The Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA) new Green Building has received the Green Star World Leadership Award. The award was conferred by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) at an awards ceremony on 17 October 2013.

This achievement is a first for government and demonstrates the Department’s commitment to sustainable development. It raises the bar for the construction sector, demonstrating the department’s leadership for the private sector and other government departments to follow suit. As stated by Minister Edna Molewa recently, “The Department of Environmental Affairs is taking a lead with the construction of our new home, which will be a living and green example the nation’s climate change interventions.”

The building is currently under construction and the Department is expected to take occupation in June 2014. The project is a clear demonstration of a successful Public Private Partnership (PPP) and confirms government’s commitment to a transition towards a green economy.

The GBCSA award for World Leadership rated the Department’s building at 82 points, which is the highest achievement ever for an office accommodation project of this magnitude. The Department’s Green Building also received a 6 Green Star rating for Office Design from the GBCSA in May 2013. The Department’s project team is humbled by this international award which is in recognition of the work they have put into the project.

The Department conducted a feasibility study in 2006 for its accommodation needs and arrived at the conclusion that the current leased office accommodations no longer meet its fundamental needs. Furthermore, the current premises is also not a proper reflection of what the Department represents, which is to be an exemplary leader in the area of renewable energy, energy consumption, water conservation and taking into account compliance with the provisions of the Electricity Regulation Act, 2006 (Act no 4 of 2006) and the related energy efficiency regulations.

This work culminated in a PPP signed between Director-General of the Department, Nosipho Ngcaba, and the Imvelo / Grinaker LTA, followed by the sod-turning ceremony at the building site in July 2012, led by Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa.

The receipt of the award echoes a previous statement by Minister Molewa that through its Green Building, the department of environmental affairs would propel above the construction industry players, setting a good example for other organisations. The Minister added that this would all be “for the benefit of the environment and future generations’’.