The GBCSA has added a new Covid-19 innovation credit to its Green Star rating tools. This will reward any design initiatives, construction management procedures, technologies, processes or strategies employed on projects to address Covid-19.
The credit is available under the innovation category and aims to encourage sustainable building initiatives, processes or strategies that are currently outside of the scope of the Green Star rating tool, but which have significant environmental benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic to minimise the spread of this and other infectious diseases. It would also apply to other infectious disease and pathogen risk management initiatives.
In responding to Covid-19 within the built environment there is an opportunity to develop safer and healthier buildings and spaces for occupants of these buildings. Globally there is an effort to help further define the leading role buildings, organisations and communities can play in reducing the health burden from Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.
Green Star rating tools already encourage good healthy indoor environmental quality and there are numerous credits within the rating tool which address Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ), for the wellbeing of building occupants.
Through the inclusion of appropriate adaptation measures there is an opportunity to address initiatives such as nontoxic surface cleaning and disinfecting, workplace re-occupancy, risk management, social distancing, air quality and infection monitoring.
We look forward to sharing and recognising the innovative work already being done on green building projects, which contribute to our collective green recovery.
Find the INN-3 COVID-19 Innovations addition to the Green Star Technical Manuals here.
