Emerging tech is making green buildings and sustainable construction more viable

Developers, landlords and tenants alike are also more willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly features

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Buildings and their construction account for 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which means companies in this industry have a significant opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment.

Advances in technology have made green buildings increasingly economically viable on top of the positive environmental impact they can make.

"We have observed, post-Covid, several notable trends that are accelerating the adoption of sustainability in the built environment sector," says Jasper Wong, managing director and head of UOB's construction and infrastructure, sector solutions group.

These trends include advances in construction methods and materials science to reduce construction costs and wastage, as well as the availability and affordability of digital solutions for better environmental data tracking.

An example of such advances can be found at Parkroyal on Pickering, built by UOB's sister company, UOL Group.

The hotel was built with Cobiax slabs, which are concrete slabs that contain recycled plastic. The slabs are lighter, which supports increased productivity during construction. They also use less concrete without affecting the structural integrity of a building.

"All of these developments allow for the advancement of mitigation efforts increasing energy efficiency of buildings as well as potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the upstream value chain by reducing embodied carbon in building materials," says Melissa Moi, head of sustainable business at UOB.