Zim seeks WGBC accreditation
LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Zimbabwe is seeking accreditation from the World Green Building Council (WGBC) as a show of commitment to decarbonise operational and embodied emissions amid revelations buildings generate 40% of annual global emissions.
Green Building Council of Zimbabwe chairman Mike Juru said his organisation is seeking accreditation and “participate in global projects, world network meetings, knowledge exchange with fellow Green Building Council staff and industry experts and access to local or regional funding”.
“While many initiatives have been considered and implemented elsewhere, the creation of green building standards, certifications and rating systems aimed at mitigating the impact of buildings on the natural environment through sustainable design would easily become the solution in Zimbabwe,” Juru said.
“Stakeholders in the real estate sector supply chain which include; the government, regulators, local authorities, investors, occupiers, managers, designers, contractors, manufacturers and financiers, must make joint efforts for the nation to meet its commitment and pledge to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change.”
The building industry consumes a global average of 30% of fresh water and generates 30% of the world’s effluents.
Further, 80% of global energy production is fossil based.
Juru said there has been a proliferation of standards, rating and certification programmes in the marketplace to help guide, demonstrate and document efforts to deliver sustainable, high-performance buildings.
The Green Buildings Council of Zimbabwe has been a member of the Green Buildings Council of South Africa, which developed the Green Star SA Rating Tool that is based on the Australian Green Building Council tool, to provide the property industry an objective measurement for green buildings and to recognise and reward environmental leadership in the property industry.
Juru said the objectives of the Green Star SA rating tools are to establish a common language and standard of measurement for green buildings, promote integrated, whole building design, raise awareness of green building benefits, recognise environmental leadership and reduce the environmental impact of development.
He said some experts suggest performance-based requirements that can be met in different ways for different products and project types.
A prescriptive path is a fast, definitive and conservative approach to code compliance.
Juru highlighted that materials and equipment must meet a certain level of stringency, which is quantified in tables.
Performance-based codes are designed to achieve particular results, rather than meeting prescribed requirements for individual building components.
Outcome-based codes, for example, establish a target energy use level and provide for measurement and reporting of energy use to ensure that the completed building performs at the established level.
Juru said the consensus-based standards, developed through a formal, voluntary consensus process that is exemplified by an open and due process are likely to have immediate buy-in, and international influence.
As a result, it can be challenging and time-consuming determining which standards, certifications and rating programmes are most credible and applicable to a particular project or country hence the need for a home-grown solution for Zimbabwe.
The difference between codes and building rating systems is that codes are mandatory.
He said if green codes are adopted on a widespread basis, their impact can change the building environment rapidly and extensively.
To guide the development of codes, the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) provides a comprehensive set of requirements intended to reduce the negative impact of buildings on the natural environment.
It is a document which can be readily used by manufacturers, design professionals and contractors; but what sets it apart in the world of green building is that it was created with the intent to be administered by code officials and adopted by governmental units at any level as a tool to drive green building beyond the market segment that has been transformed by voluntary rating systems.
A certification is a confirmation that a product meets defined criteria of a standard.
ISO defines certification as: “any activity concerned with determining directly or indirectly that relevant requirements are fulfilled.”
“Green product certifications are intended to outline and confirm that a product meets a particular standard and offers an environmental benefit.
“Many product labels and certification programmes certify products based on life-cycle parameters, making them multi-attribute programmes.
“These parameters include energy use, recycled content and air and water emissions from manufacturing, disposal and use. Others focus on a single attribute, such as water, energy, or chemical emissions,” Juru said.
He added: “A green product certification is considered most respected when an independent third party is responsible for conducting product testing and awarding the certification.
Third-party means they are independent of the product manufacturer, contractor, designer and specifier.
Third-party labels and green product certification programmes can be helpful in evaluating the attributes of green products because they validate that the product meets certain industry-independent standards.
They can also offer greater assurance to consumers, designers, specifiers and others that a product’s marketing claims accurately reflect its green attributes.”
