The World Green Building Council is a global non-profit organisation working to transform the global property industry towards sustainability.  It works through its members, the country GBC’s, who are leading the movement to environmentally responsible building practices in their respective countries.
 
“The World GBC acts as a coordinating body for all the different national councils,” explains Bruce Kerswill, Executive Chairman of the GBCSA.  There are 12 full members and 35 ‘emerging’ members.
 
“South Africa’s Green Building Council has just been accepted as the 13th full member to the World council – an achievement of which we are extremely proud.

We are now full members alongside countries such as the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Brazil, India etc, proving that South Africa is by no means lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of green building.  The World GBC gives us a fantastic network across developed and developing countries, and an opportunity to compare notes and learn from others’ experiences,” adds Kerswill.

Andrew Bowerbank, Executive Director of the WorldGBC explains that the council provides leadership and a global forum to accelerate market transformation from traditional, inefficient building practices to new generation high-performance buildings.
“This is a critical response strategy for cities and countries worldwide to their national and international commitments to reduce carbon emissions and redress other environmental impacts.”

“Buildings are responsible for around 23 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere. Global awareness of the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental degradation is driving the need for rapid formation of Green Building Councils around the world.

“The South African Green Building Council has excelled in the short time since its inception and we are proud to welcome them as a full member of the WorldGBC,” concludes Bowerbank.