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Introduction
Green building is a relatively new concept in South Africa, and its application in property development had been limited. Sinha (2009) asserted that many building practices, at present, do not show any serious concern for green building principles, most especially the energy efficiency. Buildings are responsible for more than 40 per cent of global energy use and one-third of greenhouse gas emissions in both the developed and developing world (United Nations Environment Programme, 2009). Moreover, it is generally acknowledged that construction processes have often led to environmental degradation and depletion of non-renewable environmental resources (Brundtland Report, 1987). Frans, Cumberlege and Dent (2013) asserted that the construction industry depends substantially on natural resources from earth, and a lot of materials are returned back to the environment as harmful solid, liquid or gaseous wastes, which threaten the sustainability of the environment. The awareness of the repercussions of environmental damage resulting from human activities had led to the realization that economic development and environmental well-being should be balanced (Brundtland Report, 1987). With the growing consciousness of environmental damage resulting from construction processes, there is the need for the construction sector to seek solutions which are environmentally harmonious (Sinha, 2009). The increasing awareness of resource efficiency and reduced environmental impact of human activities have given rise to the green building practices.
Hwang and Tan (2012) defined green building as one that is energy efficient and resource efficient and has minimal disruptions on the environment. According to Sinha (2009), poorly designed buildings lead to inefficient utilization of land, greater energy consumption, loss of productivity, pollution of surface water, loss of agricultural lands and fragmented habitats. Verster (2012) argued that as the development of cities and towns contributes positively to the built environment and general welfare of people, it equally contributes to environmental pollution at local, city, national and global levels. For example, urban development adversely impacts the environment through the extraction, processing and transportation of raw materials for construction projects. Development activities must therefore be cautiously undertaken to minimize environmental impact of construction process (Li et al., 2014). Kruger and Seville (2013) identified the main principles or elements of green building as energy efficiency, water efficiency, resource efficiency and sustainable development. Hence, the concept of green building has...