Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu officially launched the “Industry Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality” at a visit to C&W Services, the facilities and engineering arm of global real estate services firm, Cushman & Wakefield today. The industry guidelines are part of efforts by the Alliance for Action (AfA) on Sustainable Spaces to raise public awareness on the importance of good indoor air quality.
Developed in consultation with industry stakeholders, the guidelines focus on five priority areas that companies should consider: (i) adopt emission limits for products and furnishing indoors, (ii) adopt Singapore standards for good indoor air quality, (iii) acquire certification as an endorsement of their efforts to maintaining good indoor air quality, (iv) implement workplace safety and health guidelines, (v) monitor Indoor Air Quality and implement mitigating measures.
The recommendations are aligned to three guiding principles - to regulate, incentivise and to foster collaboration within the industry-public sector.
The AfA on Sustainable Spaces was jointly formed by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC), and Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) in November 2021, to bring together stakeholders across different sectors to create and enhance sustainable spaces.
Supported by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA), the AfA also aims to help solution providers and adopters seize opportunities in the green economy and support the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
During the visit to C&W Services, Minister Grace Fu also engaged more than 40 AfA members and industry stakeholders in a fireside chat on advancing the sustainability agenda, moderated by SBF Council Member Mr Ernie Koh.
Mr Ernie Koh, Council Member, SBF, said, “Good indoor air quality is critical to our health and well-being, given that we spend more than 90 per cent of our time indoors. The industry guidelines are an industry-initiated effort by the industry, for the industry. Through the development of these guidelines, the AfA hopes to showcase the best practices for good indoor air quality, and at the same time, bring greater attention to the many sustainable products and offerings by local companies.”
Ms Natalie Craig, Managing Director, C&W Services Singapore said, “Good indoor quality is essential to enhancing productivity and promoting a healthy work environment. Industry guidelines are a meaningful step towards addressing indoor air quality. At C&W Services, we leverage cutting-edge technologies and combine them with the best detection and analytics tools. This means that we can use innovations such as air quality monitors to deliver excellent indoor air quality and our analytics platform to provide actionable insights for stakeholders to make accurate ventilation decisions.”
Mr Phua Boon Huat, President, SFIC, said, “The timely introduction of the Industry Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality under the AfA is the latest strategy that is in line with the furniture industry’s own Sustainability Blueprint and 2025 Furniture Industry Roadmap. SFIC has committed to the AfA’s Low Formaldehyde Commitment Pledge in April 2022 to supply or adopt low or no formaldehyde products and solutions. These new industry guidelines would mean the public and consumers will be able to enjoy cleaner and greener urban indoor spaces in future. Moving forward, we would like to advocate for industry players to opt for cleaner, safer materials in their offerings and designs. As for the consumers, we hope that these guidelines will encourage and educate them to be able to discern what’s best for their family and the environment.”
Mr Tang Kok Thye, President, SGBC, said, “Green buildings are good for the environment but even better for people with their emphasis on human health and well- being. With growing consumer attention on the impact of air quality on health, these guidelines will help to spur concrete action by companies to monitor, track and optimise the health and well-being of our places and spaces for occupants.”
To view the guidelines, please click here: https://www.sbf.org.sg/what-we- do/advocacy-policy/policy-development.
About Singapore Business Federation
As the apex business chamber, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) champions the interests of the business community in Singapore in trade, investment and industrial relations. Nationally, SBF acts as the bridge between the government and businesses in Singapore to create a conducive business environment. Internationally, SBF represents the business community in bilateral, regional and multilateral fora for the purpose of trade expansion and business networking.
For more information, please visit: www.sbf.org.sg
About Singapore Furniture Industries Council
The Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) is established since 1981 as the official representative body of Singapore’s furniture and furnishings industry. It has a membership of over 360 companies, spanning across five key industry clusters: furniture manufacturers, interior fit-out specialists, retailers, designers, as well as materials/ components/services providers.
Collectively, our industry players have a global footprint in over 80 countries to date. Currently, the council represents 95 per cent of established furniture manufacturers in Singapore, of whom 65 per cent have subsidiary manufacturing plants in various countries across the region, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
As an aggregator and multiplier in the furniture eco-system, the SFIC’s vision is to position the Singapore furniture industry as the nexus of tomorrow’s work-life integration for sustainable urban living. In essence, the industry aims to pursue the three key pillars of market agility, urbanite-centricity and enterprise adeptness to drive the industry further.
SFIC’s priority initiatives include internationalisation, design development, business innovation, digitalisation and sustainability to enable members to stay future ready and competitive, while upgrading enterprise and human capital capabilities within the industry.
The SFIC also helms as the Chairman of the ASEAN Furniture Industries Council (AFIC), with the aim of further strengthening intra-ASEAN trade and its competitive advantage in the global market.
Visit www.singaporefurniture.com for more information.
About Singapore Green Building Council
The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) enables sustainability across the building and construction value chain, championing capability development and innovative solutions that support industry transformation through our Membership, Certification and outreach programmes.
The repository of proven green building solutions helps to enable green procurement in the industry, profiling leading and innovative solutions that go towards building a greener, healthier built environment. Together with a growing pool of industry-recognised Green Mark Accredited Professionals, SGBC addresses every touchpoint of the green building ecosystem.
For more information, please visit www.sgbc.sg.
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