1 Introduction
This Value Case for Sustainable Building in New Zealand concentrates on the environmental and economic issues related to mainstream New Zealand buildings. It is intended to provide material that can be used to demonstrate the business case for sustainable buildings to key decision-makers including:
- public sector chief financial officers
- owner occupiers
- investment funders
- developers
- tenants.
Definitions of sustainable or green buildings vary widely (e-Dialogues for Sustainable Development, 2004). In the context of this report, they are characterised by:
- radically reduced energy consumption
- improved resource efficiency
- reduced environmental impacts
- improved indoor environment
- lower impact on local infrastructure
- being easier to manage.
These characteristics enhance a building's marketability and asset value.
The Value Case focuses on new non-residential public and commercial buildings including:
- offices
- schools
- hospitals and health care buildings
- tertiary institutions
- libraries.
Sustainable building strategies could also be applied, and have been in some instances, to other building types such as hotels, supermarkets, retail centres, sports venues, prisons and transport centres. They apply to both new buildings and to building refurbishments.
As well as providing some relevant case studies, this report describes the New Zealand context for sustainable building, its economics and its implementation. It contrasts these with overseas trends and finally looks at the potential drivers for sustainable building in the future as we approach the beginning of the end of cheap fossil fuel.
We have tried to make this report as non-technical possible, and a glossary of terms commonly used in sustainable building is included in Appendix 5 of this report.
