The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA), in partnership with SAPOA (South African Property Owners Association), launched the new Green Lease Toolkit at the 44th annual SAPOA Convention held at the Durban International Convention Centre at the end of May 2012.
The Green Lease Toolkit was developed in response to growing market demand from South African landlords and tenants. Landlords have consistently requested guidance and resources to help them harness the benefits of well-designed, well-built, and, importantly, well-operated buildings. Tenants too are increasingly seeking out ‘green’ space in a bid to gain the advantage of the healthier and more productive working environment that green buildings offer. A ‘green lease’ is structured to ensure that a building that has been designed and built for sustainability is operated in a sustainable way.
The toolkit unpacks the definition of green leases, explores the shared responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and provides a platform for sharing the benefits of the enhanced performance of the building and balancing the respective costs between each party.
The principal benefits of selecting a green lease are set out as:
– Minimising our negative impact on the wider environment and the planet’s finite resources,
– Improved quality of the working environment,
– Increased staff retention and productivity,
– Improved asset performance,
– Reduced exposure to regulatory changes,
– Reduced operating costs,
– Regulatory compliance and an enhanced corporate reputation.
The Green Lease Toolkit provides an answer to the ‘split incentive’ conundrum that typically arises between owners and tenants. It addresses the motivational drivers for change from both perspectives and underlines the need for a collaborative approach to achieve mutual and equitable benefits.
It is also designed as a practical guide and includes checklists and samples of different types of green lease agreements.
