Orchard Parade Hotel, a property under Singapore-listed Far East Hospitality Trust (Far East H-Trust)(SGX:Q5T), has been awarded the BCA Green Mark Gold certification by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore. Orchard Parade Hotel is the first Far East H-Trust property to achieve the certification.

Environment-rated properties will usually incur lower operating costs, translating to healthier net income figures.

The BCA Green Mark is a green building rating system that assesses the overall environmental performance of buildings to promote sustainable design, construction and operations practices. It is endorsed and supported by the National Environment Agency, and its assessment criteria cover areas such as energy and water efficiency, environmental protection and indoor environmental quality.

REITs and Trusts with a good number of BCA-rated properties are often seen as having better control over energy and maintenance costs, especially in times of high fuel prices. Savings from energy and water efficient fixtures will mean lower operating expenses which could translate to higher distributable income.

Units of Far East H-Trust closed the day almost 2 per cent higher from the previous session to end at SGD0.77 on the Singapore Exchange.