Balwin and Absa launch SA’s first green home loan

alwin Properties and Absa recently launched the Absa Eco Home Loan, the first sustainable home loan in the country.

Balwin Properties CEO and founder Steve Brookes

B(below) sees the new partnership with Absa as another sustainable milestone in the company’s continued drive to deliver innovative green buildings of quality.

“The idea of a green home loan was inspired by the International Finance Corporation’s [IFC] Green Bond,” he says. “I was impressed by its achievement driving climate-smart investment and saw an opportunity to extend this philosophy to our customers.”

According to Brookes, Absa was the obvious choice when it came to finding a like-minded and innovative partner with the right technical expertise and delivery capabilities to develop such a product.

“The Eco Home Loan is testament to Absa’s commitment to creating customer-centred products and future residential property needs,” says Absa Home Loans managing executive Geoff Lee. “Sustainable living is a priority for Absa’s customers and so it should be for us.”

Grahame Cruickshanks, managing executive for market engagement at Green Building Council SA, says the Absa Eco Home Loan is an exciting first step towards increasing accessibility to green homes and an important catalyst since the launch of the Edge rating tool in 2015.

An innovation of the IFC, Edge software proves that building green is financially viable, which helps to grow the green building trend.

“Using Edge, we now have a cost-effective planning tool to help us build green based on occupant behaviour, building type and the local climate,” says Brookes.

“Edge registration provides environmentally conscious buyers and tenants with the assurance that they are minimising their footprint while saving on utility costs over the long term. The Absa Eco Home Loan enhances the benefits of Edge certification by lowering the cost of finance for our customers.”