MEDIA RELEASE
GreenTag Certification recognised by GBCSA, Events Invitation and New Ecospecifier Website launches
Ecospecifier Global GreenTag is proud to announce its recognition by the Green Building Councilof South Africa’s (GBCSA) recently introduced Green Star SA® – Interiors v1 rating tool. Global GreenTag has been recognised at the highest level, and is one of only two schemes to gain recognition in all three levels.
As a further announcement, Ecospecifier is this month, launching the new look green product database and knowledgebase. This enhanced website is the benchmark one-stop-shop for verified and certified green products relevant to South Africa and other countries using Green Star SA® and is now viewable on mobile devices and tablets.
As part of the celebrations GreenTag is holding series of Professional’s CPD and Manufacturer Information events in Cape Town and Johannesburg in February (see details below) including explanation of how to enhance green project ratings, how GreenTag integrates into the Green Star SA® system and to demonstrate how to save time specifying green products with the new ecospecifier.co.za website.
The GBCSA system was developed to evaluate the environmental performance of buildingfitoutin South Africa and the products that make them up. Like other GBCSA rating tools, the Interiors v1 rating tool includes a variety of credits under 9 different categories including the ‘Materials’ category.
This category looks to assess the major products used in interiors fitout, consisting offour categories: Furniture, Assemblies, Flooring and Wall Coverings.A product certified under any particular recognised scheme is awarded Level A, B or Crecognition. Level A rating attracts 100% of the points, Level B attracts 85% of the points and Level C is awarded 75% of the available points.
Ecospecifier Global GreenTag certification scheme, is a unique, globally relevant certification scheme operated under licence by Global GreenTag(Pty) Ltd based in Cape Town. Launched originally in Australia it is also recognised in numerous other countries.
It comprises two individual schemes, GreenRate and LCARate. GreenRate was developed specifically to respond to green Building Council requirements and LCARate is a unique whole of life, life cycle analysis (LCA) based sustainability rating system for products that delivers real ‘Cradle to Grave’ LCA data into projects looking to perform comparative life cycle impact analysis. Such whole project LCA is becoming widespread in other countries using Green Star, LEED, BREEAM etc.
Apart from the GBCA recognised levels, each of the GreenRate and LCARate determinations allows and even greater level of transparency with each Product Assessment Report being included online at along with Product Scorecards and where relevant Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs are summary LCA reports).
While these processes are not common in Africa currently, measuring the environmental footprint of a project using LCA is getting easier all the time with new tools such as GreenTag.
Green building professionals and manufacturers or suppliers are invited to attend a series of events in both Cape Town and Johannesburg later in February as follows:
Green Building Professionals CPD Seminars: ‘Enhanced Green Building Ratings’
Speakers:
-David Baggs CEO and Program Director for Global GreenTag International
-Lesley Sibanda: Technical Coordinator at Green Building Council of South Africa
-MarloesReinink: Sustainable Building Consultant at Solid GreenConsulting
Cape Town:
-Date: Wednesday, 25th February 2015
-Time: 08H30 for 09H00 - 11H00
-Venue:SANRAL WinelandsAuditorium, 1 Havenga Street, Oakdale, Bellville
Gauteng:
-Date: Thursday, 26th February 2015
- Time: 09H30 for 10H00 - 12H00
-Venue: EY Offices, 102 Rivonia Road, Sandton
For registrations please contact
Manufacturers and Suppliers Free Information Sessions:
A manufacturer and supplier only focussed presentation on the benefits of third party certification and how certified products can gain enhanced market access to the growing green building and interiors fitout marketplace in South Africa and beyond. The presentation specifically deals with the Green Building Council of South Africa’s new Interiors v1 rating tool and how the new product certification standard requirement for Materials Fit out Calculators work.
Speaker: David Baggs CEO and Program Director for Global GreenTag International
Cape Town:
-Date: Wednesday, 25th February 2015
-Time: 13H00 for 13H30 – 14H30
-Venue:SANRAL WinelandsAuditorium, 1 Havenga Street, Oakdale, Bellville
Gauteng:
-Date:Thursday, 26 February 2015
-Time: 14H00 for 14H30 – 15H30
-Venue:EY Offices, 102 Rivonia Road, Sandton
For registrations please contact
Media Contact: Lizette Swanevelder
Phone/Mobile: 021 790 0286/082 770 6552
Email: