A CEBU City councilor has proposed an ordinance that will provide incentives for land users and developers who construct and retrofit buildings that mitigates the effects of climate change.
In his proposed ordinance, Cebu City councilor Nestor Archival said in order to support the government’s efforts to fight climate change, there is a need to institutionalize ecofriendly systems and technologies that reduces greenhouse gases and other hazardous emissions from buildings and other structures.
Through his ordinance entitled “Green Building Ordinance of the City of Cebu,” building owners and developers will be required to design, construct, and retrofit buildings and other structures that would meet the minimum standards of a green infrastructure.
Under Section 2 of the ordinance, it requires the buildings to mandatorily adopt green technologies and innovations in infrastructure projects within the city; create and maintain a network of green spaces and integrate them into the whole gamut of infrastructure projects and developments; and increase the demand for environmentally preferable building materials, finishes and furnishings.
Also included in the policy is to provide incentives for land users and developers who implement, install, and actually use environment- friendly technologies which help improve state of health and lessen the destruction of the ecosystem which includes the water and air quality.
The ordinance should be applied to all vertical structures used as commercial, industrial, residential, institutional, and agricultural, to be renovated and retrofitted.
The buildings should have at least three features of a green building such as provision of urban green space, use of motion sensor lights and led lights, installation of sewage treatment plan (STP), installation of skylights, use of lower volatile organic compound paints and stains, construction of green roof systems (plants on the roof), and installation of energy-efficient windows and doors, among others.
The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Ccenro) will be in-charge in securing the building to have the mentioned green building features.
The Office of the Building Official (OBO) have the authority to revoke the building permit upon the recommendation of Ccenro if the OBO officer finds that the permit obtained was fraud or misinterpretation and if the permit holder failed to construct and complete the facility in compliance with the plans and procedures.
An evaluation committee will be created to form guidelines for the grant of tax discount to those who will comply with the criteria such as the use of renewable energy, energy efficient technology, provision of open spaces, and use of environmentally-friendly materials.
Under Section 10, the committee which will be composed of the City Treasurer, City Assessor, CCENROo head, OBO head, City Planning and Development Office head, and two non-government organization in the field of environment, is tasked to evaluate and recommend tax discount for the consideration of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Archival stated that the green technology offers us to counteract the effects of climate change and pollution by changing the way the buildings will be designed, constructed, and operated.
“Green building brings together a vast array of practices, techniques, and skills to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment and human health, and addresses the need and desire for more energy efficient and environmentally friendly construction practices,” said Archival.
Green building is an integrated whole building approach that, in its design, planning, construction and maintenance that reduces or eliminates the environmental, economic, and social impacts.
The Cebu City Council had referred the ordinance to the committee on laws for further review. (SunStar Cebu)