BPI, IFC target more green buildings
Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands has signed a pioneering agreement with the local partner of the International Finance Corp. (IFC) to help turn more buildings in the country into energy-saving, low-carbon, and environment-friendly structures.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), the Philippine Green Building Initiative (PGBI) will help BPI clients, building developers, and project owners comply with the code and acquire a green building certification.
“Aside from the opportunity to help clients comply with the green building code, this underpins our commitment to doing business with a purpose, our contribution to the protection of the environment,” BPI president and CEO Cezar Consing said.
PGBI will guide them in using and complying with IFC’s EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) that measures actual savings on water, energy, and materials via a free online tool.
PGBI is a private organization that promotes compliance to the Philippine Green Building Code (PGBC) and conducts training and certification programs for auditors and technical experts on the code.
New hotels, malls, offices, residential condominiums, schools, hospitals, and other mixed occupancy buildings are mandated to comply with the code.
BPI is the leading bank in sustainable energy finance (SEF) with a dedicated SEF team and a total energy savings and production totaling 4,062 gigawatt-hours (gwh) of electricity from 2008 until September 2017.
It successfully provided financing for 272 projects involving energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate resilience, which helps clients adapt to climate changes while improving efficiency and lowering energy costs.