LIVE BLOG - Promoting Green Building Rating Systems in Africa - 2015 Goals

2015 Goals

In the final day of the conference, there were several things left to do. Previously, the group spent two days engaged in discussions and brainstorming sessions. By the third day, it was evident that everyone in the room had a lot of ideas about how to move forward. There were three overarching conference goals:

1. Make commitments, develop elements of a strategy, and create a road-map for achieving those goals.
2. Develop an outline for a continental network supporting the sustainable building industry and professionals, and for assistance in establishing green building councils.
3. Provide recommendations to UN-Habitat on how this can be achieved.

Each country represented at the conference was asked what their specific goals were for the year 2015. The following are individual country goals for 2015:

Uganda: Written green building guidelines for different environmental regions in country.
Nigeria: Establish a GBC. Complete an example building (pilot project).
Tanzania: Integrate green building (re-integrate traditional sustainable building techniques) into codes. Pilot projects for schools, healthcare/clinics, and commnity centers for public awareness. Financial system in place w/industry support.
Malawi: Environmental curriculum in schools (all levels).
Gambia: Sustainable design guidelines.
Cameroon: Grass-roots awareness campaigns at the local level.
Zambia: Implement a GBC and get government commited to green building.
South Africa: Integrate social aspects into rating systems.
Ghana: Involve government and private sector into GBC development.
Ethiopia: Worldwide sharing of knowledge and goals (networking).
Morocco: Complete a pilot project in each sector.
Burkina Faso: Promote traditional methods of green building and integrate into codes/regulations. Create GBC and green building guidelines.
Egypt: Mandate zero-emission codes.
Chad: Develope institutional framework for GBC at a local level and connect to the Africa-wide and global GBC network.
Mauritius: Be self-sustainable in all aspects (energy, food, materials, etc.).
Rwanda: Tax-incentives for green buildings. Awareness campaigns.
Kenya: Increase in demand for green building among developers and the public.

As these goals were discussed, several general themes emerged. There were four broad action-categories that each goal could be attributed to:

Policy Implementation: Codes/regulations. Political support.
Market Transformation: Financial Incentives. Industry Buy-in.
Guideline Development: GBC's. Rating Tools.
Awareness and Education: Curriculum. Pilot Projects. Awareness Campaigns.