International. The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has launched a new digital library of case studies showcasing a selection of the world's most modern sustainable buildings.
Each case study demonstrates improved performance relative to health benefits or achieving net-zero operating carbon, as verified by established certification schemes, qualification tools, or other third-party verifications.
Buildings and construction together account for 36% of global energy end-use and 39% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions when upstream power generation is included. In addition, people spend 90% of their time in buildings, and there is a constant association between unhealthy indoor environments and negative impacts on human health, for example, exposure to moisture and mold is recognized to increase the likelihood of asthma attacks by 40%.
WorldGBC has launched the case study library in recognition of growing market demand to highlight "best-in-class" buildings that excel in key areas of sustainability, and the role of certification schemes in providing a guarantee of third-party performance.
This 'go to' resource for verified exemplary projects within the globally built environment was launched at the USGBC Greenbuild conference in Atlanta on November 19, 2019.
Submissions are reviewed according to the qualification criteria, developed by WorldGBC with input from an advisory committee of development partners.
Net zero carbon case studies are existing buildings or spaces that can demonstrate that they have achieved high levels of energy efficiency and generate or procure enough renewable energy to meet the building's demand for 12 consecutive months. This can be demonstrated by using the Green Building Council or other market rating tools that certify net-zero carbon performance, or by providing verified third-party data to support the net-zero claim.
Healthy case studies are existing buildings or spaces that can demonstrate that they excel at providing features that improve human health, as verified and certified using rating schemes that demonstrate the outstanding achievement of the health elements of a holistic green building certification scheme, or achieve specific certification results, or demonstrate equivalent levels of performance using verified data.
The library also features "game-changing" industry projects, those that have met the criteria for healthy and net-zero performance criteria, and case study information on their specific characteristics, lessons learned, and additional useful project information. It is therefore a useful resource for sharing and learning about best practice approaches to achieving pioneering levels of sustainable performance.
An example of a "game-changing" project is Floth's office in Brisbane, Australia, which has been certified carbon neutral by the Australian National Environment Classification System (NABERS) standard, and which achieves exemplary performance for healthy impacts in both NABERS Internal Environment and the Green Building Council of Australia's Green Star rating system.
Colombia's Cristina Gamboa, Executive Director of the World Green Building Council, said: "As a global network committed to achieving a sustainable built environment, I am delighted to launch our new library of case studies. It showcases the most advanced examples of sustainable construction around the world as verified by our local Green Building Councils. Buildings are a vital part of the solution to the climate crisis. Therefore, our library of case studies will be a valuable resource to further inspire the commitment to improve human health and eliminate CO2 emissions from the construction and construction sector to reach net zero by 2050."
The case studies can be seen at this link: https://www.worldgbc.org/case-study-library
