The perceptions of green buildings amongst occupiers of commercial buildings in South Africa .

Abstract

Green buildings are becoming more prevalent within the South African commercial property market. As it is a relatively new concept within the market, there is a need to understand what the commercial user perceives as a benefit derived from occupying a green building and what the barriers to entry are for occupying these green buildings. An online survey was emailed to 500 occupants of commercial buildings within Gauteng to gauge their perceptions on the above problems. 131 Functional responses were obtained from the survey and indicated that benefits can be derived in five main areas notably: environmental sustainability, economic benefits, competitiveness compared to non-certified buildings, an increase in the level of workforce productivity and increased branding benefits. The biggest barrier to entry was that the occupiers of commercial buildings are not really interested in green buildings and do not perceive it necessary to change their ways. The conclusion that can be drawn from the research is that there are definite benefits that can be derived from occupying green buildings, but that a significant increase in the marketing of the green building movement is required, to inform commercial occupiers and the general public of the benefits of green buildings to ensure the sustainability of the earth’s environment.