MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine real estate and construction sector is being urged to actively do its share in promoting environmental awareness and implementing sustainable development.
Top real estate advisory firm CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) Philippines has been conducting a series of presentations to real estate leaders on global trends in green buildings and green rating systems such as the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design or LEED.
Green building, also known as green construction or sustainable building, refers to a structure that uses processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building?s life-cycle - from site location to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and demolition.
Green buildings efficiently use energy, water and other resources, while protecting the occupants? health and improving employee productivity, and reduces waste, pollution and environmental degradation.
In a recent presentation, Jennivine Kwan, vice president for international operations at the US Green Building Council, cited studies showing that green building decreases energy use from 24 percent to 50 percent; reduces carbon emissions by as much as 33 percent to 39 percent; reduces water usage by as much as 40 percent; reduces operation costs from eight percent to nine percent; increases occupancy rate by as much as 3.5 percent and increases rental rates by as much as three percent.
Kwan said studies have shown that certified green buildings are attracting more tenants even during an economic slump.
In the Philippines, Kwan noted that, more and more developments are getting LEED certification.
Some of the LEED-certified buildings in the Philippines are the?Asian Development Bank headquarters in Mandaluyong, the Texas Instruments facilities in Baguio and Clark, and the Shell Shared Services Centre in Makati.
The LEED green rating system was developed by the US Green Building Council in March 2000 and provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
LEED is a very flexible rating system which can apply to different types of building requirements: homes, neighborhood development (in pilot), commercial interiors, and for existing buildings? operations and maintenance (core and shell, new construction, schools, healthcare, and retail).
For CBRE, the two most important types of LEED certification?are for commercial interiors for the tenant space.
CBRE has noted that that while LEED was initially developed as a benchmark for green buildings, it has evolved as a powerful marketing tool (to market the assets, the building, and to market the environmental credentials of the country).
Meanwhile, British Ambassador Stephen Lillie has lauded the Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC) for the successful development of Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE), the first Filipino green building rating system.
BERDE is the first rating system designed by Filipinos. It addresses the need for a local benchmark for energy efficient, sustainable design at a time when the Philippine construction industry is booming and power costs in the country have escalated to become the highest in Asia.
To date, there are 13 buildings going through the process of BERDE certification in areas such as Manila, Makati and Pampanga.
There are now 100 certified BERDE professionals to assist project proponents in pursuing BERDE certification. In addition, research and development of several BERDE schemes for communities and educational institutions are being developed.
?The BERDE rating system has provided a common language for green building in the Philippines by formulating national standards for sustainable construction that are tailored to Philippine conditions,? Lillie said.
He also cited the UK?s Buildings Research Establishment?s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), the first and most widely used green building rating system which sets the yardstick for energy efficient, sustainable design that minimizes the impact of building construction to the environment.
?We are delighted to have contributed to the development of BERDE through our British experts who shared their knowledge and best practices in using the UK?s BREAAM system, which really pioneered green building rating systems,? Lillie said.
With the Philippines among the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change, PhilGBC chairman and president Christopher de la Cruz considers it a ?primordial concern? to address high energy costs, water and air pollution and a solid waste crisis.
Dela Cruz said green buildings reduce the strain on energy resources as they need less energy than other structures.
He said the resulting improvement in resource management practices reduces waste, requiring less landfills and helping the government maintain cleaner water resources.
?Green building is recognised to have the highest potential in significantly reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions with proven and commercially available technologies. Drastically reducing emissions by 30-50 percent is very possible without significantly increasing investment costs,? Dela Cruz said.
A study by the Asian Development Bank reported that Southeast Asia accounts for about 12 percent of global emissions, but with rapid economic growth emissions could increase four-fold between 2002 and 2030, which would make it a leading global emitter.
The region?s energy sector ? as the fastest growing contributor to the region?s emission ? holds vast, untapped opportunities for energy efficiency improvements.
A study funded by the British government shows the Philippines has the potential to take a huge chunk of energy efficiency investments amounting to at least $790 million.
It ranks third among six Southeast Asian nations ? behind Malaysia and Indonesia ? as a possible investment destination for projects that bring down energy consumption whilst maintaining the same output.
The Philippines offers the shortest payback period in the industrial sector, with periods ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 years. In the commercial sector the Philippines ranks second, with payback periods ranging from four to nine years.
Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=699805&publicationSubCategoryId=66
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