The Ghana Green building summit goes virtual

“Whilst on-site is on hold, online beckons”. These few but profound words capture the new direction of the annual Ghana Green Building Summit, the 2020 edition of which will now be held virtually from July 23 – 24, 2020.

The Summit was created in 2017 to evaluate Ghana’s Green Building needs and tailor local solutions in design, finance and policy.

There have been 2 previous editions that have been immensely successful – attracting ministers of state, policy makers, international development agencies, and industry experts and professionals associations.

This 3rd edition which will be the first time online will provide an immersive experience, beyond your everyday regular webinar.

Speaking on the adaptation into a virtual summit, Cyril Nii Ayitey Tetteh, Executive Director of Yecham Property, organizers of the summit, intimated that “this alternative to a large public gathering has been necessitated to observe safety protocols in place to fight against the global pandemic, COVID-19.

Whilst we value relationships and networking in person, we also believe that this situation presents an opportunity to explore other points of engagement, for the present and future.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given an opportunity to reflect and reassess our living and work spaces and whilst green building has always had a wellness angle, its significance especially this year cannot be overemphasized.

The main theme is: BEYOND COVID-19 – Is a pandemic proof architecture a reality? This theme contains sub themes of –Design, Certification, Finance, and Sustainable Cities”

What are green buildings?

A green building in the simplest terms is a building that is energy and resource efficient. For most people, the easiest visualization of a green building is one with solar panels, some rain harvesting as well as loads of greenery. While these hold true, green buildings are much more than these.

In various studies, using the main elements or pillars of green buildings; design, water conservation, energy efficiency, indoor air quality and material use as a basis, a green building has been defined as one so designed that it takes maximum advantage of the sun and wind to heat, light, and cool the building.

Green buildings install water-efficient appliances and plumbing fixtures, feature landscaping with drought-resistant plants and efficient irrigation, and put rainwater and gray-water to use.

They are ones that employ building materials that minimize or eliminate indoor air quality concerns, avoid toxins, and greatly reduce waste are now widely available.

Green buildings reduce, reuse, and recycle construction and demolition waste to cut costs and improve building quality. They are designed for efficient use of materials and for durability, avoiding future waste. Green buildings promote good indoor air quality.

Indoor air quality centers on well-designed ventilation and moisture control, which goes hand in hand with energy efficiency and building durability. Indeed research has it that indoor air quality could sometimes be poorer than outdoor air if the building is so badly designed and traps bad air which recirculates.

How different will this virtual summit be?

To provide an immersive delegate experience there will be opportunities for delegates to speed network in the Green Room, a virtual lounge and for corporate partners to promote their business in the Expo Room, a virtual exhibition space.

While these provide delightful delegate experience, discussion topics have been crafted to fully engage and speak to relevant issues under five sub themes:

Design – How work, leisure and living spaces can be designed to be pandemic resilient with special focus on public spaces, hospitality, retail and commercial as well as residential.

Innovation – What will the “new normal” design look like? How futuristic cutting edge products, services and project will transform living and working spaces .

Certification – Green to Gold - Why beyond meeting standards and regulations, certification will be the new marketing gold.

Finance – What are the options in accessing green funding and do the numbers make financial sense?

Sustainable Cities – Special panel discussion on building cities and communities to be pandemic resilient.

Why you should attend

The summit has always been a big draw for a wide audience ranging from industry professionals like architects, engineers, real estate developers, construction companies, property management companies, real estate suppliers; government and policy makers from Ministry of Works and Housing; Ministry of Science and environment; Town and urban planning etc. to professional bodies like the Ghana Institute of Architects; Ghana Institute of Planners, Ghana Institution of Engineers, Ghana Institution of Surveyors, Ghana Green Building Council etc.

This year, the summit has the potential to reach thousands of attendees and stakeholders online. It will also offer a direct opportunity to learn about the latest green build systems and designs, share ideas with renowned thought leaders, connect with industry leaders, expand your network and experience live demonstrations of innovative green products and projects.

The 3rd Ghana Green Building Summit is supported by the Embassy of Denmark, IFC EDGE Program, Meqasa, Ahaspora and the Business and Financial Times. For further information visit the summit website: https://www.ghanagreenbuildingsummit.com/