We’re witnessing our planet going through a turbulent and dangerous period. Environmental changes caused by human carelessness and ruthless race for profit have brought us to the brink of a global catastrophe. People take action all around the world to try and stop this decay. Many aspects of our industries and our lives need to be reconsidered and changed.  Green building is a concept that’s supposed to improve the building industry and make it more environmentally friendly. Let’s take a look at what the main points of this idea are and how they can benefit not just our planet, but also people and businesses.

How does green building protect our environment?

Green building starts with understanding that the way we choose to design and construct our homes largely affects the environment. The general idea is to optimize the design, construction and operation of a building in a way that will benefit its surroundings and minimize its negative impact on the ecosystem. This is done through a large variety of strategies and measures.

One of the top priorities is, naturally, to change our energy-consuming habits and routines. Green building is an attempt to promote and apply the efficient use of energy, as well as cutting-edge renewable energy technologies. Another main concern is recycling – we should design our homes in a way that will make it easier to reuse the waste, especially if it’s made of potentially harmful materials. And when it comes to materials, green buildings should be made of those that are sustainable and non-toxic. There are numerous other ways to make a building less damaging for our planet, and they vary from place to place, depending on the environmental circumstances.

In Australia there is a Green Star system that rates the sustainability of a building. This is an internationally recognized rating system and it can provide you with guidelines for building practices that are considered environmentally friendly and beneficial for surroundings of a building, as well as its inhabitants.

How does it benefit the inhabitants?

The advantages of green building are not just environmental. There are economic benefits for occupants, as well as a general positive impact on their everyday quality of life and overall well-being. Better energy-conserving practices mean reduced costs of living. Also, green buildings are supposed to be designed in a way that lowers the costs of system replacement and maintenance. The list of benefits also includes better workplace productivity and the indoor air of high quality. Nowadays, you can even find ways to undertake this project yourself if you wish. It’s possible to find everything you need online – including general guidelines, architects, materials, builders and even affordable crane hire in Sydney, Melbourne or other major Australian cities. If you think you have the time and resources, this might be something worth trying.

Business case for green building

Some of the economic benefits you can have if you decide to build a green building for yourself are already mentioned above. However, if you plan to invest money in green building and rent or sell sustainable real estate, you can also make use of a number of its advantages. Namely, if you provide someone with a living space that will obviously cut the everyday ongoing costs, then it makes sense that you as an investor expect a higher financial compensation. This is a natural and reasonable process and the price of environmentally friendly assets will be on the rise in the upcoming years, and even decades. People will be more and more conscious of the importance of green building and will be ready to pay more for it.

For those who decide to build in Australia, make sure you’re familiar with the environmental regulations, as well as incentives that apply in each state or city. For instance, in Melbourne, there are subsidies and rebates for solar hot water systems and water efficient devices. Also, in New South Wales there’s a whole array of regulations you have to comply with, including reducing CO2 emissions and water consumption. Before you take any action, do a thorough research on this and check what you can do to improve the quality and reduce the cost of construction.

Remember that going green is a state of mind more than anything else. You don’t have to be in the building industry to make an impact. Try to start from your home and do everything you can to make it more sustainable. This way you’ll be an example other people can follow. One person can’t change the state of our planet, but having the right mindset and teaching other people the importance of looking after our environment is a good start.