The report is based on a global survey of more than 2,000 industry participants including architects, engineers, contractors, owners, specialists/consultants and investors from 86 countries and its main objective is to analyze the level of green activity in the sector.

‘Over the past eleven years, Green Building Council South Africa has been on a sustainability journey to advance green building for the transformation of the South African built environment and construction sectors. It is pleasing to note that the sector has made noticeable inroads with the 400 certifications mark having been reached in September this year,’ said Dorah Modise, Chief Executive Officer at Green Building Council South Africa.

The top challenge reported by the South African sample was the higher (real or perceived) first costs – a percentage lower than the global average of 49%.

Included in the research sample group were a total of 45 Green Building Councils (GBCs), from nineteen countries that spanned over six continents, who all demonstrated substantial growth in the expected number of green building projects to be certified.

‘What makes the report even more intriguing from a South African context is the fact that within three years the South African industry anticipates that we will have a much higher level of green building activity and this is driven by the desire for lower operating costs and healthier buildings in the marketplace,’ delights Modise. 

According to the report, the business benefits of building green includes an 8% operating cost savings in the first year and an increased building asset values of 7%, which are clearly influencing all those who do green building to deepen their engagement with green. In addition to the business benefits reported, social impacts are also increasing in their influence on the respondents as a major reason to build green. The top impact cited is improved occupant health and well-being.

There is an increased emphasis on social impact in this year’s study, including factor of increased worker productivity, a sense of community and supporting the domestic economy being scrutinized.

‘It is a no brainer that building green is no longer a lofty ideal in South Africa and the rest of the world, but can now be valued beyond the significant environmental benefits to include social benefits such as increased employee productivity and satisfaction,’ concludes Modise.