International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, on Thursday launched the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) green building certification system in the Philippines with the support of the Philippine Green Building Initiative (PGBI).
IFC country manager Yuan Xu said that EDGE is a voluntary certification system, promoting resource efficiency through building designs that reduce energy, including the energy used in making construction materials, and water use.
The launch took place at Green Breakthroughs 2010, an event showcasing groundbreaking innovations and developments in building resource-efficient and sustainable structure.
“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,” IFC country manager Yuan Xu said.
“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,” he added.
“We also have to think lifecycle cost,” Architect Amado De Jesus Jr. said. “The green building is all about saving.”
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 percent to 37 percent savings in energy, water, and materials, while Imperial’s middle-income quality housing units yield 28 percent to 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.
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.
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.
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 supported by Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Switzerland, the EU government, the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), and the Global Environment Fund (GEF).
Now on its second year, Green Breakthroughs gathers key players for a green-building knowledge exchange. Some 200 representatives from the government, the 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.
Published: September 16, 2016, The Manila Times