Abstract
As these concerns have become a threat to our civilization, the development and rise of going green and creating a sustainable future has driven cities and its stakeholders worldwide to discover solutions for climate change, global warming, water scarcity, and energy limitations. Developing green buildings has been identified as one of the important ways to assisting cities in dealing with these difficulties. Green building philosophies originated in the 1990s, when the Building Research Establishment (BRE) created the world's first and leading sustainability standard and grading system for the built environment. The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) developed the Green Star SA rating system for green buildings in 2007 to jump on the bandwagon of developing green buildings to help curb the country's sustainability challenges. The movement of green building development in the country, however, dates to the late 1990s when the then Council for Scientific and Industrial Research advocated for green building principles and practices. Because South Africa has the highest share of green building development in the Sub-Saharan (SSA) region, this study investigates the effects of green buildings on water scarcity, energy shortages, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change in the Gauteng region, with a particular focus on the Sandton City sub-region. To explore the implications of green buildings on the sustainability aspects listed above, a case study research design using a hybrid method approach was used; qualitative and quantitative data were acquired and evaluated from diverse sources. The data was gathered from a variety of sources, including 180 green building case study documents from the GBCSA, a building occupant survey, semi-structured interviews with green building professionals in the industry, and further investigation through four months of observations in four green buildings. The research demonstrates a lack of government impetus in terms of green building policy formulation and implementation in the Gauteng region, notably highlighting that the private sector created more than 80% of green buildings in the region. The findings imply that green buildings have the potential to assist alleviate water scarcity, energy shortages, and emissions through building efficiency approaches. Covid-19 and lockdown limitations had an impact on data gathering since people worked from home and building owners were stringent about access to their properties. The study concludes that green buildings in Gauteng have the effect of curbing or assisting in the curbing of environmental challenges to some extent, while also having a positive socio-economic impact by providing new jobs and skills, as well as helping diversity and growing the region's economy.
Keywords: Green buildings, sustainability, water efficiency, energy efficiency.