November 6 2025 17:50
SOUTH AFRICA
From November 11 to 13, the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) will host its 18th convention as the organisation recognises South Africa’s green successes in 2025 and sets the agenda for a cleaner and more sustainable tomorrow.
This national event will take place at the world-class Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town. It is set to attract more than 800 visitors from across the African continent and other countries. Subtitled Stepping up to Next, the conference is a must attend event for people working in all aspects of real estate.
As this trailblazing convention becomes an adult, South Africa’s built environment should celebrate its progression in treating sustainable building management as a responsibility. Corporates and groups who have the means cannot ignore environmental sustainability in our society.
The built environment accounts for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, making it one of the most significant contributors to climate change. This statistic underscores the urgent need to transform how we design, construct, and operate buildings.
GBCSA CEO Lisa Reynolds says as as nation, we are challenging to “raise the bar, push boundaries, and embrace a future that demands more sustainable, efficient, and resilient built environments”.
This is about setting new benchmarks, integrating cutting-edge technologies, and pioneering designs that tackle the pressing environmental challenges of today.
Being green is no longer a nice thing to do for companies. It is essential for the future of our planet and also provides landlords with commercial rewards.
“We hold our own on the world stage. Our commercial sector appreciates the critical importance of being green and good habits in the workplace are filtering down at a consumer level too,” Reynolds says.
“I believe we have grown very healthily since we began hosting our convention nearly two decades ago. It’s as if our child has grown up as we host our 18th convention. Our audience has grown and widened. We will have attendees from property sector, the financial sector, the public sector and beyond,” she says.
She says that the GBCSA is proud of its convention maintaining its relevance. The content which will be presented across the three days will be a mix of what is topical in a large and varied green world.
GBCSA CEO, Lisa Reynolds
Attendees will be able to choose which talks and workshops they want to attend at any time. With numerous parallel sessions taking place, if you are not interested in a specific discussion, there will be others to attend at the same time.
There multiple tracks at the convention which cover different sections of green building strategies and the industry. The tracks include the likes of the cities track, the sustainable finance track and the support services track.
“All kinds of people are involved in the green aspects of business and that is why the convention will offer such a range of plenaries, workshops and other talks,” she says.
The concept of being green is becoming the norm in South Africa and other markets. Reynolds says while some people do not yet understand that businesses cannot operate long-term without implementing green strategies, “stepping up to next” speaks to what SA needs do for the rest of the decade and after that.
“We are looking to the future with our convention. Our speakers will discuss what has been achieved this year but also talk about what we can do to create a positive future for the country,” Reynolds says.
The GBCSA is a vital non-profit organisation that has been at the forefront of advancing sustainable
practices in the property and construction sectors since its establishment in 2007.
It is committed to creating a greener world and is a member of a global network of like-minded organisations, including the World Green Building Council (World GBC), with whom it collaborates closely.
Through its advocacy efforts, comprehensive training programmes, cutting-edge certification systems, and collaborations, the GBCSA strives to be a “catalyst to the widespread adoption of sustainable and
decarbonised built environments, not just in South Africa, but for everyone, everywhere”, the group says.
The convention offers excellent networking opportunities.
“Many new ideas in green building management come out of our conferences. Anybody can make a difference in their green space. I am excited about what can be learned from one another at the GBCSA Convention 2025,” says Reynolds.
alistair@propertyflash.co.za
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