The current work presents a Malaysian housing sector experience to develop an innovative prediction model for the operational carbon footprint at planning and design stage. Besides life-cycle assessment methodology, statistical technique of multiple regressions incorporated the effects of different identified variables. Three-dimensional parametric models of selected case studies were developed in a virtual environment using building information modeling (BIM). The emergence of multiple regressions, BIM and LCA, in an environmental assessment study for operational phase in a tropical region unlocked a new direction of research. The successful satisfaction and qualification of statistical criterion and tests ensured an efficient prediction model with an acceptable percentage error of ± 6 between the predicted and observed values. The study aims to contribute to pre-assessments of CO2 levels at an early stage of life-cycle studies for quick sustainable decisions and safe green social developments. © 2019, Islamic Azad University (IAU).