As countries around the world look for ways to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change, special attention should be given to the building and construction sector.
According to the World Green Building Council, the construction industry, which is a massive consumer of raw materials and natural resources, generates about 37 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions.
However, this high level of carbon emissions can be reduced by use of sustainable building materials.
Sustainable building materials have little negative impact on the environment. They are responsibly sourced, have high recycled content and have low greenhouse gas emissions. They are also durable, locally available and locally produced.
Good examples include bamboo, engineered wood, terrazzo, precast concrete slabs, slates, thatch and recycled plastics.
Countries that have embraced sustainable building materials include Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Despite being densely populated, Singapore has one of the most carbon-efficient economies, thanks to widespread use of recycled materials and green technologies for building designs.
The Singapore government has come up with strategic policies and incentives to enable it achieve the target of greening 80 per cent of buildings by 2030.
Precast concrete
In the UAE, I noticed that they use precast concrete products, reinforced with steel rebar and controlled curing, which ensures concrete sets correctly. Precast concrete is environment-friendly. The UAE ranks 14th globally for the highest concentration of green buildings, according to Knight Frank.
In Kenya, we mostly mix concrete and use it on site, which is wasteful and pollutes the environment. We are, nevertheless, slowly coming up.
Not long ago, the Architectural Association of Kenya launched a green building certification tool that assesses construction projects to establish their environmental performance.
Dubbed, Safari Green Building Index, the rating system guides allocation of points for meeting specified construction standards.
Getting sustainable building materials should not be a hard task. For example, the City of Nairobi produces a lot of garbage.
Entrepreneurs should recycle plastics into building materials. There are already a few success stories, such as one company that transforms plastic into sustainable and affordable materials such as bricks.
More awareness needs to be created in the building and construction sector so that many more can embrace the use of sustainable building materials.
The government should come up with clear incentives for developers who choose to use sustainable building materials. This could be in the form of lower interest rates for mortgages. These short-term sacrifices can yield long-term benefits for all of us.
Mr Ambatsa is a Quantity Surveyor practising in Nairobi.
