What are green buildings?
Green buildings emit fewer greenhouse gases, consume less energy, use less water, and offer occupants healthier environments than do typical buildings. Green buildings use salvaged, recycled or low carbon materials; they support rainwater harvesting, bicycle commuting, solar heating, natural ventilation, and/or many other environmentally friendly practices.

How does one rate the environmental performance of buildings? Who develops rating tools?
Green Building Councils (GBCs) are non-profit, member-based coalitions recognised by the World GBC that develop objective, voluntary tools for rating the environmental performance of buildings. GBCs also support the building industry through capacity building. By using objective measurement to inject an element of friendly competition, these Councils and their rating tools can exercise a catalytic, transformative impact on the building sector in a given country. GBCs exist in a number of countries around the world – yet to date, with the exception of South Africa, this model has experienced little uptake in sub-Saharan Africa. Other approaches to rating buildings and encouraging green building practices are also possible.

What are the objectives and expected outcomes of the conference?

The conference will:
Encourage the spread of green building practices through Africa by promoting the use of green building rating systems.

More specifically, drawing on relevant, real-life experiences, using expert speakers, panel discussions and interactive forums, the conference will:
Familiarise participants from across the African continent with the nuts and bolts of setting up and operating successful green building councils.
Help participants to explore other models for advancing green building practices, to find the approaches that work best in the African context.
Assist interested parties to form a network, to support each other in navigating through the several step process of establishing a GBC, or otherwise developing or adopting green building rating tools.

What are the benefits of attending?
Share knowledge
Understand changing markets and new market niches
Participate in a regional network
Develop professionally

Who should apply?
Successful applicants will have relevant experience with the building industry and the built environment, and be interested in spearheading the spread of green building practices in their professional communities of practice. Candidates will include but are not limited to: developers, builders, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, building owners, facility managers, building materials suppliers, government officials who work in the housing, environment or other relevant sectors, and academics.

How to apply?
Please register online before 9 April 2010

Costs?
There is no cost for attending the conference and workshop; however attendees must cover their own travel and accommodation costs. Subsidies for these costs are available for a limited number of persons from selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Questions?