News
GBCSA CELEBRATES 15 YEARS
OF DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Green Building Council South Africa ( GBCSA ) is pioneering transformation of the South African property sector .
“ GBCSA is not an organisation , but a movement .” So says Dorah Modise , former GBCSA CEO , reflecting on its milestone 15th anniversary . The council has yielded significant results that have driven measurable impact not only in terms of certifications but also in training , accreditation , job creation and climate change mitigation .
Current CEO of GBCSA , Lisa Reynolds , says that in this time the organisation has reached 905 certifications in Africa , across the Green Star , Net Zero , EWP and EDGE certifications . The impact of the 905 certifications can be illustrated through the energy and water savings and carbon reductions achieved as a result of the measures required to achieve the certification . 91 500 households worth of annual energy ( 1 320 million kWh / annum ), and 1 220 million litres of potable drinking water will be saved annually , which equates to 1 672 800 people ’ s daily drinking water needs every year . The 1 590 million kgCO2 / annum that will be saved equates to 395 400 cars off the roads every year in terms of kgCO2 equivalent .
“ In the last year alone 165 buildings were certified which reflects the exponential growth in the adoption of more sustainable building practices - the first 50 certifications took over five years , but as the environmental and financial benefits of green building became more apparent , we saw a greater buy-in across the board and the industry as a whole has shifted . Our role in education and training is an important part of achieving this shift , and supports a just transition to low-carbon green building , ensuring the future and livelihoods of workers by creating new jobs within a green economy .”
GBCSA is one of about 70 members of the World Green Building Council ( WGBC ) and collaborates with Green Building Councils across the globe , enabling access to a community of experts and creating a platform for advocacy , training and certification , also catalysing a number of regulatory changes . GBCSA ’ s Annual Green Building Convention has become the property industry ’ s premier gathering of experts and leaders in the field of sustainable building .
Through the development of a host of certification tools and the training and accreditation of professionals in the field of green building , the adoption of environmentally
GBCSA
responsible practice in the property sector has become mainstream , and the vision of being a driving force in the mitigation of climate change has become a reality . To date , 2 265 professionals have been accredited through GBCSA ’ s training and accreditation programmes with 325 students going through the candidate programme .
In 2007 , Bruce Kerswill , who is currently the managing director of Spire Property Group , saw the need for a body to facilitate the growth and adoption of green principles in the property sector in South Africa , where at the time , green building was the exception rather than the rule . He says , “ We received much valuable support from the Australian Green Building Council and assistance with the development of South Africa ’ s own Green Star tool . Neil Gopal from SAPOA ( South African Property Owners Association ) was instrumental in our initial efforts , and Nicola Douglas as our CEO was a driving force in getting the organisation off the ground .”
The Green Star SA rating system was launched in 2008 and the first certification of phase two of Nedbank ’ s head office in Sandton , Johannesburg , was awarded in 2009 . The Green Star Rating and certification is a rigorous , standardised system that uses independent assessors to evaluate submissions and allocate points for the various green measures that have been implemented in a building project . Certification is awarded for
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Phase two of Nedbank ’ s head office in Sandton , Johannesburg , received certification in 2009 .
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