Description

This study examines the role of green building in the built industry, focusing on the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure (DPWI) and the Public Works Green Building Policy (2018) of the Republic of South Africa. The research assesses practices in the built industry in South Africa, focusing on resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable energy interventions. The study also examines global, regional and local trends in the application and use of sustainable technologies and innovation in the built industry, including indigenous knowledge.
The study was conducted using the positivist research paradigm. The quantitative method is used to collect, measure, and analyse data, examining relationships between and among variables. The population size for the study was 96 employees officially assigned with responsibilities of designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating buildings in South Africa under the custodianship of DPWI. The primary data collection tool used in the study was a questionnaire.
The findings show that the implementation of the Green Building policy of the Department of Works of South Africa has led to an increased implementation of Green Building projects and the use of green technologies, leading to skills development, green jobs, enterprise development and localisation. However, not all projects in the South African built industry have implemented Green Building principles, suggesting that the sector has not fully realised its full potential.
The study recommends that an implementation framework be adopted, with key pillars for consideration in each project to support both socio-economic imperatives and project sustainability. Further research is recommended to assess the industrialisation and localisation supporting prescripts, which are focused on funding, as an enabler of sustainable Green Building related industries in South Africa.