SINGAPORE - The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) on Friday launched guidelines to help commercial landlords and tenants agree to cut energy and water use, and expanded its zones of higher Green Mark standards to new areas.

Ms Grace Fu, Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, made these announcements at the launch of its Green Building Exhibition at Marina Square.

The commercial and service-related building sector consumes 38 per cent of Singapore's energy, Ms Fu said. Tenants in a commercial building typically account for half of that usage.

So the BCA has put out examples of how 'green leases' might work. For instance, landlords could ask that tenants install energy-efficient lighting and fittings, and in turn provide recycling collection facilities.

Currently, at least eight malls by developers CapitaLand and Lend Lease offer some or all of their tenants such lease terms. They are Bedok Mall, Bugis+, JCube, Junction 8, Westgate, 313@Somerset, Parkway Parade, and Jem.

Ms Fu also announced that developments at two more strategic sites, Woodlands Regional Centre and Punggol, would have to meet Green Mark Platinum or Gold Plus standards. Currently, only those in Marina Bay and Jurong Lake District must meet those requirements.

The exhibition is at the Marina Square shopping mall till Sunday.