Ren DeCherney, Business Development Manager – Manufacturers + Interiors at the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), presented ‘Declare + Living Product Challenge certifications’. She explained that all the programs at ILFI are based on rigorous transparency and performance metrics, and that chemicals are evaluated not only on their effects on end users but also on the people who make products.

Ren then explained more about the ILFI’s Declare and Living Product Challenge tools, noting that Declare is the only certification that combines material transparency and The Red List; while the Living Product Challenge is the only framework that combines material transparency, life cycle disclosure and handprints (where handprints are all the positive impacts we cause to happen relative to “business as usual”).

Stephanie Richardson, Sustainability Coordinator at Humanscale and LEED Green Associate, then presented ‘Humanscale’s journey to 26 Net Positive products’. She explained that the Living Product Challenge is organized into seven performance areas (Petals) – place, water, energy, health & happiness, materials, equity, and beauty.

Having used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for many years, Humanscale has developed a number of initiatives that have allowed the organisation to offset its product footprint by 110%. These include:

• Having 25 of its products certified Net Positive
• Working with suppliers at all levels to identify and evaluate the ingredients in products, packaging and manufacturing processes
• Evaluating each ingredient for its impact on people and the environment, and systematically replacing chemicals of high concern with safer alternatives
• Minimising environmental impacts by using fewer parts and recyclable materials such as aluminium and steel
• Building durable products that won’t need to be replaced often
• And partnering with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to restore the once-rich ecosystem of the eastern plains in Cambodia.

View the recording of this webinar, which is CPD validated for SACAP, IID, ILASA & ECSA members, here.

The post The Living Product Challenge CPD course appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Dr Chantal Ramcharan-Kotze, Business Development Lead at The Water Research Commission, presented ‘National Context – Water, Innovation & Sustainable Growth’. South Africa currently ranks as the 65^th most water stressed out of 176 countries; and, in terms of freshwater availability, is ranked at 148 out of 180 countries.

These facts present significant challenges in terms of the Water-Energy-Food nexus, where water, energy and food security are highly coupled and interdependent problems. The situation is exacerbated in the face of climate change, with shrinking arable land and increasing uncertainty and unpredictability around resource availability. In addition, in terms of policy and sectoral planning, there is no clear alignment between agriculture and energy-water constraints within the development agenda.

Ramcharan-Kotze went on to say that, while patent analysis indicates that South Africa has a higher-than-average innovative capacity in the water sector, the uptake of innovative measures remains slow in the face of preferred traditional approaches. Moving forward, closer ties are needed between understanding emerging market opportunities, moving innovative solution towards implementation, and investment from the funding community.

Eric Hough & Cara Lucas, Vice President & Environmental Specialist at Natural Systems Utilities (NSU), spoke about ‘Leading the Country in On Site Water Treatment and Reuse Solutions’. Offering an international perspective, Hough and Lucas identified the challenges posed to traditional wastewater networks in the face of such threats as Hurricane Sandy, which resulted in 11 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage overflow; sea-level rise (SLR) induced flooding; and seismic events.

Onsite Water Treatment

Alternative wastewater treatment systems were then presented in the context of the case study of Battery Park City, NYC, which has resulted in:

• Six in-building water reuse systems serving eight buildings in BPC.
• 2,000 residents who are capable of reusing nearly 605,000 litres/d of renewable water sources.
• 15 years of operating data, with ZERO permit exceedances and ZERO user complaints/public health concerns.
• Net-zero and net-positive energy systems now possible with thermal energy recovery.
• The ability to improve resiliency in wastewater treatment and water supply.

Finally, Jonny Harris, Founder of Isidima Design & Development, spoke about ‘Case Studies in Building Thriving Water Sensitive Cities’, focusing on the role of sanitation and wastewater recovery for building thriving cities, and the value of a water efficient approach to secure equal access to water and sanitation for all.

Building Thriving Water Resilient Cities

Harris’ presentation opened with water use in the home (volume used and volume wasted); the social, economic and environmental impacts of wasting water; and the need to close the loop to close the gap – how water savings generated by water re-use and water efficient toilets can reduce pressure on bulk infrastructure.

Case studies cited were:

• Water re-use for toilet flushing (Sustainability Institute, Stellenbosch)
• Harnessing greywater for a greener environment (Genius of SPACE, Franschhoek)
• A Living Building Challenge (LBC) design approach for water efficient developments (Corlett Drive, Johannesburg)
• The business sense of water re-use (ABinBEV brewery, Port Elizabeth)
• Low flush toilets for water efficient schools (Eastern Cape).

This free ‘Net Positive Water’ webinar is CPD-validated by SACAP and ECSA and is available online: https://www.greened.co.za/courses/net-positive-water-buildings/.

The post LFCSA Event: NET POSITIVE WATER appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

At the end of last year, I was in many minds wondering if I should attend again. However, my husband decided to book a trip to Vietnam in April/May, and so the decision was made not to go. Then, in March 2020, the Vietnam trip was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I had been following the ILFI’s efforts to take their unConference online – and, of course, I couldn’t miss out on this unexpected opportunity. So, I am attending the Living Future unConference again this year.

And what a line up! For those of you who missed out on the GBCSA Convention in October 2019 with keynote speaker Jason McLennan, here is your opportunity. He will be speaking at the unConference, as will Project Drawdown’s Dr Katharine Wilkinson! The event takes place over two days, with 45 speakers and 8 tracks, and there is a plethora of presentations and workshops lined up covering Net Zero energy, Red List materials, high performance buildings, biophilic design, resiliency for communities and much more! #LF20 Online is truly THE PLACE for the global green building and sustainability community to come together.

This is a time to be together as much as we can through whatever means possible, to share ideas, stories, and hopes, but also fears, obstacles, and concerns. We can carry each other through this time by reminding ourselves that while we may be isolated by distance, we are not isolated from each other’s minds, our spirit, and our energy for creating change.

Living Future unConference

• More information: https://unconference.living-future.org/
• DISCOUNT: 200 USD discount voucher available if you book with the CODE: LF20INTERNATIONAL

The post Living Future unConference – Sustaining Hope Within Crisis appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

The 76 Corlett Drive office development in Johannesburg is targeting an LBC Petal certification. Render credit: Daffonchio & Associates Architects

Believing in a Better World for All

The South African built environment faces numerous challenges and risks. These include cities that are still riddled with the vestiges of apartheid spatial planning; projects currently underway that inadvertently reinforce spatial injustice; scarcity and mismanagement of valuable resources such as water; cities running out of landfill space due to waste management issues; and a lack of climate resilience planning to mitigate the effects of extreme weather impacts such as drought and flooding.

This is a future that many professionals cannot accept and are actively seeking to change. The Collaborative believes in the Living Building Challenge philosophy and comprehensive approach because it holistically addresses the multiple challenges faced by cities.

As a symbol of this commitment and belief in the arrival of positive change, the Collaborative has adopted the yellow-billed hornbill as its guiding animal. A symbol of faith, belief and optimism due to his constant skyward glance, this bird is known as ‘umKholwane’ in Zulu, or ‘Little Believer’.

The Living Future Collaborative SA has adopted the yellow-billed hornbill, ‘umKholwane’, as its guiding animal as a symbol of faith, belief and optimism.

What is the Living Building Challenge?

The Living Building Challenge is a philosophy, an advocacy tool and a certification tool for projects that aim to create Living Buildings. The LBC is an initiative of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), whose mission is “to lead the transformation toward a civilization that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative”; and which is “premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is a fundamental requirement for reconciling humanity’s relationship with the natural world.”

The Living Building Challenge certifies buildings that are truly regenerative and contribute positively towards the environment.

The ILFI has an Ambassador Network that spans the globe, on every continent and in every time zone – with 709 Ambassadors in 43 countries, and 89 Collaboratives in 41 countries. Marloes Reinink has been an ambassador for the ILFI since 2015 and, as part of her role, has presented the “Introduction to the Living Building Challenge 3.1” to over 600 people in South Africa. She was joined by Thulani Kuzwayo in 2017 and together they organised and facilitated a Living Future Collaborative for South Africa.

Living Building Challenge buildings can be built in any climate zone in any part of the world.

The core underlying principle of the Living Building Challenge is that buildings should mimic nature and natural systems. Living Buildings are buildings that meet the 20 stringent imperatives of the LBC standard, including being net zero energy, net zero water, using materials that are toxin free, and being beautiful and an inspiration to the surrounding community. The buildings are regenerative, contributing positively to the environment.

The Bullitt Center in Seattle was the very first FULL Living Building Challenge certified commercial building.

As of June 2019, almost 600 projects around the world were registered to pursue certification under LBC and Zero Energy (ZE). The certification is verified after the building has been in operation for a minimum of twelve months and is able to demonstrate compliance based on actual performance.

In South Africa there are already projects that are actively seeking this certification – two residential projects in Oranjezicht, Cape Town; the 76 Corlett Drive office development in Johannesburg (targeting an LBC Petal certification); the Green School in Paarl which is currently under construction and targeting a full LBC certification; and Solid Green’s new office in Parkhurst, which is pursuing the Core certification.

The Living Building Challenge is a philosophy, an advocacy tool and a certification tool for projects that aim to create regenerative buildings.

Inaugural Events

On 20 and 21 November 2019, the Living Future Collaborative South Africa hosted two presentations in Johannesburg and Pretoria respectively, as part of the ‘24 Hours of Reality: Truth in Action’ daylong worldwide conversation about the climate crisis and how to solve it.

The events were held at Boogertman + Partners head office in Bryanston, and Aurecon Centre in Lynnwood, and one tree was planted for every person who attended thanks to One Tree Planted. Guest speakers were Adrie Fourie on ‘Setting the Scene – Climate Reality’, Marloes Reinink on ‘Living Buildings for a Living Future’ and Denise Mall on ‘Taking Action – from Sustainable to Regenerative’. These events, which were both extremely well-attended, set the scene for the public launch of the Collaborative.

Vision and Mission

At a meeting of like-minded professionals in the Magaliesberg just outside Johannesburg on 18 January 2020, the Living Future Collaborative formalised its ‘raison d’être’ and set itself an ambitious set of tasks.

With the vision of bringing change beyond individual buildings, integrating urban systems and communities with nature, and creating a coherent future for South Africa’s built environment, the Collaborative aims to organise quarterly events centred around showcasing examples, workshopping what it means to go Net Zero Water/Energy, introducing the concepts of sustainability at schools, and advocating to bring transformation in policy.

The mission is:

• To advocate for a regenerative future by providing a platform for thought leadership in the area of regenerative design principles and application;
• To transform the building value and supply chain for a living future;
• To promote projects that move beyond sustainability and demonstrate strength in ecological restoration, social justice and cultural richness.

The Collaborative is currently active in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and relies on the collaboration of people that volunteer their time and energy to implement its goals. For more information, please reach out to lbc.collaborative.rsa@gmail.com.

Solid Green’s new office in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, is targeting the LBC Core certification. Render credit: Activate Architecture.

Additional resource:
Living Building Challenge 4.0 Standard

The post Living Future Collaborative in South Africa appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Guest speakers are:

• Climate Reality Leader: Adrie Fourie on ‘Setting the Scene – Climate Reality’
• Living Building Challenge Ambassador: Marloes Reinink on ‘Living Buildings for a Living Future’
• Denise Mall ‘Taking Action – from Sustainable to Regenerative’.

There will be three short presentations, 3x 20min and an hour discussion time afterwards. Drinks and snacks will be provided and the event is for free.  One tree will be planted for every person who attends these events, with thanks to our friends at One Tree Planted.

Please extend the invite to your colleagues or anyone that would be interested to have a discussion on how climate change is affecting our industry and what we can do to change.

The event is free, and CPD available for SACAP & ECSA.

Register here.

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