Industry bodies are coming together across Asia to form Green Building Councils to educate, communicate and validate sustainable building measures. Deborah Erwin profiles their formation and objectives.
In 1999, eight national councils representing the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, Spain, Russia and the UAE, convened to establish the World Green Building Council (WGBC). Three years later, this overarching body was officially incorporated with a manifesto to “formalise international communications, help industry leaders access emerging markets, and provide an international voice for green building initiatives”. The Secretariat was formed thereafter in Toronto’s The Living City Campus to serve the international community as a central platform and channel for information dissemination.
In addition to acting as a global portal for percolating green ideas within the building industry, Tony Arnel, Chairman of the WGBC projects one central message: “This is what green buildings offer: they deliver lower operating costs from reduced energy and alternative resource consumption. Hence, they represent better life cycle value. They nurture better worker productivity and quality of life through improved indoor environment quality. They are equipped to meet the continuing community and government concern to address global sustainability issues, especially greenhouse emissions.” This is not news. Rather, building professionals have been reiterating a similar message for years. Some have dismissed the long-term gains of sustainable development, blinded by the perceived initial capital outlay and the extra expense of certification. Today, many of us have debunked this myth, understanding that a sustainable project’s initial capital expenditure on materials and systems is not necessarily higher than the budget for a typical energy-guzzling construct. Industry direction is clear, we’re moving into a more eco-conscious and energy-conserving stream. Those who do not follow will be left in the dust (literally).
So how is Asia faring, especially given most of the world’s current development is happening here? How influential are its green building councils? What are their targets? How are they actively promoting and regulating environment-friendly construction? And what are their constraints? Many architects, designers, facility managers and property owners working in the region are familiar with LEED, some have even attained LEED certification as professionals and can spout its various rating standards. But most of the Green Building Councils operating across Asia are still finding their footing and seeking a voice in their respective industries.
Australia (formed 2002)As one of the founding members of the WGBC, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is one of the most active and successful bodies on the planet. Karen Jamal, Communications Manager at GBCA, says “A vital part of the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA’s) role is to educate our members and the broader industry on new trends and technologies in green building, and to widen the pool of available green collar workers”. In 2008, Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) predicted that more than 251,500 green collar jobs will be created in Australia’s property and construction industry by 2025. “That’s 45 percent of the total number of new jobs, providing new opportunities and employment for many Australians,” enthuses Jamal. To date, the GBCA has trained almost 15,000 people in Green Star courses, with 4,700 Green Star Accredited Professionals. Romilly Madew, Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia, says: “Since Green Star was launched in 2003, we have certified more than 220 buildings – or 3.5 mil sqm of green buildings. We have a further 460 buildings – 6.5 mil sqm – registered for Green Star certification. That’s around 10 mil sqm of building space impacted by Green Star.” She adds, “In the last six years, we’ve witnessed a fundamental shift in the way commercial building owners, investors and tenants all consider green buildings in Australia. In the commercial sector, green building is no longer seen as a niche market, a trend or a luxury. Today, green building is a business imperative”.
Targets for 2010-2012
Looking beyond single projects, the GBCA now seeks to create and foster sustainable communities that address social inclusion and place-making issues. These are guided by five principles involving liveability, economic prosperity, enhancing the environment, good design and effective urban governance.
Signs of Success
“We have a number of benchmarks to measure our success,” says Jamal, “One of those is the support of industry and the number of members who are committed to the GBCA. From a zero base in 2002, today the GBCA has more than 785 member companies who support the Council and its activities. Our membership base is drawn from a diverse cross-section of developers, local, state and federal governments, owners, professional services firms, investors, manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, facility and asset managers, universities, professional societies, utilities and contractors”.
Government Support?
The GBCA works with federal, state and local governments around the nation to advocate policies and incentives to drive the adoption of green building, says Jamal. “In 2009, we launched the Green Guide to Government Policy in partnership with the International Council on Local Environment Initiatives. This resource is an online one-stop-shop covering green building policies, incentives and subsidies across all federal, state and capital cities in Australia. This website (www.gbca.org.au) is the first of its kind in Australia, and has become an invaluable resource for any business looking to maximise support and funding for its green building initiatives.”
A Natural Leader
The GBCA endorses the Asia Pacific Network with the appointment of State Manager for Victoria and South Australia, Trudy-Ann King, who is now the WorldGBC’s Asia Pacific Regional Manager. “The philosophy behind the Asia Pacific Network is not to solve the building problems of other nations, but to support them in finding their own solutions”. Formulated in September 2009, “The Asia Pacific Network will enable established green building councils in the region, such as the GBCA, to help emerging councils to take action on global warming, improve urban environments and alleviate urban poverty,” she says. “The Asia Pacific Network is now being studied as a potential model for the rest of the world to adopt. The USGBC sent a representative to our recent Green Building Leadership Forum to observe our processes – and the UK and Germany are interested in using a similar strategy in Europe. We have even been approached by the United Nations Environment Programme to provide assistance with the development of an African Network. The connection of the right people at the right time is really the key to bringing about massive change in the way we do things.”
Hong Kong (formed 2009)As the newest kid in the pack, the Hong Kong Green Building Council was inaugurated on 20 November 2009, an amalgam of the Construction Industry Council, Business Environment Council (BEC), the BEAM Society and the Professional Green Building Council (PGBC). Its mission includes promoting performance rating standards, such as the Building Environment Assessment Method (BEAM), benchmarking and enhancing the performance of Hong Kong’s built environment and facilitating ongoing educational outreach and research including training and seminars. To realise these goals, it will actively “recruit an active membership including private companies, business associations, professional bodies, academic institutions”, “serve as a resource centre, “operate awards, certification and labelling programmes for green building practices” and organise seminars, workshops and educational programmes in a non-profit capacity, as outlined on its website.
Targets for 2010-2012
The council has set out five chief objectives for the next few years. In addition to promulgating Green Building Certification, the council also aims to influence and advise the government on green building matters, popularise the subject of green building practices, protect the environment and reduce Hong Kong’s carbon emissions. The HKGBC is also introducing the BEAM Plus assessment method this year with higher environmental targets than previous guidelines.
Government Standing By?
In line with the Council’s mandate, the HKSAR Government has declared a number of initiatives for promoting a greener and more sustainable city. According to the HKGBC, “The Development Bureau and the Environment Bureau [have] jointly set out a comprehensive target-based green performance framework for government buildings. The framework specifies guidelines on energy efficiency standards, greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, waste reduction, water management as well as indoor air quality”. Beyond civic buildings, the Legislative Council “aims to introduce a bill… by the end of this year to enforce mandatory compliance with the Codes”. However, experience has demonstrated how easily developers can strong-arm the Executive Council, the Legislative Council’s decision makers. So the fate of the Bill remains unknown. The HKGBC mentions, “Another government initiative is to encourage carbon audits for buildings”. But, bear in mind this will be done on a voluntary basis with no legal provisos in place.
Overall, Asia is fertile land for green growth but its councils will require much intellectual and professional support from the building industries, related organisations, the public and most of all, each of the state governments.
