THOSE seeking to buy energy- and cost-saving home appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, will be able to check if the products are on a "green" list that will be posted online.

Special materials, such as different types of glass and walls that are green, will also be included in the list, making it easier for construction-industry players to develop environmentally-friendly buildings.

The list, which is expected to be ready in a year, is the first project of the Singapore Green Building Council.

The newly-formed group, consisting of 141 construction-industry leaders from the private and public sectors, aims to promote environmentally sustainable practices to industry players and consumers.

The council hopes that by making information on green products more accessible, people will be motivated to make green choices, said council chairman Lee Chuan Seng.

The creation of the council had been mooted by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) about a year ago to an informal group of more than 10 industry players interested in sustainable building. The BCA also provided seed funding and secretariat support.

"The oil crisis back in the 1970s made us realise the importance of conservation and got us interested in going green," said Mr Lee.

The council was officially launched yesterday at the International Green Building Conference, held during the inaugural Green Building Week.

Singapore aims to have 80 per cent of all buildings here green by 2030 - which can be done as long as people realise that "economic growth can go hand in hand with sustainability", Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said yesterday.

This week, the BCA also signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Environment Programme, to share sustainable building practices and policies, and to set up a centre of excellence in sustainable building here.

lingxin@ sph.com.sg