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As sustainable development globally gains traction, the 2018 Green Building Convention couldn’t have come at a much more opportune moment than this. This year’s event, bearing the theme, “The Race to Zero” has been set to take place in Cape Town, South Africa. This convention is solely centered on having buildings that are carbon emission free and with zero ecological impacts.
Green building encompasses design techniques, construction practices, operation, maintenance and renovation activities that greatly reduce negative impacts of conventional building techniques on the environment. They are energy efficient and environmentally clean. These buildings are carefully designed to minimize heat loads while maximizing fresh air circulation, adopting construction materials that are environmentally clean, minimizing material waste by adopting reusing and recycling practices, relying on renewables for power and having energy efficient lighting and air conditioning.
As Dorah Modise clearly puts it, “we have a corporate obligation to act right in whichever way possible in order to reduce the impacts of climate change, protect our natural resources and make the most out of energy savings.” The Green Building Convention is hence playing a pivotal role in sensitizing professionals, practitioners, advocates, teachers, students, designers and builders of the sustainable benefits of adopting green building technologies. This is a forum where innovative ideas on new green building technologies are generated.
The establishment of green building convention back in the year 2007 has spurred the growth of green buildings in South Africa and this determination is yet to show signs of retardation. The certification of the initial 100 buildings took 6 years but the year 2015 up to September 2016 saw certification surprisingly hit the 200 mark. Currently South Africa boasts of having at least 300 certified green buildings. According to figures released by “The Dodge Data Analytics World Green Building Trends Smart Market” in the year 2016, South Africa currently has a huge share of green buildings when compared to any other country, with projections set to make her the leader in this green building industry come the year 2019. The progress thus made so far shows the commitment the country has had in their movement towards a greener future.
The Green Building Council of South Africa is currently the master in green building thanks to enormous support from her sponsors and partners. The annual convention provides a platform from which past collective achievements and setbacks are analyzed and better strategic policies are crafted and implementation plans drawn in order to further transform the green building movement. The journey towards sustainability is on. It is ambitious and much stronger than it really was. We’ve got to be courageous, act differently and change our mindset in order break down boundaries that still limits the transformation of green movement. This year’s convention is different though much better than the previous conventions. By skillfully making their stands interactive, exhibitors will make sure the delegates get level best exposures and full engagements.
The Green Building Convention is committed to developing a green sustainable future. Their resolve is to secure a future that not only conforms to the current human needs but also ensures the ability for future generations to provide for their own human needs is not compromised. In other words, that is a planet that plant and animal life sustainably thrive. Building is one of the areas contributing to climate change hence by adopting green building techniques, the world has a better opportunity of combating climate change.