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Green Building News

GBCSA appoints new chairperson

By: Darren Parker 26th January 2022 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... →

Schneider Electric launches green-focused business software suite

By: Donna Slater 24th January 2022 Energy management and automation company Schneider Electric is introducing an integrated solutions suite tailored to creating smart, green infrastructure. The Infrastructure of the Future suite offers a holistic approach to power tomorrow’s businesses and economies, while tackling the challenges... →

Building owners have one year left to obtain energy performance certificates

By: Simone Liedtke 14th December 2021 Owners of buildings in South Africa have one year left to obtain and prominently display an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or risk a fine of R5-million, five years imprisonment or both. The regulations, under the National Energy Act, were gazetted a year ago and apply until December 7,... →

Afrimat Construction Index recovers further in the third quarter

By: Irma Venter 9th December 2021 The Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) staged a swift recovery from the Covid-19 induced slump that occurred during the second quarter of 2020, increasing by 60% in the next quarter. Since then progress has been muted. However, the ACI in the third quarter of this year managed to record a... →

City Lodge reinvents itself for competitive edge

9th December 2021 City Lodge Hotel Group’s new Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City, in Midrand, which opened on March 1, offers a full dining experience, a move away from a breakfast-only offering. This represents the vision for the group moving forward. Tasneem Bulbulia tells us more. →

City Lodge reinvents itself for competitive edge

GBCSA awards City Industrial Property building with Green Star, Net-Zero Carbon rating

By: Simone Liedtke 8th December 2021 City Industrial Property’s flagship Belville facility and home to City Logistics in Cape Town, has achieved a 4-Star Green Star Custom Industrial rating and a Net-Zero Carbon rating from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA). “City Industrial Property is showing true leadership with... →

City Industrial Property's facility in Cape Town

Second phase of plant expansion begins

By: Claire O'Reilly 19th November 2021 Secondary steel manufacturer Veer Steel Mills has entered its second phase of expansion with the construction of a melt shop – the newest addition to its plant in Alrode, Alberton. →

Picture of Veers steel Mills alrode Plant

MELTING AWAY A melt shop has commenced construction and will be the newest addition to Veer’s plant in Alrode, Alberton

LSFB creates faster, more economical construction

By: Claire O'Reilly 19th November 2021 Developers, local authorities and housing associations are quickly embracing steel framing technology, such as light-steel-frame building (LSFB), says the International Zinc Association Africa Desk (IZA Africa Desk). →

Cladding used in solar tress

19th November 2021 Aligned to Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) Good Spaces building block, which aims to minimise the impact on the natural environment while creating spaces that are agile, adaptable and aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as well as L2D's 2030 Net Zero carbon target, L2D’s... →

Picture of solar tree used to generate electricity at Eastgate mall

MAN-MADE PHOTOSYNTHESIS The solar trees have continued to efficiently generate energy since October 2020

EAPASA, CBE sign MoU to bolster collaboration, good working relations

By: Donna Slater 15th November 2021 The Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA) and the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), committing to work together on issues of transformation, skills development, research and promoting and protecting... →

Hospital benchmarks in sustainable healthcare facilities

12th November 2021 Consulting engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Zutari provided design and construction supervision of the mechanical services, as well as environmentally sustainable design (ESD) consulting, at the new Cintocare Hospital in Menlyn Maine, Pretoria. It is the first Green Star South Africa... →

CINTOCARE HOSPITAL Zutari provided design and construction supervision for the hospital build

Emira steps up biodiversity preservation

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 10th November 2021 JSE-listed Emira Property Fund says it has made meaningful progress on its biodiversity policy in consultation with the Biodiversity Disclosure Project (BDP) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). “Emira is proud to have initiated its biodiversity plan and aims to enhance it even further as we... →

Indigenous landscaping

Growthpoint sponsoring new green building rating tool

By: Simone Liedtke 9th November 2021 Real estate investment trust Growthpoint Properties is the sponsor of a new Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) rating tool – the pilot Green Star Existing Building Performance (EBP) rating tool for existing industrial buildings. The EBP tool is a first for the industry and the country... →

Growthpoint industrial asset management head Errol Taylor

Amendments demand stringent compliance

By: Claire O'Reilly 5th November 2021 With the new amendments to the Carbon Tax Act earmarked to pave the way for developing a national standard to approve offset carbon positive projects and administer these projects on a national database, Economic Development Solutions (EDS) head of business development Eckart Zollner says... →

Picture of interviewee Eckart Zollner who is the Economic Development Solutions (EDS) head of business development

ECKART ZOLLNER Economic Development Solutions head of business development

Afrimat posts strong interim results, with all segments contributing positively to growth

By: Marleny Arnoldi 4th November 2021 Midtier openpit miner Afrimat has confirmed it is in a healthy financial position and able to accelerate growth, after delivering a ‘pleasing’ performance in the six months ended August 31. The group posted an operating profit of R582-million, up 65% on the R353-million operating profit... →

Afrimat's executive team unpacks the group's interim performance

More than 30 developments in the pipeline in Cape Town CBD

By: Irma Venter 29th October 2021 The economy of the Cape Town central business district (CBD) remained stable in 2020, despite Covid-19, with the official nominal value of all property set at R43.8-billion by the City of Cape Town, and with 31 new developments worth more than R6.9-billion in the pipeline. This is the key finding... →

Foundry company converts to renewable energy

22nd October 2021 The recent announcement by government that “own generation of power” without the requirement for a license had been increased from 1 MW to 100 MW was well received by industry as a whole. Foundry and engineering company Thos Begbie is looking into the viability of incorporating solar power as the... →

More than 30 developments in the pipeline in Cape Town CBD – report

By: Irma Venter 14th October 2021 The economy of the Cape Town central business district (CBD) remained stable in 2020, despite Covid-19, with the official nominal value of all property set at R43.8-billion by the City of Cape Town, and with 31 new developments worth more than R6.9-billion in the pipeline. This is the key finding... →

Research shows where, how housing developments are built impact on residents' carbon footprints

By: Creamer Media Reporter 30th September 2021 A new quantitative study on the impact of the location of housing development in Johannesburg on carbon emissions - by the research partnership of Divercity Urban Property Fund and the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) - shows that where and how housing is built in the city has a... →

Botswana, Namibia outline efforts towards green bonds, sustainable stock exchanges

By: Donna Slater 28th September 2021 After South Africa, Namibia, through its Namibian Stock Exchange, is the second African country to issue a green bond after signing up to the United Nations’ (UN’s) sustainable stock exchanges initiative, said Namibian Stock Exchange CEO Tiaan Bazuin. Speaking during the Southern Africa Green... →

Green bonds provide balance to traditional investment vehicles

By: Donna Slater 27th September 2021 Compared with traditional impact investment vehicles, which tend to be private equity, green bonds provide a “nice balance” in achieving a desired investment impact, environment, social and governance (ESG) advisory firm EBS Advisory CEO James Brice said during the Southern Africa Green Bonds... →

iREREP to have 30-year lead time, private sector to be responsible for technical and financing aspects

By: Donna Slater 20th September 2021 The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) launched its Integrated Renewable Energy and Resource Efficiency Programme (iREREP) by opening its request for information (RFI) on September 20, saying its 30-year lead time is aligned with government’s National Infrastructure Plan 2050... →

GBCSA congratulates Redefine on 40 Green Star certifications

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th September 2021 JSE-listed South African real estate investment trust (Reit) Redefine Properties recently certified and recertified 40 buildings in its property portfolio, under member-based organisation the Green Building Council South Africa’s (GBCSA’s) Green Star Existing Building Performance (EBP) rating... →

RMB launches ESG-risk-measuring platforms to support sustainable investing

By: Donna Slater 2nd September 2021 Financial services provider Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), a division of FirstRand Bank, has launched environmental, social and governance- (ESG-) measuring platforms – ESGo! and ESGNow. The platforms are envisaged to drive sustainable finance by offering client interfaces that enable more informed... →

Public Works to release RFI in development of green energy, resource efficiency drive

By: Donna Slater 2nd September 2021 The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) plans to release a request for information (RFI) for the Integrated Renewable Energy and Resource Efficiency Programme (iREREP) on September 20, to garner ideas and information into ways to deliver mutual value through strong partnerships... →

The Mpumalanga High Court, which the DPWI handed over in November 2019, is an example of a building where energy and water saving technologies could be rolled out

The importance of organisational culture in supporting women

27th August 2021 Project developer G7 Renewable Energies head of development Karen de Bruyn has spoken about the importance of organisational culture in supporting careers for women in previously male dominated sectors. →

An image of Karen de Bruyn the head of development at G7 Renewable Energies

KAREN DE BRUYN The global renewable energy revolution has set in motion new opportunities for women to contribute to the engineering sector

Cement producers apply for tariff protection against imports

By: Irma Venter 13th August 2021 The domestic cement industry is waiting for a response from the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) on its application for tariffs to be levied on imported cement from certain Asian countries, says PPC Southern Africa MD Njombo Lekula. “The application is with... →

Commercial property industry set to improve

By: Nadine Ramdass 30th July 2021 The commercial property sector is set to improve once Covid-19 restrictions are eased and the South African economy has navigated its way through the harshest of the pandemic’s impact, says commercial real estate agency Black Pepper Properties director Simon Black. The office market has been... →

MASSMART PROGRESS Covid-19 has enhanced is the use of space

Hybrid solar installation completed in Zimbabwe

By: Halima Frost 23rd July 2021 The active partnership between South Africa-based solar solutions provider Blockpower SA and German-managed microgrid integrator Dhybrid has resulted in the completion of a 1.4 MWp, 1 MVA, 480 kWh hybrid solar system at an agriculture estate, in Zimbabwe. The Tanganda Tea Company, which operates... →

Large solar plant at an agriculture estate Zimbabwe

OFF GRID The hybrid solar installation installed by Blockpower SA and Dhybrid was tailor made for the client in Zimbabwe

Report shines light on empowerment of women in green industry

By: Donna Slater 20th July 2021 The virtual launch of a assessment report on the Empowerment of Women in the Green Industry Policy on July 20 has been welcomed by Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina, who delivered an address at the event. The report is the result of the collaboration between the... →

Despite Q1 dip, Afrimat Construction Index four-quarter average shows consolidation of recovery

By: Irma Venter 2nd July 2021 JSE-listed industrial minerals, commodities and construction material openpit mining company Afrimat has released the findings of the Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) for the first quarter of the year. The ACI is a composite index of the level of activity in the building and construction... →

Hardware, building material markets more buoyant but difficult conditions linger in building sector

By: Irma Venter 2nd July 2021 After slipping to 27 in the first quarter of the year, the FNB/BER Building Confidence Index increased to 39 in the second quarter. Even though this is the highest level the index has reached since the first quarter of 2018, at the current level, more than 60% of respondents say they are still... →

Afrimat Construction Index sees consolidation of recovery trend

By: Irma Venter 22nd June 2021 Afrimat, the JSE-listed industrial minerals, commodities and construction material openpit mining company, has released the findings of the Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) for the first quarter of the year. The ACI is a composite index of the level of activity within the building and... →

Buoyant hardware, building material markets push up confidence index

By: Irma Venter 14th June 2021 After slipping to 27 in the first quarter of the year, the FNB/BER Building Confidence Index has increased to 39 in the second quarter of the year. Even though this is the highest level of the index since the first quarter of 2018, at the current level, more than 60% of respondents says they are... →

Siphamandla Mkhwanazi

Consultancy alters green processes due to Covid 19

By: Claire O'Reilly 11th June 2021 Owing to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions in South Africa last year, sustainability consultancy Solid Green altered its processes to assist the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) in meeting its net zero carbon goal by 2030, developing an EcoDistrict methodology for the city. →

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN The City of Johannesburg’s Green Building Policy awaits finalisation

Pioneers for sustainable urban regeneration

By: Claire O'Reilly 11th June 2021 An urgent shift from traditional market practice towards the ‘green industrial revolution’ is underway, hence specialised commercial property financial services company TUHF’s advocating for the following of green and sustainable building principles in the construction and building industries. →

Timber’s viability overlooked by developers

11th June 2021 It is estimated that two-billion metres squared of new building stock will be required every year between 2019 and 2025 to keep up with urban development and population growth. →

WOOD REDUCES CARBON OMMISIONS Carbon dioxide is removed from our atmosphere by wood plantations during their rotations of seven to 20 years.

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