Interest in green building has finally reached a critical mass, says Eames

On numerous occasions I was told that due to its unique climate, extensive building regulations, relatively low cost of power, and cultural barriers, green building had no future in Russia. Those times are now thankfully behind us, as interest in green building in Russia has finally reached a critical mass and the industry is poised for quick growth.

In its first year, the greatest challenge our organization, the Russia Green Building Council (RuGBC), faced was to break down deep-seated myths about why green building isn’t suitable for Russia. Green building – essentially the concept of minimizing the environmental impact of construction whilst maximizing the social and economic benefits – has become the norm in many countries worldwide over the last decade.

Now, due in part to RuGBC’s work to promote the benefits of this type of construction, it is being recognized in Russia too that there are huge opportunities, which essentially result in better buildings and in most cases a better return on investment. The first wave of buildings in Russia is being certified to international green rating standards – BREEAM, LEED and DGNB.

New Green Building Projects

An example of an international developer in Russia that is on the forefront of this trend is the real estate firm Hines. Hines insists that every new building in its multibillion dollar global portfolio be “green,” regardless of where the property is located.  Its Ducat Place III Class A office building in Central Moscow is poised to be the first to receive an international “green” rating according to the BREEAM standard.

According to the Chair of RuGBC’s Board, Alexey Polyakov, there are approximately 30 green newbuild “projects” on their way. These range from office buildings in central Moscow, such as the White Square complex, to industrial plants in the regions.

Spotlight on Sochi

The push for “going green” with construction is now being extended to cover 10 prestigious venues for the Sochi 2014 Olympics.  RuGBC is part of a strong partner network that includes the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee and delivery vehicle Olympstroy.  RuGBC is excited and honored to be part of this ambitious national scale project, currently joining the Ministry of Natural Resources and Olympic bodies in talks with the aim of creating a “National Standard” based on international principles. I am confident this partnership will become part of the Olympic legacy.

National Push for Energy Efficiency

Phrases like “sustainable development” are entering the everyday vocabulary of businessmen, university lecturers and politicians here in Russia.  This is principally a result of the Russian government’s initiative to modernize an economy traditionally based on oil and gas, which includes huge moves towards energy efficiency and other initiatives connected to the environment and climate change.  These include new laws on energy efficiency and a much awaited start to Carbon Credit programs.

A World Bank Report published in 2009 estimates that Russian industry uses up to 15 times more power to create one unit of Gross National Product compared to some EU states. This means that there is a staggering opportunity to modernize industry, essentially investing in new equipment and management methods. This results in vastly more competitive products, with a substantially lower energy demand. The story gets better as it has to be remembered that Russia exports power – oil, gas, LPG and electricity at higher prices than those charged domestically. The power “freed up” by industry can thus be exported benefitting Russia as a whole.

Green Building Certification Courses Demonstrate Interest

And the outlook for green building is bright. Interest in certification is high, as witnessed by the last two BREEAM training courses held in Moscow. Both were sold out with 30 participants spending three days preparing for assessor exams. Soon we will be announcing dates for LEED and DGNB courses too.

 About the Russia Green Building Council

The Russia Green Building Council (RuGBC), established in 2009 by founders Guy Eames, Prof. Yuri Tabunchikov and Alexey Polyakov, is a not-for-profit organization that provides a “platform” for networking and business initiatives.  The Council focuses on spreading know-how by means of regular “business breakfasts” and presentations as well as arranging training courses for the international standards of BREEAM, LEED and DGNB. RuGBC currently counts around 100 members, including developers and investors, architects & engineers, ecologists, consultants, suppliers of materials / technologies, universities and other construction professionals.  There is an even mix of foreign as well as Russian members. The RuGBC has been recognised by the World Green Building Council – together with around 60 Councils worldwide – and is in close contact with other well established councils in the USA, Australia as well as the newer ones in Central and Eastern Europe.

This is the first in a series of articles about green building in Russia – others in the series to focus on various aspects such as the financial benefits, case-studies and policy initiatives. Guy Eames can be contacted on guy.eames@rugbc.org.