Green Buildings

Environmental

On an environmental level, green buildings are able to offer great benefits. When planned appropriately, the structure can, not only conserve resources or reduce negative impact, but can also produce positive outcomes through processes such as energy generation and promoting biodiversity. 

Globally

• • Out of all the major emitting sectors globally, the building sector possesses the greatest potential in terms of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases [9].

  • By the year 2050, the potential to conserve CO2 emissions can reach up to 84 gigatons due to direct actions like reduction of fuel and using renewable energy [10].

  • Also by 2050, the sector that deals with buildings can potentially save up to 50% of energy and help decrease the rising of temperature on planet earth to 2% [10].

Buildings

• • In Australia, buildings that are awarded the Green Star certification emit 62% less greenhouse gases and utilize 51% less potable water than most other buildings.

  • In India, buildings under the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) save up to 40-50% more energy and 20-30% more water than conventional buildings.

  • In South Africa, buildings certified with Green Star spend 30-40% less energy and carbon emissions and 20-30% less potable water annually. 

  • In the US, LEED buildings 25% less energy is spend and 11% less water compared to non-certified buildings [6].

Economic

In terms of economics in a multilevel society, green buildings can impact all types of people and groups. Examples of where finance can be improved vary due to a persons’ role. For tenants and the average household, utility bills for houses are lower due to more efficient energy and water suppliers. In the case of building developers, there are usually less payments regarding construction and increase in property value. Owners of buildings, they benefit from higher occupancy probability or costs for operation. Finally, overall there are more job opportunities as a result. There is a link between economics and green buildings that can be developed further [6]. 

Globally

• • The combined efforts of saving energy worldwide could add up to 280-410 billion euros and this is the same amount of energy as double the annual electricity consumption of the entire United States [12].

Country

• • In Canada, the industry that specializes in green buildings created a revenue of $23 billion in GDP and also generated over 300 000 full-time jobs in the year 2014 [13].
  • It is predicted that by 2018, green buildings will provide more than 3.3 million jobs in the U.S. [14].

Building

• • According to building owners, both new and renovated green buildings have 7% more value in assets than the typical building [15].

Social

Socially, green buildings also play a role, mostly revolving around benefits in terms of health and well-being for those who utilize green buildings, as work space or housing [6].

• • For those working in well-ventilated green buildings, it is shown that their cognitive scores increase by 101%, leading to better brain function [17].
  • Including windows in offices leads to workers sleeping an average of 46 minutes more each night.
  • It is shown through research that a higher quality of air indoors with lower carbon dioxide and pollutants concentration and a good ventilation rate can improve the performance of workers up to 8%. 

Ethical

Although building green is definitely a move in the right direction for less harmful impacts, subsequently there are some concerns addressing the morality of this type of construction. Sometimes, the push to become better is also shadowed by unethical and dishonest practices; more than what is seen on the surface.

• • For the title of a 'green building', the certification comes with negative connotation when tax breaks or company exploitation happens without even accurately pursuing the label [19].
  • Even LEED certification is leeched off of for the benefit of making money at the expense of requirements for energy conservation. This has led to some court cases with contractors on one side and companies that do not receive a tax break on the other.
  • Under the LEED, more than 25% of the certified buildings do not actually meet the operating energy quota as promised in the initial plans.