“ More must be done in the country to increase awareness of the need to be more sustainable especially given government ’ s focus on decarbonisation and achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050 as part of The Paris Agreement .”
While a lot of work still needs to be done in South Africa to instil a culture of sustainability and energy efficiency , the EPC is certainly a step in the right direction . Of course , improving the energy performance of existing buildings through retrofits and designing more efficient buildings from the ground up will only truly yield the desired results if user behaviour changes in the country .
Having an A rating means very little if tenants do not act responsibly around their own energy usages . Fortunately , we have seen that people are receptive to this and certainly understand the importance of being more energy efficient especially given the continuous rolling blackouts taking place . However , there is still a great need for education and awareness campaigns especially when it comes to EPCs and sustainability in the local market .
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 149