GBCA gears up for World Green Building Week

The fourth annual World Green Building Week is being held this week from 16-20 September. Green building councils (GBCs) in 98 countries representing more than 25,000 organisations will host events, run campaigns and emphasise the theme ‘Greener Buildings, Better Places, Healthier People’.

“Green buildings are simply better buildings,” stated Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) Chief Executive Romilly Madew. “In Australia, Green Star-rated buildings produce 62% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, use 66% less electricity and consume 51% less potable water than average Australian buildings. They also send a fraction of the waste to landfill.

“But green buildings are not just good for the planet - they are good for people too. Sustainable buildings are boosting student test scores, accelerating patient recovery rates, improving worker productivity and slashing energy bills.”

Throughout the week the GBCA will be running several events around the country. Its member companies will also be hosting workshops, site tours, debates and art competitions.

After last year’s ‘Sustainable Sydney’ walking tours, the GBCA has created self-guided tours of sustainable buildings in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. The street-level CBD explorations highlight some of Australia’s Green Star-rated buildings and their features, and showcase how green buildings are contributing to the sustainability of inner-city communities.

On 17 September, the GBCA will launch the report ‘The future of Australian education: Sustainable places for learning’ and will host a panel discussion on how students and teachers can reap the benefits of happier and healthier education facilities. Speakers include the Hon Robyn Parker MP, NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage; and Professor Alec Tzannes, Dean of the University of NSW’s Faculty of Built Environment.

Madew will join World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) CEO Jane Henley and Green Building Council of South Africa CEO Brian Wilkinson in a live Twitter chat on 18 September from 3.30 pm AEST. Use the hashtag #WGBW2013chat to join in.

Henley said World Green Building Week “showcases how green buildings are reducing the global carbon footprint, saving money and improving productivity, creating jobs and improving the lives of millions of people”. She noted that the WorldGBC network has expanded from eight to 98 GBCs since 2002, showing the value of the industry.

To find out more about the week’s Australian events, click here. For global events, click here.