The Civil Engineering Contractor February 2018 | Page 20

TECHNOLOGY
Beyond green
buildings to ‘green’ cities
By Dorah Modise
As buildings soar ever heavenwards and cities attempt to emulate their natural jungle
counterpart — but serve only to become concrete versions thereof — a ‘greener’ approach to
construction is coming into its own.
T
solid waste in the US is generated by
the construction industry.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Did you know that green buildings
can reduce global carbon emissions
by up to a third?
The good news is that, according
to the Dodge Data Analytics
World Green Building Trends 2016
SmartMarket Report, South Africa
currently has the highest green
share of any country in the study
and could become a leader in the
green building sector in the next
three years.
To be more specific, green
building in South Africa currently
accounts for almost half (41%)
of building project activity,
compared to the global average of
24%. More importantly, 61% of
building projects in South Africa
he effect of buildings
and construction on the
environment is astounding,
with the built environment
currently accounting for 20% of
the world’s water usage and 40%
of its electricity. The statistics
are sobering: the global cement
industry produces more emissions
than Japan; cities consume about
75% of global energy; and 50% of
There are 14 pilot projects that are early adopters to support the long-term success and applicability of the Green Star
tool in the African context. One such project is the Kgoro Precinct in Johannesburg, developed by Cedar Park Properties.
18 - CEC February 2018