|
Manila, Philippines, September 15, 2016
— IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, launched its EDGE green building certification system in the Philippines in partnership with the Philippine Green Building Initiative (PGBI). The launch took place at Green Breakthroughs 2016, an event that showcased groundbreaking innovations and developments in building resource-efficient and sustainable structures.
Recognized for their green buildings were ItalPinas Development Corporation for Primavera Residences condominium towers A and B in Cagayan de Oro and Imperial Homes for the affordable housing units Tiarra Premiere and Delsey in Santo Tomas, Batangas. Primavera's design and resource-efficient features result in 32-37 percent savings in energy, water, and materials, while Imperial’s middle-income quality housing units yield 28-38 percent savings. Both projects are EDGE-certified.
Also recognized were the Philippine Hotel Owners’ Association Inc. for promoting investments in energy-efficient tourism programs and renewable energy resources, and the Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines for encouraging its members to use green-building measures. Former mayor Benhur Abalos of Mandaluyong City was cited for steering green policies and programs in the city, including a green-building ordinance that requires new buildings to adopt energy and water-efficient practices.
IFC country manager Yuan Xu said, “If we want to sustain economic growth, we need to transform the market so that there are more builders and investors setting up green buildings. We need more structures that save energy, minimize construction and operation costs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.”
Buildings emitted 33.28 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, accounting for 36 percent of the Philippines’ total annual power consumption in 2010. Rapid urban migration is expected to further increase the number of new buildings by 20 percent a year, making it increasingly important to reduce the power usage of buildings.
Yuan Xu said EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) is a voluntary certification system that helps simplify and reduce the cost of green buildings, making them more accessible to all. EDGE promotes resource efficiency through building designs that reduce energy, including the energy used in making construction materials, and water. PGBI, a non-profit group of professional associations that promotes energy-efficient and environment-friendly design and construction, is the certification provider for EDGE projects in the Philippines.
Now on its second year, Green Breakthroughs gathers key players for a green-building knowledge exchange. Some 200 representatives from government, private sector, academe, and professional organizations attended Green Breakthroughs 2016: Building for Resource Efficiency and Sustainability at the AIM Conference Center in Makati.
Green Breakthroughs was held with the support of the Department of Public Works and Highways and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Working with 2,000 businesses worldwide, we use our six decades of experience to create opportunity where it’s needed most. In FY16, our long-term investments in developing countries rose to nearly $19 billion, leveraging our capital, expertise and influence to help the private sector end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
About EDGE
An innovation of IFC, EDGE helps property developers build and brand green in a fast, easy and affordable way. EDGE is supported by free software that encourages solutions to reduce energy, water and the energy used to make building materials by at least 20 percent, which is the standard for EDGE certification. The program has been generously supported by the following donors: Austria, Canada, Denmark, ESMAP, EU, Finland, GEF, Hungary, Japan and Switzerland. For more information, visit
www.edgebuildings.com
.
Stay Connected
|
