Online Reporter
Judith Phiri ,Zimpapers Business Hub
THE Green Building Council of Zimbabwe (GBCZ) is in the process of creating a rating and building certification tool with a homemade touch that define the green buildings in country.
The tool will play a critical role in providing a framework and process for assessing and certifying buildings based on their environmental, social, and economic performance in the face of climate change.
Speaking at the recent 2025 Zimbabwe Climate Change Sustainability Week and Green Business Expo in Bulawayo, GBCZ chairperson, Dr Mike Juru said buildings account for 40 percent of carbon emissions.
“The buildings are an important factor to people’s lives and yet they account for 40 percent of carbon emissions which are a contributor to climate change. UN habitat did their research and opinioned that by year 2050, 75 percent of the buildings that will be there are not yet built.
“The buildings we currently have only constitute 25 percent of the buildings that will be there come 2050. To support that statement the population of Zimbabwe is currently at 16 million and the population median is 19 which means in 25 years’ time the 8 million of the population will be in the housing market looking for their own accommodation,” he said.
“As GBCZ we are working on our own rating and building certification tool something that is home made. Certainly the climate in Australia is not the same as in Zimbabwe. So we are working to have our own rating and certification tool that will be used to define the green buildings in Zimbabwe.”
He said a lot of construction was ongoing and will continue to happen out of need and necessity for human survival, while they were promoting buildings that are by design, construction and operation minimise impact on to the environment.
Dr Juru a real estate practitioner with over 25 years of experience and chief executive officer (CEO) of Integrated Properties an ISO certified real estate, emphasized the need for building to reduce emissions to deal head on with issues of climate change.
“Green buildings offer energy and resource efficiency which is what is required to reduce the emissions. They are also key to water conservation, as you may have heard that the next world wars will be about fresh water supply.
“We are fast running out of fresh water and for as long as we do not build green buildings it means we will continue wasting water and we will perish as human kind,” he added.
“Green building reduce the waste that comes out of buildings because waste fill up the landfills and take up the space that is valuable which we could use for agriculture. We need to embrace the green building standards to address climate change.”
He said they were also working with the Parliament of Zimbabwe to push for legislation that will promote and encourage green building standards to be enacted in Zimbabwe.
Dr Juru said this will help the country to address climate change and ensure they have a great story to tell their grandchildren in 2050 that they created a country that is sustainable for them.
