The submission of a group project report on a research study undertaken is a milestone in attaining a bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. My preference was to explore topics relating to housing issues (e.g., housing deficits) in Ghana. However, the team leader, Eunice, had her ideas – Examining the concept of Green Buildings in Ghana.
The rest of the team – Claudette, Tracy, Fiifi and I – were a little hesitant as this topic was quite new to us. She, however, succeeded in bullying motivating us so much that we all finally agreed to explore the topic. This was a great learning experience, as I was exposed to how various real estate development and related processes can be used as a tool to attain environmental sustainability.
Financing is an important tool in real estate development and processes. There has been recent interest in using this tool to advance the goals of environmental sustainability, globally (especially in China). This is termed as Green Financing.
Green Financing in real estate is a structured financial activity (e.g., loans, debt mechanisms, investments, etc.) geared towards funding real estate projects with ‘green’ or environmental benefits. Such projects relating to environmental protection and sustainable development include renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green buildings, and green technologies.
This financing mechanism can be pursued to achieve the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including goals #6, #7, #11, #13 and #15.
The built environment is an integral part of the natural environment. It is therefore important that human activities and projects are carried out using environmentally-friendly and safe practices to ensure better environmental outcomes.
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