The Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) has announced the launch of the locally applicable version of the Green Star – Communities rating tool in South Africa.

The tool is a framework that will drive the development of more sustainable neighbourhoods and precincts, ultimately making African cities more sustainable.
The Green Star – Communities rating tool assists governments, development project teams, contractors and other interested parties aiming to deliver large-scale sustainable developments to provide diverse, affordable, inclusive, well-connected and healthy places in which to live, work and play. It also focuses on the protection, and restoration of the natural environment by reducing the ecological footprint of developments.

The tool is being launched in South Africa through a stakeholder engagement process that includes a number of pilot neighbourhood-scale projects, which will test, and be certified by the GBCSA, using the framework.

GBCSA CEO Brian Wilkinson says green building and sustainability in the built environment is about more with just buildings.

“It’s also about the spaces, connections and infrastructure between the buildings, a precinct, a neighbourhood or a city. At this scale, one can truly see the real impact of sustainability and make the connection between various daily activities related to home, work, gym, school and entertainment.”

The stakeholder engagement process is sponsored by the US Agency for International Development through its South Africa Low Emissions Development Programme and comprises a technical advisory panel that includes over 30 industry experts who provide input and guidance on the applicability of the criteria in the Green Star tool in the South African context.

The process will conclude with the release of a Local Context Report this month. Registration for certification under this tool took place from November.

Fourteen projects were accepted by the GBCSA through a call for pilot projects in August.

These pilot projects are vital early adopters to support the long-term success and applicability of this Green Star tool in the African context, because they will provide essential feedback, allowing the tool to be appropriately adjusted to the local context by the technical advisory committee.

Of these 14 projects, eight have already committed to certification using this tool, targeting either a 4-, 5- or 6-Star rating from the GBCSA, with the other six considering committing to the certification.