Beginning January 2003, the Green Building Certificate System, which has been in force since January 2002, will be extended to include the semi-residential buildings, office buildings (public and private), commercial buildings and remodeled buildings.

This System has been in effect by the Ministry of Environment, along with the Ministry of Construction and Transportation in order to foster the development and use of environment-friendly materials, reduce environmental pollution generated during the building life cycle, and provide pleasant residential environment for the citizens.

The Green Building Certificate System, which assesses the entire construction process, from material production, design and construction to maintenance and disposal, is subject to impact assessment in relation to its energy and resource conservation, reduction of pollutants and environmental pleasantness. This System is already in operation in several developed countries, such as Canada, the U.S., and Japan.

When this system is firmly in place, it is expected to promote the technological development for minimizing the environmental impact on the entire building process, and contribute to forming a pleasant and healthy residential environment. Also, through the reduction of energy and CO2 emissions, it will be effectively mitigating climate change issues and other global environmental problems.