GEFF in Georgia has long been advocating the importance of green buildings. Since its launch in 2019, the Facility has helped organise and host various events aimed at raising awareness of the high-performance technologies used in construction and the benefits they bring to businesses and the general public. GEFF in Georgia has also financed numerous construction projects, facilitating access to technologies that are at least 20% more efficient than their traditional counterparts. As a result, hotels offer more comfort to their guests, offices provide better workspaces for their employees, and residential buildings become homes rather than just housing.
Caucasus Build 2023, organised by ExpoGeorgia and held on 28-30 April 2023, highlighted that GEFF in Georgia is not the only body advocating the adoption of energy-efficiency and overall green standards in buildings. A three-day exhibition, attended by more than 3000 people, was packed with best-in-class construction material providers, industry innovators, foreign partners, and real estate specialists from all over the region. Throughout the event, various specialists in the field of both construction and real estate participated in panel discussions and presentations centred around green buildings, long-awaited building standards, and the current state of the industry.
One such panel discussion was held on the opening day of Caucasus Build and was aimed at sharing European experience in advancing green technologies in buildings. Prof. Bartlomiej Wierzba and Agnieszka Strzeminska presented the Polish experience and walked the audience through the road that Poland had to travel on its way to more efficient buildings. As Ms Strzeminska pointed out, the benefits of green buildings are six-fold: protecting the health of its inhabitants, prioritising health, they are harmonious with nature, and facilitate healthy behaviour as well as creating social value and helping to combat climate change. It is vital, Prof. Wierzba said, to take decreasing CO2 emissions seriously, because this is only way to safeguard our well-being in the future.
Levan Natadze, head of the Green Building Council of Georgia, shed light on the current state of building certification in Georgia. The country is indeed working on finalising the new standards and they should be rolled out early in the summer. As expected, the new standards will first apply to any new development projects, however the vision is to eliminate any inefficient, older buildings over a period of time.
GEFF in Georgia also presented its case to the audience. After a presentation on financing and its details, the local project team confirmed its commitment to financing green projects – specifically green technologies – for the construction industry. As the Q&A session held after the presentations confirmed, access to financing remains one of the priorities for many developers.
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