Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2013 | Page 12

MASTER INVESTOR Exciting developments The last two years have also seen some exciting new developments, including the launch of the Green Lease Toolkit, and very recently, two new rating tools: one for Interiors, sponsored by Standard Bank, and another for Existing Buildings, sponsored by Nedbank. Both the Green Lease Toolkit and the Interior rating tool creates a new market segment in the green building sector, bringing the tenants into the green building playing field. In line with new tenant demands for greener and more efficient space and the increasingly green approach taken by the design community that manage the fit out process, these tools allow tenants to benefit from sustainability efforts in fit out and during operation of the building. The existing building performance rating tool is another exciting new development for the GBCSA, given the reality that existing buildings comprise the bulk of total building stock. This tool takes sustainability in the built environment into the main stream mass market. As a result, Brian believes that within three years, green rated buildings in South Africa will number in the thousands. Working with the World Green Building Council, the GBCSA has also developed a socio–economic framework for inclusion in its certification, based on the premise that holistic environmental sustainability demands consideration of the social aspects. This socioeconomic rating tool exists alongside the green building rating tool and has been made available to other Green Building Councils around the world. Future developments The GBCSA is a lso work ing w ith the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a division of the World Bank, on a project that may culminate in a green building operation system for residential property. Brian believes that should this initiative come to fruition, it will take green buildings into the consumer space by providing a “lite” green building system for residential property owners. More exciting news is that the WorldGBC Congress will integrate with the premier 6th annual Green Building Convention, hosted by the GBCSA at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 16 – 18 October 2013 – 10 September 2013 SA Real Estate Investor a first for Africa and a significant opportunity for local players in the property industry to network with experts and thought-leaders from 92 green building councils from across the globe, making this the most distinctive sustainable building gathering ever hosted on our continent. The cost question One of the most often asked questions, which will no doubt be answered at this global gathering of green building experts, focuses on the cost implications of green building. Brian says that stakeholders looking for empirical evidence of the cost benefits of green building will find the economic case for green building in the GBCSA publication Rands and Sense of Green Buildings, ]?Z[X?H?H???B??X??]K??H??\?]X[?H??\??X[?Y?\??[??]?[?\???[XZ[??^]Y?H??X?[Y??'????[Z][x?'H??Y[??Z[[????]?\????X[??[Y]?\?]?[H[?]?X?????H8?$?[??Y[???Y[?X?????H8?$?[???\\??\??]?\??[?\?YY[?8?'X\?HY?\??[Z][x?'KB??X[]H\?]H?Y[??Z[[??\?X]\?Y??^[?H^\?Y[??H?\??K[?H[??X?B?X[?Y?\?][??\?\?]H???\?????\?Y?X?][?\??X??Z[??[?HY??X?Y[?\?B?]X[]H??X?Z\??[??[\??K?\?H?\?[?B?[\??Y^\?Y[??H[?^\?\?H[?H?X???\??[\?HX]\?][??HX?????KB?^\?[??H?H8?'????[Z][x?'H[??Y[??Z[[??\?X?]X?K???]?\?[\??X[?H?[\??YH]\?H\?B?????[Z][H[????Y ?[????Y\?Y??B?\??[? ?H??H \?\??][?? IH??H K\?\???][??[? ?H??H ?\?\??][???Z[[??\?B?\?H?\?H?X?[]]?H?Y?\?\??]?[?H?X?]?XX???X?\?[?\]YK[?]\??H???Y\?Y?[?H??^?H??]\?H????[?Y?]????YH?\?H\?HX\?H?]X[?Y?K??^[\K??[?[?[Z][\?[???\??\?][???????[B??\???X?\??]\?K\???[??H?Z[[??Y?Z[????X??Z[?????]H[?H??[?[??X\?\?[???X?]?]K\?H[?HY??X?[?]X[?Y?B?[?[?]\?H\?\??]H???H[?H\?]???]\?H????[?Y?]?[?H[??\?Y?Y\?[?B?\??Z]?Y????[Z][H?H?Y[??Z[[?????\?[???[?\?????Y[?\HB????x?&\???YH[?\??H[??]\??[??X\??[??? ?X??[[??[H?]?[X]H?Z\??Z[[???\?H\???Z[???[]]?H?B??]\?X?[H?[]?[???]Y??X?[??[??X\????X?\??Y[???X[\?Y?Y?\?Y????\?XX?\??X?\????\[??KH?[X?\??????\[??H\H??Z[[??[?]?[?B??[X?\????\]\???]??Y\?HYX\?\?H?H?Z[[???&\??\??[??[X??X?]H\?Y?H[??]\????[\[???Y?\?\??X?[?????H?]\?[?\??[?[????H??[?\???X[??H?[]]?H?B??[??X\??Y?H?Z[[???]\???\?B??[??X\??][]?\??HX\??][????]??[?H[?\?[??X?H[??Y??X][???]?[?[??Y?H?Z[[??[?\?\???\?B??[??X\??]??Y\?[?[Y?[??H]?[??[???H[??\?Y[?X?\?[??????PS??&T?Q?P?H????T?B?S??T???H?Y[??Z[[???\?HH?]\?B???$?H[??\??Y[? \?X?[\?B?[?\?\???\?][??????\??]?\??Y[?[?H??X?]?H??Y[??Z[[???X?X?\????Z?H??H?H???[??[X[???[[?????]H[??\?Y[?X[?[?[?????Y[???\?Y\?]?\?H[?H??? YY??X?]?H??\?]K????]??Y[?X??[]?Y[??H]???Y[??Z[[??\?X??X?[[??^[??]?H8?$??][?[???YY??[?[????H[?^\?Y[??Y???\??[?[ ???\]Z\[?\??[?Y? []?[?????Y?H[?[???X][?[?\??[?HX???ZX?[??[??\??Y[?[[\X?][???B??Y[??Z[[????\??^K???H[?\??[?][?H8?'??????[Z][x?'H??[?H???Y\?Y?[?H??^???]\?H?????[?Y?]?[?H?[YH??]\?\???[??[?\???\?H???[????][??HX?[??????????\?H]?[?\????\??[??[?[??Z?HY?[?Y?H?H?[?Y?]?]?Y[???Z[[???[???\????X[??Y??\??H?\????T??T??T??Y[??Z[[????[??[??]Y??X?B????˜?Z[XY????B??