Achieving Global Sustainability Through Green Buildings 

Globally, buildings are responsible for a huge share of energy, electricity, water and materials consumption. As of 2018, buildings account for 28% of global emissions or 9.7 billion tonnes of CO2. The United Nations' 2020 global status report and other sources detail that around 35-40% of globally generated energy was used by buildings. which also contributed to 33% of worldwide emissions Including the manufacturing of building materials, the global CO2 emissions were 39%. If new technologies in construction are not adopted during this time of rapid growth, emissions could double by 2050, according to the United Nations Environment Program.

In 2019 in Africa, buildings accounted for 57% of total final energy consumption and 32% of total process-related CO2 emissions . By 2050; Africa will be home to 1.3Billion more people than today and have more than double the total floor area with more than 80% of that growth occurring in cities especially informal settlements.

The role of a smart sustainable built environment for everyone everywhere is crucial, in fact, it would be impossible to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the AU Agenda 2063 goals unless the vast potential in the built environment sector is unlocked.

Green building practices aim to reduce the environmental impact of building as the building sector has the greatest potential to deliver significant cuts in emissions at little or no cost. 

The International Energy Agency released a publication that estimated that existing buildings are responsible for more than 40% of the world's total primary energy consumption and for 24% of global carbon dioxide emissions
 
According to Global status report from the year 2016, buildings consume more than 30% of all produced energy. The report states that "Under a below 2°C trajectory, effective action to improve building energy efficiency could limit building final energy demand to just above current levels, meaning that the average energy intensity of the global building stock would decrease by more than 80% by 2050".

Green Buildings Leading the way to more sustainable and efficient urban planning

According to data from the United Nations (UN), in 2050 around 68% of humanity will live in cities. These represent only 3% of the planet's surface, but consume 78% of energy and produce 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. 

For this reason, in 2016 the UN itself improved the New Urban Agenda to advise countries on their urbanisation processes and make cities more habitable, inclusive, healthy, resilient and sustainable. It sets a new global standard for sustainable urban development, and will help us rethink how we plan, manage and live in cities. 

The New Urban Agenda is  roadmap for building cities that can serve as engines of prosperity and centres of cultural and social well-being while protecting the environment. The Agenda also provides guidance for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and provides the underpinning for actions to address climate change.

What is Green Building?

Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close cooperation of the contractor, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.  The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. In doing so, the three dimensions of sustainability, i.e., planet, people and profit across the entire supply chain need to be considered. 

A green or sustainable building is a building that, because of its construction and features, can maintain or improve the quality of life of the environment in which it is located. To do this, it is essential to achieve a high level of efficiency: reducing the consumption of energy, water and other resources minimises pollution. 

Certification for Green Buildings: A Business Imperative

Citizens, companies and public authorities are striving to create more sustainable businesses, and a more sustainable world.  Green buildings are an important aspect of this business imperative.

In an effort to set themselves apart from their competitors, mitigate risk in their business operations and ensure their own financial sustainability, discerning companies are prioritising independent, credible verification of their sustainability programs and the authenticity of their credentials in this regard, 

To evaluate a building's sustainability, internationally-recognised certification programs have established an assessment and points systems, based on various sections related to building design and construction.

Bureau Veritas, a world leader in audit and certification services, provides consulting services for certification for the following Green Building standards in Africa:

• EDGE  
• LEED 
• HQE 
• BREEAM

The Bureau Veritas Green Line of services and solutions

Bureau Veritas (BV) is a “Business to Business to Society” services company with a mission to shape trust between businesses, public authorities and consumers. As, it supports some 400,000 clients to be more efficient, more methodical and more trustworthy in their journey towards more sustainable business and a more sustainable world. Sustainability is embedded into the BV strategy, and throughout the entire organization, which is located in 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe, servicing customers in 140 countries. 

By accessing the BV Green Line of services & solutions dedicated to sustainability, companies can meet the challenges of safety, the environment, social responsibility and product or service quality thereby delivering their sustainability strategy, and meeting the expectations of their customers, employees and stakeholders.

Bureau Veritas (BV) fully supports its clients in the Buildings & Infrastructure sector to face the dual challenge of responding to the booming urban populations’ needs on one hand and at the same time, ensuring that buildings and infrastructure are high quality, profitable, and compliant with environmental and safety regulations.

BV is present at every stage of development, from feasibility to operations, offering inspection and certification services for new and ageing assets, and supporting projects to transition to low-energy consumption.

BV’s services in construction and refurbishment of Green Building include:
- Green building certification (EDGE, LEED, HQE, BREAAM)
- Project management for infrastructure improvement
- Infrastructure life-cycle asset management

Discover Bureau Veritas’ services in relations to Green Buildings and Infrastructure