KUALA LUMPUR: Greenbuildingindex Sdn Bhd (GSB), which owns and administrates Malaysia’s premier and international green rating tool for buildings and townships – Green Building Index (GBI) – has launched its online system to facilitate the various GBI certification processes.
Aptly named “GreenUp”, the online certification system was uploaded and has been accessible via the GBI website (www.greenbuildingindex.org) from Dec 1.
GSB chairman, associate professor Sarly Adre Sarkum, said this latest initiative is to enhance efficiency in the submission and registration processes by GBI Facilitators and project owners right through to the final certification of building and township projects by GBI.
“Besides ensuring the highest standards in our certification processes, we also move with the times in adopting modern technology and methods to ensure that GBI remains the top and leading green building certification mark in Malaysia.
“Since our establishment in 2009, GBI has been entrusted by more than 1,100 building owners to have their buildings green-certified. These include international and national organisations and companies, federal and state government ministries and agencies, public and private universities and individual residences.
“Of these 1,100 building projects, GBI has certified 627 buildings alone as at Oct 31, 2022. In terms of gross floor area (GFA), these 627 buildings account for 285.9 million sq ft of GBI rated building GFA. With several buildings reaching the final assessment stages, we should be able to exceed 300 million sq ft of GBI-rated building GFA within 2023,” he enthused.
GBI accreditation panel chairman Serina Hijjas is confident that the online system, GreenUp, will be very well received especially by the GBI Facilitators, who provide consultancy services to property owners towards attaining GBI accreditation for their projects.
“It has taken much time and effort and involved many GBI professional volunteers, secretariat staff and GBI Facilitators to work diligently with the system vendor to develop and fine-tune the system.
“GreenUp ensures that the entire GBI processes of certifying buildings and townships are conducted professionally and timely,” said Serina who foresees an increased demand for GBI-certified buildings in the years ahead as governments, organisations, companies and society in general move towards realising their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. - Bernama
