The Green Star V2 green building certification tool for new buildings was recently launched, marked by community events and pilot projects
In December 2024 GBCSA celebrated the pilot launch of the new Green Star Version 2 for New Buildings and Major Refurbishments. . Green Star New Build Version 2, called Green Star V2 for short, is a green building certification tool that is the next evolution of the Green Star New Build tool. A key reason for its development is to drive market transformation within the South African property sector towards a more sustainable future, at scale.
The milestone was marked by events hosted in Joburg and Cape Town for the green building community. The events were co-hosted by Balwin Properties, who have enabled the development of this tool through vital funding. The Joburg event was hosted at Balwin’s 6-Star Green Star rated offices, and the Cape Town event was hosted their De Aan-Zicht Estate, whose lifestyle centre is also going to be one of GBCSA’s V2 pilot projects.
At each event, the GBCSA team, led by Head of Technical Georgina Smit, presented the tool and its features, and discussed the plans for further development and implementation.
How Green Star V2 will transform tomorrow
Green Star V2 is a green building certification tool that is future focused, and aims to align with leading global standards and best practice. It has the capacity to deliver a clear climate positive pathway for projects, with upfront carbon assessments and minimum requirements for energy and water use efficiency.
GBCSA believes that Green Star V2 raises the bar for redefining what it means to be a green building for the South African property market. In every project certified, minimum requirements must be met in order to qualify for certification. These include thresholds for clean air, lighting quality, waste management, and risk mapping for climate resilience.
The Green Star V2 tool provides a new canvas for sustainability, supporting the market to pursue tailored, holistic, and robust approaches to achieving green buildings. Importantly, this also includes a broader impact scope that includes socio-economic considerations like local economic development and social equity associated with construction projects.
It can be applied to various building typologies including office, industrial, healthcare, schools and residential apartments.
Key features of Green Star V2
Some key features of this version of Green Star V2 include:
- Simplified documentation and evidence requirements for certification
- Alignment with ESG outcomes and sustainability reporting frameworks, ensuring comprehensive sustainability metrics are available to support robust environmental benchmarks and reporting.
- An ambitious, but grounded scope, that stretches from supporting industry pioneers in achieving their ‘nexts’ to keeping a level of green certification accessible to all.
- Mechanisms to incentivise innovation and make sustainable leadership goals accessible to all.
- Simplified documentation and evidence requirements for certification, aimed to reduce the costs associated with certification
The Green Star V2 tool takes world class green building practices and translates them into a deeply South African framework that is responsive to the local market, climate, building types, construction practices and socio-economic conditions. It brings a resilient, sustainable, and thriving future into the hands of the South African property community.
Key outcomes of Green Star V2
Green Star V2 means that leaders, and those committed to green, now have a tool that enables them to be at the cutting edge of sustainability.
Using Green Star V2 promotes the following outcomes on projects:
- Alignment with global sustainability megatrends, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria.
- A new definition for sustainable buildings, one that has a broadened scope to address contemporary socio-economic and health and wellbeing issues. This new definition also establishes a clear well-defined entry point for best practice.
- A common language and standard of measurement for a range of sustainability improvements and contributions, which goes beyond legislative requirements.
- Updated benchmarks to provide surety of industry best practise, and to prevent greenwashing.
Green Star V2 categories and credits: A broad and deep scope of green
The Green Star V2 tool is structured into eight categories. Each category aims to influence project design, procurement, and construction in focused ways, such as through the development of environmental management plans, designing occupant wellbeing surveys, and investigating and responding to future climate risks.
The categories are:
- Responsible – Recognises activities that ensure the building is designed, procured, built, and handed over in a responsible manner, and provides clear guidance to builders and owners on the sustainability journey.
- Healthy – Ensures that the health and wellbeing of occupants is a fundamental part of the building
- Resilient – Allows building owners to demonstrate to investors and the community that risks that threaten the short- and long-term performance of the building have been considered and responded to.
- Positive – Rewards lower emissions as well as efficient use of water and energy, with a focus on upfront carbon emissions.
- Places – Provides incentives for integrating buildings into their surrounding context , and delivering places that increase social cohesion.
- People – Focuses on creating spaces that are universally accessible, and includes consideration of socio-economic aspects. Socio-economic aspects include social equity, local economic development, and inclusive design.
- Nature – Minimises the impact of development on the natural environment and enhances biodiversity.
- Leadership – Rewards actions that drive market transformation and challenges buildings to be exceptional.
Implementation: training, industry engagement and pilot projects
The implementation of the tool will include industry engagement and training through 2025. GBCSA will especially ensure that their network of Accredited Professionals are trained and empowered to guide this tool‘s arrival in the market.
The tool will be piloted on eight to ten projects, including a variety of typologies such as lifestyle centres and offices. GBCSA invites any developers or project teams who are interested in learning more to engage us. The GBCSA technical team are available and eager to discuss.
After the pilot phase and once Green Star V2 is sufficiently established, it will become the default Green Star rating tool for new buildings, and will replace Green Star V1 certification.
Acknowledging the experts behind Green Star V2
A volunteer task force and Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) were originally set up to update the tool, and included specific experts from the green building consulting profession to lead and inform technical requirements. Later, sponsorship from Balwin supported more detailed development, and the tool’s pilot finalisation. This included several technical appointments of experts to provide detailed input on performance benchmarks, industry metrics and documentation requirements for the initiatives. Lastly, ongoing industry and GBCSA Board input has provided oversight of the tool’s development. The pilot process spanned almost three years, managed by GBCSA.
Above: Georgina Smit, GBCSA Head of Technical, at the Green Star V2 launch event in Johannesburg, December 2024
The tool could not have achieved its excellence, ambition, or balance approach without the expertise and experience of many stakeholders, and their continual enthusiasm for this project.
GBCSA is proud to be part of such a community that gives so much to building exceptional tools to support a sustainable future. The hard work and dedication shown by these stakeholders has been significant, and has set the tool up for success. For this, GBCSA is deeply grateful.
Contributors have included:
GBCSA TEAM
Georgina Smit
Dash Coville
Abi Godsell
VOLUNTEER TASK FORCE
GBCSA Task Force Technical Manager: Michelle Ludwig
Task Team: Responsible
Category Director: André Harms
Task team members: Alison Groves, Lizette Swanevelder, Tarryn Long, Yogesh Gooljar, Zama Thusi, Jenni Lombard (GBCSA), Michelle de Nysschen (GBCSA)
Task Team: Healthy
Category Director: Annelide Sherratt
Task team members: Roxanne Dovey, Alana Shuttleworth, Nura El-Ghaib, Alex Varughese, Jo Anderson (GBCSA), Michal Hohlfeld (GBCSA)
Task Team: Resilient
Category Director: Jutta Berns
Task team members: Dean Young, Adrian Jackson, Yovka Raytcheva-Schaap, Elri Syfert, Jo Anderson (GBCSA), Michal Hohlfeld (GBCSA)
Task Team: Positive
Category Director: Francois Retief
Task team members: Jeffy Palamattam, Dash Coville, Yogesh Gooljar, Ravindra Nagar, Simon Penso, Ann-Mari Malan (GBCSA), Mischa Tessendorf (GBCSA)
Task Team: Places
Category Director: Adrie Fourie
Task team members: Peter Stokes, Zendré Compion Task Force, Marc Sherratt, Mthobisi Masinga (GBCSA)
Task Team: People
Task team members: Melissa Titus, Cebisa Mafukuzela, Nomamfengu Mbele, Itumeleng Masekoa, Michelle du Toit (GBCSA)
Task Team: Nature
Category Director: Mike Aldous
Task team members: Peta Brom, Thobekile Gambu, Lee-Ann Sade Modley, Marc Sherratt, Tamryn Heydenrych, Manti Seleka (GBCSA)
APPOINTED TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS
Arup: Tessa Brunette, Mike Kovaks, Mishlin Pillay
Ecocentric: Jutta Berns, Meera Chita
Ecolution: André Harms
Inclusive Design: Colette Fransolet
Property Point: Desigan Chetty, Clement Makotanyane, Maphefo Sipula
Solid Green Consulting: Annelide Sherratt, Adrie Fourie
Sow and Reap: François Retief
PJC + Partners: Yogesh Gooljar
MSSA: Marc Sherratt
For further information
Please contact [email protected] for enquiries on the technical manual, pilot projects or other feedback on Green Star V2.
