Why Green Building? How Important?
“The built environment is responsible for about 42% of annual global CO2 emissions.”
The built environment turns out to be one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, consisting of contributions from building operations, building material use and production, and more. Considering the significant impact of the built environment, there needs to be preventive measures through more environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches, one of which is making buildings Green Buildings.
"Every building on the planet must be 'net zero carbon' by 2050 to keep global warming below 2°C."
In addition to implementing more sustainable approaches, Green Building also plays an important role in making a significant contribution to Indonesia's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in the context of climate change. The contribution of Green Building to emission reduction can be achieved through various strategies such as:
- Energy Efficiency
- Renewable Energy
- Sustainable Materials
- Water Conservation
- Smart Building Technologies
- Green Certifications and Standards
Standards & Certifications
Certification and standardization of green buildings is a process that evaluates and verifies the environmental performance of a building based on various sustainability criteria. Although there are various certification systems and each has slightly different processes, they generally follow a similar framework. What are the standards and certifications for green buildings?
1: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is one of the most popular global green building standards. Developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides a framework for the design, construction, and operation of buildings focused on sustainability.
Obtaining LEED certification requires a rigorous evaluation process, with various levels of certification, ranging from Certified to Platinum, based on the environmental impact of the building.
LEED certification evaluates the environmental impact of a building in the following categories:
1. Sustainable Sites
2. Water Efficiency
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials and Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
6. Innovation and Design
2: WELL Building Standard
The WELL Building Standard focuses on the health and well-being of building occupants. Developed by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), this standard provides guidelines for the design, construction, and operation of buildings, with a focus on occupant health and well-being. The WELL certification process evaluates factors such as air and water quality, lighting, and thermal comfort.
The WELL Building Standard focuses on seven building performance categories:
1. Air
2. Water
3. Nourishment
4. Light
5. Fitness
6. Comfort
7. Mind
3: GREENSHIP
GREENSHIP Certification is a certification system developed by the Green Building Council Indonesia based on the GREENSHIP Assessment Tool developed since 2009. This certification system uses a point-based system spread across six criteria:
1. Site Development
2. Energy Efficiency and Conservation
3. Water Conservation
4. Resources and Material Cycles
5. Indoor Health and Comfort
6. Building Environmental Management
By using GREENSHIP, a building can achieve different levels of achievement, ranging from bronze, silver, gold, to platinum certification, which is the highest level.
Currently, GREENSHIP Certification includes six types of certification for New Buildings, Existing Buildings, Interior Spaces, Homes, Environments, and Net Zero Healthy. GREENSHIP Certification can also cover all types of buildings. For each type of certification, GREENSHIP has different certification paths that must be completed by the building to become a GREENSHIP Certified Building.