The World Green Building Council has congratulated New Zealand on attaining its 100th Green Star rating.

Green Star is New Zealand’s national, holistic rating system that certifies the design and construction of sustainable commercial buildings.

WorldGBC Chief Executive Officer, Jane Henley, said that New Zealand’s commercial property sector, in line with the global market, was increasingly recognising that green buildings were not only better for the environment, but also more efficient and resilient assets that were ‘future proofed’ against the risk of early obsolescence.

Over the past seven years, the green building market has grown in value from US$10 billion to more than $US85 billion. According to McGraw-Hill Construction, this growth is projected to continue at a rate of around 10 per cent per annum.

The New Zealand Green Building Council was established in 2006, making it one of just 12 green building councils in the world at the time. Today, there are 100 countries and 27,000 companies driving this business-led movement.