Nico Olivier

Green Building Council South Africa

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is an independent, non-profit organisation, established in September 2007 to promote green building in South Africa's commercial property industry. A green building is a building which is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible- which incorporates design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate its negative impact on the environment and its occupants. Building green is an opportunity to use resources efficiently and address climate change while creating healthier and more productive environments for people to live and work in. The GBCSA is a full member of the World GBC (www.worldgbc.org). GBCSA Vision: To lead the transformation of the South African property industry to ensure that all buildings are designed, built and operated in an environmentally sustainable way to allow South Africans to work and live in healthy, efficient and productive environments. GBCSA Mission: To promote, encourage and facilitate green building in the South African property and construction industry through market-based solutions. The main functions of the GBCSA are to: 1. Promote and raise awareness of green building, 2. Establish a green building rating system for South Africa, 3. Provide green building education, and 4. Make knowledge and resources available to assist those that want to implement green building.