Paper 2 · Real Estate Marketing & Advertising Rules · 10 min read
Green Mark & Green Leases (2027 RES Syllabus)
Practise this section (25 questions) → · 3.9 Green buildings and leases, in sets of about 30
Must-know for the exam
- Green buildings and leases (unit 3.9) is examined from 1 Jan 2027; papers sat in 2026 follow the 2017 syllabus (CEA syllabus FAQ, 27 Aug 2025).
- BCA runs the Green Mark scheme, launched January 2005, rating the environmental performance of new and existing buildings, residential included.
- Energy efficiency is the only prerequisite; five sections (Intelligence, Health and Well-being, Whole Life Carbon, Maintainability, Resilience) offer 15 points each, and 10 earns a badge.
- GM:2021 tiers against the 2005 code: GoldPLUS 50%, Platinum 55%, SLE 60%; ZE is 100% renewable, PE 115% on-site; Gold exists only on recertification.
- Green Mark Version 7 took effect 2 Sep 2026: separate Energy Rating (EE45 to PE, new SLE70) plus GoldPLUS or Platinum; v7 only for applications from 1 Apr 2027.
- A certificate is valid 3 years (v7: up to 5 for sustained energy performers); the owner must recertify, and a lapsed rating advertised as current is misleading.
- The law sets a minimum ES score of 50 for works of 5,000 m² GFA or more first submitted from 1 Dec 2021; 2,000 m² was the earlier threshold.
- Green Mark itself is compulsory on GLS land sold from 30 Jun 2022 (Platinum SLE plus Maintainability Badge); existing-building energy duties fall on owners, not tenants, and exclude residential.
- A green lease covers energy, water, materials, waste, indoor environmental quality and occupant well-being (BCA Green Lease Toolkit, Sep 2026); clauses follow control of the space.
- No law requires green-lease clauses: they bind only as agreed terms, enforced by contractual remedies, and Green Mark scores them for non-residential buildings only.
On this page · 6 sections
Green buildings and leases is one of three units CEA added to Paper 2 for every RES exam from 1 Jan 2027 (CEA, Anticipated FAQs on revision of RES Examination Syllabus, version as at 27 Aug 2025). The unit is short and descriptive, so the marks go to precise discrimination: what a Green Mark award does and does not certify, how long it lasts, when green standards are law rather than a choice, and who carries each clause in a green lease. Expect these facts inside marketing scenarios, where an overstated green claim is also a misleading advertisement.
Upcoming change · 1 Jan 2027
This unit (syllabus 3.9) is examined from the first 2027 sitting. Papers sat in 2026 still follow the 2017 syllabus, which does not list it.
What Green Mark is for
The BCA Green Mark Certification Scheme, launched in January 2005, is Singapore's green building rating system. It gives a framework for assessing the overall environmental performance of new and existing buildings, to promote sustainable design and best practices in construction and operation (BCA, Green Mark Certification Scheme page, updated 9 Oct 2026). It is run by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), not URA, NEA, HDB or CEA. It covers commercial, industrial, institutional and residential buildings.
Green Mark rewards performance above the legal minimum. The legal minimum itself (energy, water efficiency, waste, greenery, bicycle parking) is set by other regulators and forms the mandatory baseline every certified building must already meet (BCA, GM:2021 Certification Standard R3, 1 Jun 2026, Annex 1). The scheme serves the Singapore Green Building Masterplan (March 2021), whose 80-80-80 in 2030 targets are: 80% of buildings by gross floor area green by 2030, 80% of new developments Super Low Energy from 2030, and an 80% energy-efficiency improvement over 2005 levels for best-in-class buildings by 2030 (BCA, SGBMP page, updated 1 Sep 2026).
| Situation | What is compulsory |
|---|---|
| New building or major retrofit of 5,000 m² GFA or more, first planning submission on or after 1 Dec 2021 | The minimum environmental sustainability standard (an ES score of 50 points) under the Building Control Act, checked before TOP/CSC. Not a Green Mark award |
| Same works, first planning submission 15 Apr 2008 – 30 Nov 2021 | The old threshold of 2,000 m² GFA applied |
| Building on Government Land Sales land sold on or after 30 Jun 2022 | Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy with the Maintainability Badge: here Green Mark itself is mandatory |
| Existing non-residential building of 5,000 m² or more ("Type 1") | The owner reports energy use every calendar year (fine up to $10,000 for failing to), and if energy-intensive must cut its energy use intensity by 10% under the Mandatory Energy Improvement regime |
| A private condominium, an office tenant's fit-out, a shophouse | No Green Mark duty. Certification is the owner's (or tenant's) choice |
The trap
“Green Mark is required for every new building” and “Green Mark is always voluntary” are both wrong. The law requires a minimum ES standard for large works, and requires Green Mark itself only on GLS land sold from 30 Jun 2022 (and public-sector buildings). The existing-building duties fall on the owner, never the tenant, and exclude residential buildings.
Ratings, criteria and badges
Energy efficiency is the only prerequisite. On top of it, a building scores points in five sustainability sections: Intelligence (smart systems and data), Health and Well-being (occupants' physical, mental and social well-being), Whole Life Carbon (embodied carbon, sustainable fit-out, a plan to reach zero carbon), Maintainability and Resilience (climate adaptation, nature-based solutions). Each section offers 15 points; scoring 10 or more earns that section's badge, which may be shown with the Green Mark logo (GM:2021 Certification Standard R3, pp. 17–23).
| GM:2021 rating | Energy savings vs 2005 | GM v7 equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Recertification (In Operation) only | Gold (In Operation) + Energy Rating EE45 |
| GoldPLUS | At least 50% | GoldPLUS + EE50 |
| Platinum | At least 55% | Platinum + EE55 |
| Super Low Energy (SLE) | At least 60% (or 40% vs the prevailing code) | SLE60; v7 adds SLE70 (70%) |
| Zero Energy (ZE) | An SLE building with 100% of its energy, plug load included, from renewables; domestic renewable energy certificates allowed | ZE |
| Positive Energy (PE) | An SLE building generating 115% of its energy from on-site renewables; certificates not allowed | PE |
Under v7, energy and holistic performance are rated separately. A BCA Energy Rating (EE45 to PE) can be had alone, which suits owners of existing buildings. A holistic GoldPLUS or Platinum award needs an Energy Rating plus sustainability points, and the owner receives two certificates and may display either or both (GM v7 Certification Standard, pp. 18–19).
The trap
Three BCA schemes, three different things. Green Mark (2005) rates environmental performance. CONQUAS scores a project's construction workmanship. Quality Mark (2002) certifies a private home's internal finishes and freedom from major defects and seepage. A Green Mark Platinum condominium is not thereby well built, and a high CONQUAS score says nothing about energy use.
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Quick self-check · 5 questions
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Which body runs the Green Mark scheme, and how long is a certificate valid?Show answer
BCA, not URA, NEA, HDB or CEA. A certificate is valid for 3 years, not for the life of the building; under v7 the Energy Rating and recertification awards can run 5 years where the building met its energy-use targets.
When is Green Mark certification itself, rather than a minimum standard, compulsory?Show answer
On Government Land Sales land sold on or after 30 Jun 2022, which needs Platinum Super Low Energy with the Maintainability Badge, and for public-sector buildings. New buildings and major retrofits of 5,000 m² GFA or more need only the minimum ES standard.
What is the only prerequisite under Green Mark, and what earns a section badge?Show answer
Energy efficiency. On top of it a building scores in five sections: Intelligence, Health and Well-being, Whole Life Carbon, Maintainability and Resilience. Each offers 15 points, and 10 or more earns that section's badge.
A building's Green Mark Platinum certificate expired four months ago. May the salesperson advertise it as Platinum?Show answer
No. The certificate has lapsed, so calling the building Platinum would mislead (Code paras 7(2) and 12). He may say it was certified Platinum until the expiry date, or wait for recertification.
In a green lease, who meters the premises and who keeps the building's rating, and does any law require the clauses?Show answer
Clauses follow control: the tenant sub-meters its premises and shares electricity data; the landlord keeps the building's rating. No law requires green-lease clauses; they bind only as agreed lease terms, enforced in contract, not by BCA.
Common questions
- Is Green Mark certification compulsory in Singapore?
- Mostly not. New buildings and major retrofits of 5,000 m² GFA or more (first planning submission on or after 1 Dec 2021) must meet a minimum environmental sustainability standard under the Building Control Act, but that is not a Green Mark award. Green Mark itself is compulsory for buildings on Government Land Sales sites sold on or after 30 Jun 2022, which need Platinum Super Low Energy with the Maintainability Badge, and for public-sector buildings. Source: Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulations 2008; BCA GLS page, updated 17 Sep 2026.
- How long is a Green Mark certificate valid?
- Three years. Under Green Mark Version 7 (from 2 Sep 2026), the Energy Rating and In Operation awards can run five years where the building met its energy-use targets over the preceding three years. On expiry the owner must apply for recertification, usually through Green Mark In Operation. Source: GM v7 Certification Standard, 2 Sep 2026; BCA Green Mark page, updated 9 Oct 2026.
- What is a green lease?
- A lease, or a schedule attached to it, in which landlord and tenant agree environmental objectives for the premises and the building. BCA's Green Lease Toolkit groups the clauses under energy efficiency, water efficiency, sustainable materials, waste management, indoor environmental quality, and occupant comfort and well-being. No law requires one; the clauses bind only as agreed terms. Source: BCA Green Lease Toolkit, 3rd version, Sep 2026.
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