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When people hear the term "green building," they often imagine expensive technologies, costly developments or environmentally friendly features that only wealthy buyers can afford.

But green buildings do not have to be luxury log homes surrounded by lush vegetation. A green building can be any size. It is designed, built or upgraded to use water, energy and other resources in a way that causes less harm to the environment.

For example, a green building would use natural light and ventilation to reduce the need for electric lighting, air conditioning and fans. It could be built with more sustainable materials, like recycled steel, reclaimed wood, locally made bricks or low-carbon concrete.

Indoor spaces in green buildings are designed to be comfortable and reduce running costs over the building's lifetime. Good insulation, energy-efficient lighting, solar panels and systems that collect rainwater can achieve this.

We are sustainable housing researchers who've spent years researching how green housing has evolved. In a recent study, we tracked the growth of green building certification in South Africa. We looked at 510 buildings that received green certificates between 2011 and 2023.

Our analysis included where they were located, who owned them and the ratings they received. We also looked into whether the certification system stops developers from making misleading claims about how green a building is.

Our research found that green building is growing and spreading across South Africa.

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