CarbonScore can be used to assess both residential and commercial buildings. Residential projects can include multi-unit developments, landed properties and individual apartment units. Non-residential building types that can be evaluated include offices, retail stores, shopping malls, hotels, hospitals and university buildings.
Can I submit for an individual apartment or landed property?
Yes. Individual residential or commercial units can apply using an “interiors” submission.
Are there any building types that cannot be assessed?
CarbonScore Version 1.0 does not accept applications for industrial buildings. (ie. factories, logistics centres, petrol stations, data centres, etc…). These facilities typically have emissions from additional process loads and/or consumption of fossil fuel on-site which are not considered direct ‘building-related’ emissions.
It is therefore appropriate they are assessed via a scope 1, 2 & 3 carbon audit of the companies’ overall operations. Industrial projects are encouraged to appoint a specialist ESD consultant or consider the Malaysia Green Technology Corporation’s [MGTC] low-carbon operating system [LCOS], a cloud-based system to help corporates measure, manage and disclose their scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions according to the GHG Protocols.
Can CarbonScore be used to assess industrial facilities like factories, distribution centres, petrol stations and data centres?
No, please see above
Can I use CarbonScore if I only have performance data (electricity bills) for my building’s common areas?
Yes. To accommodate different building types and uses, CarbonScore has three different submission protocols:
Whole Building — Projects that have performance data available for an entire building may submit for a “whole building” assessment.
Base Building — Projects that have building performance data available for common areas only (ie. leased, tenanted or strata premises) may submit for a “base building” assessment.
Interiors — Individual residential and commercial units within a larger building may submit for an “interiors” assessment.
Do CarbonScore certificates have a specified validity period?
CarbonScore certificates do not expire, but are dated according to the last month/year of the project’s 12-month reporting period. For example, a project that submits performance data from utility bills for January to December 2023 will be issued with a certificate dated 12-2023.
How can I improve my CarbonScore?
Retrofitting a building to reduce emissions and improve operating efficiency can be approached in a number of ways, both big and small. Some improvements involve extensive renovations to existing systems, others can be undertaken during the course of regular maintenance and replacement schedules with minimal additional capital investment.
For existing buildings, opportunities to reduce emissions generated from construction materials and activities can be limited as the building has already been built. This leaves two primary pathways for reducing operational emissions across the lifecycle of an existing structure: 1. Improving the Energy Efficiency [EE] of the building’s operations; and 2. Generating Electricity from Renewable Energy [RE]. The good news is that both options effectively pay for themselves as they can significantly reduce operating costs and yield direct financial returns to building owners and occupants.
My Electricity Bill shows my subscription to a Green Electricity Tariff, will I get due consideration for a better CarbonScore?
Yes, CO2 emissions reductions from Renewable Energy Certificates [RECs] are considered. When submitting, please report the clean energy procurement under the Renewable Energy section.
Does CarbonScore allow carbon offset credits?
No, while carbon offset credits can sometimes play a small role in reducing the carbon footprint of individual buildings, they should not be used as a substitute for primary mitigation strategies like energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption. The primary focus should always be on reducing emissions at the source.
CarbonScore does recognize emissions reductions via procurement of renewable energy generated off-site in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates [RECs]. Applicable RECs should be submitted under the Renewable Energy section and contribute directly to buildings’ overall CarbonScore assessment.
What is the difference between CarbonScore and Green Building Certifications like GBI, GreenRE and LEED?
Green building certifications are holistic environmental benchmarks that are awarded for achieving a broad range of building performance criteria including energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, sustainable site planning & management, materials & resources and water efficiency. CarbonScore is not an award. It aligns with these green rating tools but specifically evaluates building-related CO2 emissions, reflecting the increased urgency of global emissions reduction and climate change mitigation.
While more than 95% of green building ratings in Malaysia are awarded to new construction, CarbonScore has been developed as a convenient and cost-effective assessment of buildings that are already in operation. Using documents that are readily available to building owners, managers and occupants, project submissions can be completed without the assistance of specialist consultants or building professionals.
Will future versions of CarbonScore allow/encourage buildings at design stage to participates? If yes, will there be verification of its design carbon score later when building in operation?
Yes. A ‘provisional’ score for projects during design/construction stages is currently under development and will be implemented subsequent to the initial rollout.
