The buildings and construction sector are by far the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, accounting for a staggering thirty-seven (37 per cent) percent of global emissions according to the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).
Additionally, over thirty-four (34 per cent) percent of the world’s energy consumption happens in buildings.
Buildings themselves don’t consume energy, but energy is consumed when we use these buildings to support housing, business, and other functions.
Recognizing the environmental impact of construction, it is crucial to seek effective solutions that mitigate these effects.
One such solution lies in the adoption of green building practices, a transformative approach that aims to turn buildings into exceptional assets with significantly reduced ecological footprints.
This paradigm shift involves a holistic consideration of the construction process, materials used, and the overall environmental impact of buildings.
EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiency) is an innovation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) (a member of the World Bank Group) created to mainstream resource efficient buildings in emerging markets.
It is a free software, a green building standard, and an international green building certification system.
EDGE enables developers and builders to quickly identify the most cost-effective strategies to reduce energy use, water use, and embodied carbon in materials.
EDGE Experts help developers and project teams in implementing strategies that are integrated into the project design to ensure resource efficiency in line with the EDGE standard.
The strategies are verified by an EDGE Auditor and certified by Green Building Certification Inc.
EDGE requires a minimum projected reduction of twenty percent (20 per cent) in energy use, water use, and embodied carbon in materials as benchmarked against a standard local building.
Laser Property Services (LASER) has adopted EDGE Expert Services as one of its service offerings to help developers and project teams meet the rising demand for sustainable building solutions in the real estate sector in line with company’s sustainability agenda.
The key activities for getting a project certified as a green building are as follows.
Green building technology offers more than just reduced energy consumption in buildings; it also brings about various other advantages.
Studies indicate that green buildings contribute to enhanced health and well-being among occupants, heightened productivity, increased asking rents and building values, higher occupancy rates, and resource efficiency, among other benefits.
Furthermore, green building is recognized as a crucial avenue for addressing climate change, as it mitigates the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, stemming from escalated fossil fuel burning and land use changes.
The writer is the Executive Director at Laser Property Services and an IFC Certified EDGE Expert