Application of Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) at City Level in Johor Bahru

Abstract

CASBEE-City tool determines the city's Built Environment Efficiency (BEE) by calculating the improvement of Quality of Life (Q) over human activities' Environmental Load (L) within the city's hypothetical boundary. A total of 58 variables (57 Q indicators and one variable for L) are used in the worldwide version of CASBEE-City which were grounded using ISO 37120:2014 Sustainable Development of Communities and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations (UN). This paper examines the application of CASBEE-City for Malaysian cities using the case of Johor Bahru City and identifies assessment indicators which are customised based on the data availability, reliability and suitability through focus group discussions (FGDs) which involved 36 respondents (researchers, urban planners and stakeholders). This paper reveals Johor Bahru with moderate score B+ in 2010 and 2025. Consensus were also achieved from the 36 FGD respondents for the practicability and future potential of CASBEE-City and BEE framework in Johor Bahru.

Fast tracking tool selection for sustainability decisions

“…Unlike approaches we discussed earlier, such as ISO 14001, the taxonomy of tools specifies particular tools, facilitating more specific decision making by practitioners. The taxonomy of tools is also less restrictive in its range of available tools than approaches such as CASBEE which are very much focused on the built environment (bin Hishammuddin et al, 2019), or LCA which is in essence just one tool. Crucially, the taxonomy of tools is also one of the first approaches specifically designed with AI in mind, with the vision that AI systems can allow key data gaps regarding inputs and primary data to be plugged more quickly, facilitating more rapid model optimization and application over time.…”

“…These include the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems, which offers a broad framework that, while not specifying particular tools, focuses on incorporating environmental considerations into organizational decision-making. Sustainability Assessment Frameworks like the Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) (bin Hishammuddin et al, 2019), provide a suite of tools for assessing sustainability and making informed decisions based on specific criteria. LCA, although a tool itself, is also a framework offering a structured approach for assessing environmental impacts throughout a product's lifecycle that can incorporate other tools to provide a more holistic perspective.…”