The Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) board has appointed property investment firm Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) asset management executive Brian Unsted as its new chairperson.

Unsted has 28 years of experience in the South African property industry and is the sustainability champion for the L2D fund, ensuring synergy on sustainability issues between the property investment portfolio and the broader Liberty Group.

". . . Sustainability matters are gaining traction in both South Africa and at a global level. Lots of good work has been done and much more great work still needs to be done to make a meaningful difference.

“Climate change imperatives are becoming more urgent. I look forward to broadening the reach of the GBCSA to new sectors of the economy and enticing other organisations that can make a significant difference in the built environment to become part of our journey over the next two years,” Unsted said in a statement on January 26.

Unsted was previously the Liberty Properties property development senior financial manager and finance head, as well as Investec Properties Growthpoint financial manager. He has knowledge and experience in financial and management accounting, asset management and the property industry as a whole.

“In his role as vice-chair, over the past 18 months [Unsted] has already made a substantial contribution to the GBCSA. He has an exceptional passion for the green building agenda, and I look forward to the GBCSA making great strides with him at the helm,” said GBCSA CEO Lisa Reynolds.

Unsted succeeds former GBCSA chairperson Giles Pendleton, who has stepped down to become planned city Neom executive director. Neom is a 36 000 km² economic zone being planned in north-western Saudi Arabia. Neom will feature The Line, which is a planned new 170-km-long linear net-zero city.

“I now get to work at a country scale and drive all the lessons and ideas from the industry that have served me well, to make a significant difference in the world,” Pendleton said.

“We wish [Pendleton] well on his next adventure and look forward to learning from his successes overseas,” concluded Reynolds.