Thousands of climate action advocates, green building councils, communities, businesses and non-profit organisations on five continents are turning up the volume on the need for all buildings to be net-zero-carbon buildings by 2050, as part of the eighth annual World Green Building Week from Sept 25 to Oct 1.
Recent data from the United Nations and the International Energy Agency underline the urgency of the mission. By 2050, forecasters say, 66% of the world's population will be living in cities and the global building stock will double to 415 billion square metres. While the task seems humongous, the World Green Building Council (WGBC) sees a great opportunity to promote the sustainable urban landscape of tomorrow.
Indeed, the Council has set the ambitious goal for all buildings to be Net Zero by 2050. The project, "Advancing Net Zero", supported by green building councils worldwide, plans to develop tools, provide technical expertise and training programmes to support the mission.
The theme of World Green Building Week (WGBW) this year, "Hero is Zero", highlights the fact that net-zero buildings are essential if we want to fight climate change. Because buildings are one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, at 30% globally, addressing buildings is addressing climate change.
Today buildings account for 40% of global energy use, 25% of global water use and 40% of total material resources. That said, they also hold the key to mitigating the impacts of climate change as we decide to design, renovate and operate them more efficiently and responsibly.
Green buildings use considerably less energy, water and material resources to provide higher quality indoor environments while reducing their carbon footprint. In Thailand, the number of green buildings has more than doubled annually since 2007. According to the Siam Commercial Bank Economic Intelligence Center, there are now more than 5 million square metres of green buildings in the kingdom representing a 54% annual growth rate on average.
With a 40% market share, commercial buildings, namely offices, dominate the green building sphere in Thailand. They are followed closely by retail, hotel and industrial properties that have been taking advantage of the marketing and business value of eco-friendly, efficient buildings.
In the residential real estate sector, developers of condominiums and houses are eager to gain a competitive advantage and are catching up with the movement. Although LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the predominant certification rating used locally, the Trees (Thai Rating of Energy and Environmental Sustainability) standard developed by the Thai Green Building Institute (TGBI) is gaining attention among developers, notably because compliant projects receive a bonus floor area ratio (FAR) allowance.
In addition, specific systems such as Edge (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) created by the International Finance Corporation, a World Bank affiliate, have been developed to respond to the unique challenges of emerging economies.
So why are there not more green buildings on the planet? A recent study by Dodge Data & Analytics cites a lack of public awareness, political support and incentives, along with the misleading impression of high upfront costs, as barriers to undertaking green building projects. In reality, in Asia Pacific 64% of people are willing to pay extra for products and services from companies committed to a positive social and environmental impact, a Nielsen survey has shown. And according to the UN, the medium cost increase of LEED-certified buildings is only 1.6%.
In addition, green buildings deliver added value as their operating costs are at least 21% lower than those of non-green peers, occupant satisfaction is 30% higher and asset value 7% higher. In addition to reduced impact on the planet, green buildings create an environment where employees are 18% more productive, students score higher on tests, and patients recover 8.5 times faster in green healthcare establishments.
This is why we need campaigns like WGBW, to shed the light on the true value of greening our built environment. To significantly shift to a green economy, change must also be triggered at the public and private levels. Indeed, the government has yet to increase its support and promotion of sustainable practices by providing incentives, developing funds, creating educational programmes to increase awareness of environmental issues and help businesses and people to reach affordable solutions.
The United States has the largest number of green buildings on the planet with 371 million square metres, in part because it offers clear, adapted policies that encourage owners to take the lead in designing more sustainable buildings. These incentives in the form of income and property tax deductions or fast-track approvals for FAR bonuses are forecast to lift the contribution of the green building industry to US gross domestic product to $303.5 billion or about 1.6% by 2018.
The business case for greener buildings is evident. But the true challenge is in rethinking them not only to have a net impact but to foster a positive impact on the environment, the population and the economy beyond the building's footprint itself.
For Thailand, which depends on imported energy for more than 60% of its energy needs, going beyond net zero makes ample sense. Once we start to envision buildings as part of the whole ecosystem rather than stand-alone objects, and connect them together and within existing networks, we will be able to design integrated cities that serve all, including the planet.
Armelle Le Bihan is the founder of Green Building Consulting & Engineering, a Thailand-based company.