| |
| |
The South African property sector is aiming to go green by 2009.According to the Clinton Climate Initiative, urban areas are responsible for about three-quarters of global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Buildings are said to contribute 40percent to global carbon dioxide emissions.
In cities such as London and New York, building emissions are estimated to constitute 70percent of emissions.
The local property industry is hoping to influence change by establishing the Green Building Council of South Africa, championed by the SA Property Owners’ Association, the World Green Building Council, and former US president Bill Clinton’s Clinton Climate Initiative.
The council will set standards for eco- friendly buildings with which all property developers will have to comply.
The Green Building Council will formulate a “leadership in energy and environmental design” rating system.
The World Green Building Council’s former executive director, Huston Eubank, said he was in South Africa to finalise the structure of the local council, which is expected to be operating by 2009.
Eubank said individual and corporate adoption of green building guidelines had made them affordable for residential, commercial or industrial use.
He said South Africa’s system was necessary because poor countries always suffered the worst from environmental disasters.
Eubank said eco-friendly measures had made companies competitive and more profitable.
He said projects such as the Western Cape’s Woodstock Upper East mixed-use development were a good indicator of initiatives to come.
Part of the project is the conversion of a 47-year-old building into 139 units.
Solar heat insulators, used bricks, and recycling rain and air- conditioning water for irrigation is part of the development. - The Times
No comments:
Post a Comment