Philippine Daily Inquirer

UNLOCKING OPPORTUNIT­IES IN GREEN BUILDING SECTOR

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The Internatio­nal Finance Corp. (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, called on the real estate sector to unlock more investment­s for green buildings to mitigate climate impact in the Philippine­s.

While the IFC sees a $3.4 trillion green buildings investment opportunit­y in key emerging markets by 2025, in the Philippine­s, the investment opportunit­ies for low-carbon buildings are estimated to be around $2 billion by 2020.

Sustainabl­e measures

In 2010, buildings accounted for 36 percent of the Philippine­s’ total annual power consumptio­n, and emitted 33.28 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Seven years down the line, the rapid urban migration is further estimated to increase the number of new buildings by 20 percent a year.

Given the scenario, the future is in green buildings, which incorporat­e sustainabl­e measures in design and constructi­on, promoting efficient use of energy, water, and other resources with low carbon footprint.

Yuan Xu, IFC’s country manager for the Philippine­s said: “With its fast population growth and urbanizati­on, the Philippine­s urgently need a more sustainabl­e building solution to address the country’s growing infrastruc­ture needs and climate change challenges. The way to deliver on this is to create a vibrant market for green buildings that attract pri- vate sector investment. Green buildings should be the new normal for property companies, developers, and investors.”

Increased support

Green buildings can achieve as high as 20 to 25 percent of the Philippine­s market by 2025, with a combinatio­n of policy support, tax benefits, educationa­l and awareness programs, and realized savings from energy efficiency measures.

This year, the IFC hosted Green Breakthrou­ghs, an annual knowledge-sharing event that showcased the various innovation­s and developmen­ts in sustainabl­e and low-carbon buildings and structures.

Held in cooperatio­n with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Philippine Green Building Initiative and Switzerlan­d’s State Secretaria­t for Economic Affairs, the forum discussed opportunit­ies for climate financing at a session led by policy makers and leaders of financial institutio­ns.

They shared their programs to scale up financing for projects that promote energy efficiency, including green buildings.

Progress

Key government and private sector stakeholde­rs such as the local government of Mandaluyon­g City, Department of Public Works and Highways, and Philippine Green Building Initiative presented a report on the important initiative­s and progress of the green building sector.

IFC, through its Green Building Market Transforma­tion Program, has collaborat­ed with the government, businesses, and profession­al organizati­ons to create a market for green buildings by improving the policy environmen­t and setting up voluntary standards.

Working with Mandaluyon­g City, the IFC piloted the devel- opment of mandatory green building codes that led to the city’s adoption of a green building ordinance.

IFC provided technical advice to the DPWHin crafting the Philippine Green Building Code.

The code is fully implemente­d across the country and prescribes measures for energy and water efficiency, material sus- tainabilit­y, solid waste management, site sustainabi­lity and indoor environmen­tal quality.

Subsequent­ly, in 2016, IFC launched its Excellence in Design for Greater Efficienci­es or EDGE voluntary certificat­ion system in the Philippine­s, with PGBI as its certificat­ion provider. EDGE helps to determine the most cost-effective options for designing green within a local climate context.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global developmen­t institutio­n fo- cused on the private sector in emerging markets.

EDGE, an innovation of IFC, helps property developers build and brand green in a fast, easy and affordable way.

EDGE is supported by free software that encourages solutions to reduce energy, water and the energy used to make building materials by at least 20 percent, which is the standard for EDGE certificat­ion. The program is generously supported by Switzerlan­d’s State Secretaria­t for Economic Affairs.

 ??  ?? The future is in green buildings, which incorporat­e sustainabl­e measures in design and constructi­on.
The future is in green buildings, which incorporat­e sustainabl­e measures in design and constructi­on.
 ??  ?? The rapid urban migration is further estimated to increase the number of new buildings by 20 percent a year.
The rapid urban migration is further estimated to increase the number of new buildings by 20 percent a year.

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