Green Star expands throughout Africa
October 05, 2017
As the Green Star sustainability rating system continues to influence the design and delivery of buildings and communities around Africa, the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) has announced a rebrand.
The Green Star SA rating system has been rebranded Green Star Africa to support its uptake throughout the continent.
Green Star was originally developed by the Green Building Council Australia (GBCA), and was licensed to GBCSA in 2008 for use in South Africa.
Green Star has been extensively adapted for the local African climatic, social and economic context, which makes it the rating system of choice for property owners in Africa.
Under a new agreement, the GBCSA is now licenced to certify green buildings throughout the African continent with the Green Star rating system. The licence agreement allows the GBCSA, in collaboration with other African green building councils, to sub-licence and use Green Star with their Local Context Report to certify buildings in their respective countries. The Local Context Reports developed thus far can be viewed here.
Thulani Kuzwayo, Regional Chair of the Africa Regional Network of green building councils, adds that the GBCSA has been certifying green buildings across the continent outside of South Africa since 2014. Green Star certified buildings are now found in Ghana, Rwanda, Namibia and Kenya, with upcoming registered projects in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Mauritius to follow.
“We are also proud to have supported the establishment of seven green building councils in Africa: Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. It is fitting that the Green Star rating system name now encompasses the entire continent as the green building movement goes from strength to strength in the region.”
“The growth of green buildings in Africa and involvement of the industry is truly inspirational and the GBCSA has driven a new way of thinking about green buildings – one which captures the benefits of green building not only for the environment, but for people too,” says the GBCA’s chief executive officer, Romilly Madew.
“The GBCSA’s work has helped to demonstrate that, the world over, building rating systems are one of the most powerful mechanisms to drive positive change and market transformation, and to build better places for people too. I’m optimistic that this new era for Green Star will help other countries in Africa to achieve success too.”
GBCSA CEO, Dorah Modise, says, “Across Africa, we are seeing countries taking important steps towards a large scale and long term transformation of how buildings and cities are being built. It is extremely promising to see the impact of the green building movement on the region, one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This rebranding of Green Star Africa acknowledges the African continent’s commitment to transformation.”
