Posted on 10:13 PM, September 14, 2010 [ BusinessWorld Online ]
BY EMILIA NARNI J. DAVID, Reporter
SINGAPORE -- Building owners hoping to go “green” can expect a new rating system being crafted by the Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC) to take into account a common carbon emissions measure being pushed globally.
PhilGBC is now conducting tests on the use of the system to rate buildings.
Ma. Anna G. Tungol, executive director of PhilGBC, told BusinessWorld in an interview the proposed Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence or BERDE certification program would feature aspects that could form part of the final common carbon metric of the World Green Building Council (WGBC).
“We’ve had a preview of the common carbon metric and many of its principles are already part of BERDE. We picked out what [can be adapted] to the country, although the common carbon metric really focuses on reducing carbon emissions, and our ratings system looks into more than carbon emissions,” said Ms. Tungol at the sidelines of the Build Eco Expo 2010.
The WGBC is aiming to create a common carbon metric which would be used to compare the rating systems of different countries.
The common metric is part of a global sectoral agreement being crafted by the council that would provide venues for national governments to focus on areas where greenhouse gas emissions can be estimated, supposedly with clear benefits for building owners.
The Build Eco Expo 2010 being held in Singapore, organized by the Singapore Green Building Council, gathered 200 companies and green building councils from all over the world.
The Singapore expo opened on Monday and will run until today.
Ms. Tungol said the establishment of a local rating system is one of the signs the market for green buildings is on the rise in the Philippines.
“There are already nine companies that are piloting the ratings with us and are interested in developing it further. I can’t [name] all of companies but [Ayala Land, Inc.] is one of the companies. This only shows the level of enthusiasm for green buildings in the country,” Ms. Tungol said.
The “useability test” being conducted would lead to fine-tuning based on the planned common carbon metric, she said.
With growing interest in green buildings in the Philippines, the PhilGBC said government support is important not just in providing incentives but also in regulation.
She called for the passage of bills filed in Congress promoting green structures, and counterpart ordinances in local government units such as Quezon City.
“The government is actually pushing this initiative actively. There is a House bill on green buildings filed by Representative Anna York P. Bondoc. There’s also one in the Senate. What is needed is awareness, to strengthen the awareness of people of green buildings in the country,” said Ms. Tungol.
Conference speakers from other countries also noted the role governments could play in encouraging people to put up green buildings.
Sivithorn Vongsoasup, director of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Promotion of Thailand’s Ministry of Energy, said in her speech that aside from incentives, other services can be provided by the government to building owners and residents seeking to make their structures more energy efficient.
“In Thailand, it’s not just a carrot and a stick. We aim to provide technical expertise for renovations, provide a 30% subsidy to homeowners and even disseminate guidebooks on building green,” said Ms. Vongsoasup.
The Singaporean Building and Construction Authority is also providing training to 18,000 to 20,000 green specialists to meet its goal of making 80% of its buildings “green” by 2030.
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