Fads happen not only in the world of fashion. If you’ve been a keen observer of property developments, you’ll notice that lately, developers are head over heels jumping onto the green bandwagon. Understandably, this should be raising some eyebrows. How capable are these developers to back up their claims? And are their claims of sustainable practices really “in tune” with the environment?
Last week at the International Green Building Conference 2011 in Singapore, Inquirer Property asked green building experts in attendance about this practice of “greenwashing” (which, like whitewashing, refers to any act of misleading consumers about the environmental merits of a company, its products and services, according to Green Architecture Movement founder Amado de Jesus).
“In the quest for balance between going green and increasing market share, it’s unavoidable that some will swing to the extreme. The only way that greenwashing can be prevented is by having a strong, objective green rating tool that’s acceptable by the government and the market. This is what Singapore has achieved,” said Tai Lee Siang, president of the Singapore Green Building Council.
10 qualities
The 10 qualities Siang believes a sustainable development should have are:
§ Ø A healthy respect for the local climate;
§ Ø Energy efficiency in its operations;
§ Ø The willingness to use readily available materials;
§ Ø Efficient manpower—less can do more;
§ Ø The skill to use passive designs;
§ Ø A greater dependence on natural light;
§ Ø A greater reliance on natural ventilation;
§ Ø A system that reinforces environment-friendly behavior among its staff and officers;
§ Ø The methods to integrate natural landscapes;
§ Ø The character of being user-friendly.
What to look for
Christopher Cruz de la Cruz, UAP, CBP, chair and president of the Philippine Green Building Council, said consumers and even the media should look for the following from any developer:
§ Ø A “real” third party certification. “If the project is assessed and evaluated by the building owner, designer, contractor or any party that may have conflict of interest, it may be greenwashing.”
§ Ø Conformity to internationally accepted standards. Such standards include ISO (International Organization for Standardization), WGBC (World Green Building Council), ASTM (American Society for Building Materials), Ashrae (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers) and GEN (Global Ecolabeling Network). There are also local standards and programs such as Philippine National Standard and Green Choice Philippines (for green materials).
§ Ø Regulatory compliance checks. Is it built into the system?
§ Ø The affiliation of the rating group. Is it part of the World Green Building Council? National GBCs are present in more than 80 countries and are leading the international markets in the development of green buildings.
§ Ø Check Berde. In the Philippines, just look for the number of Berde stars to see the level of performance of buildings. Berde stands for Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence, and is the first green-building rating system designed by Filipinos.
