle Assessment as a Decision Support Tool, The Ingenieur, Vol. 34, Board of Engineers Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur [5] Nasir, H., Nurlaily, H., Rakmi, A. R., Zamri I. and Saifullah, R., (1995). Existing Solid Waste Management and Problems in Malaysia, Privatisation of Solid Waste Management in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. [6] Ibrahim, R. (1999). Environmental Management in Malaysia. The Ingenieur, Board of Engineers Malaysia, Issue 1, January. Kuala Lumpur. [7] WCED (1987). Our Common Future. World Conference on Environment and Development. Oxford University Press, Oxford. [8] Latiff, A., Pereira, J. J., Hezri Adnan, A., Aldrie, A. A. (2004), Assessing Changes in Environmental Conditions. Institut Alam Sekitar dan Pembangunan (LESTARI) Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi. [9] Begum, R. A. (2005). Economic Analysis on the Potential of Construction Waste Minimisation and Recycling in Malaysia. Unpublished PhD Thesis. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Bangi, Selangor [10] Sandra, I., Rodriguez, Matthew S., Roman, Samantha, C., (2002). Sustainability Assessment and Reporting for the University of Michigan s Ann Arbor, USA. [11] Lockwood, C. (2007). Building The Green Way, Harvard Business Review on Green Business Strategy, Harvard Business School Press, USA [12] Ramnick, K (2011) Green growth strategies and challenges in Malaysia, Malaysia IBS International Exhibition, April 2011, Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), Kuala Lumpur [13] CIDB. (1999). Terms of Reference. Technical Committee 9. Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur. [14] CIDB, (2006). Strategic Recommendations for Improving Environmental Practices in Construction Industry. Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur.