The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) would like to provide necessary clarity on the recent treatment of the Auditor-General Report in the media on the utilisation of consultants by government departments, but most specifically on our Green Building project. It is important that we put proper context to the issues that the Auditor-General’s Report raises, especially the costs of the building, the process that we followed as well as the benefits to the environment and also how with this building we are setting a standard in the building sector while also ensuring that we are reminded of elements of our National Climate Change Response Policy.
Minister Edna Molewa held a sod-turning ceremony in July last year that signalled the beginning of construction of our offices in line with our mandate to ensure that South Africa and South Africans migrate towards a green lifestyle. As a department entrusted with the management of South Africa’s environment to ensure that future generations inherit a world that is habitable, we have since released the National Climate Change Response Policy. This Policy requires that our government should embark upon building energy efficiency programmes.
DEA would like to ensure that elements of sustainable development are central to the work that we do, hence the green elements are central to the construction-work that is currently. This building, which would be the new home of the DEA is expected to be complete by June 2014.
The building signals the beginning of a new era for DEA and for government as a whole as it is the first purpose built, not retro-fitted, green building for government, in the history of South Africa. The department has, through this investment, taken a bold step that will ensure that our infrastructure can meet green output specifications outlined in the Climate Change Response Policy that advocates the use of sustainable building materials which promotes urban greening, energy and water efficiency.
With an amount of R8 billion, invested in the construction of this building over 25 years, DEA is taking a green and bold step that reflects and signifies our commitment towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient green economy. We have undertaken the construction of this building due to the realisation that unless we consciously take bold steps, indications are that if left unmitigated, climate change will have devastating effects to our country.
This is a building that is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible - it incorporates design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of development on the environment and occupants.
The overall energy consumption in the building will be to a maximum of 115kWh / m2 /annum, with municipal water consumption expected to, with the technology used, to be 30% lower than that of a conventionally designed identical building. This building, for example, will allow the department to harvest rain water and use it for gardening and its bathroom.
The Green Economy Strategy has eight focus areas namely: green buildings and the built environment; sustainable transport and infrastructure, clean energy and energy efficiency; resource conservation and management; sustainable waste management practices; agriculture, food production and forestry; water management; sustainable consumption and production; and the cross-cutting focus area that covers research, awareness and skills development – in other building our social capital.
Implementation within the built environment includes the national programme to bring sustainable resource use criteria into the design of the settlement projects and subsidised houses across the country, with special reference to housing densities, orientation of the buildings, roof overhangs and insulation, installation of 1000 000 solar water heaters by 2014, and sustainable use of water and waste resources.
As our Climate Change Response Policy has acknowledged, the majority of South Africa’s emissions arise from energy supply such as electricity for example. When DEA moves into the Green Building, 10% of the overall energy consumption will be derived from a renewable energy source through solar generated power facilities.
The green building, once complete, will send a clear message to the public and private sectors that government is unequivocal in its commitment to greening the way we do our business and empower our people. DEA hopes that the initiative will influence corporate and state owned companies across the country to follow suit.
