Sintali and SGS are collaborating with the Kenya Green Building Society (KGBS) to support the development of the green building market in Kenya. As part of this partnership, KGBS will organise and run EDGE Expert trainings on behalf of Sintali-SGS.
Sintali and SGS are two companies that collaborate to act as one of the EDGE global certification providers of IFC, member of the World Bank Group. Operating as a one-stop shop for EDGE certification and audit services, Sintali-SGS offers clients a simple and transparent path to EDGE certification. Clients receive a single contract, an all-inclusive price and expert advice at no additional cost.
KGBS has partnered with Sintali – SGS to help widen the reach of EDGE in the Kenyan construction industry. To deliver training, Sintali-SGS has accredited two members of KGBS as EDGE Trainers: Ted Otieno, Chairperson of KGBS, and Amrish Shah, Treasurer of KGBS.
“We intend to train over 100 professionals in the building sector annually and are in the process of training the various ministries in charge of housing and urban development as well as the National Construction Authority. It’s also worth noting that in the run-up to COP26 we recognize the need to advocate for climate financing for climate adaptation in developing nations, shifting slightly from the main focus that has always been cutting down greenhouse gas emissions,” says Ted Otieno, chairperson at KGBS and recently accredited EDGE Trainer for Sintali-SGS.
“We are very excited to have Ted and Amrish as EDGE Trainers, particularly as they take on new roles of leadership within KGBS,” says Thomas Saunders, managing director of Sintali. “With their experience working with the EDGE green building standard and their ambitious vision for the future of the Kenyan built environment, we have no doubt they will act as catalysts for change in the market.”
“There is a significant market opportunity in Kenya for green buildings and that will continue to grow over the coming years,” says Yusuf Jin, business manager at SGS Kenya. “The government’s decree last year to support the development of affordable housing through the use of EDGE sent a strong market signal to the local industry that the future of housing is green. With the support of organisations like KGBS, as well as our teams on the ground who work with clients closely, we have no doubt that we can realise the vision of a greener built environment across the country.”
In the summer of 2020, the Kenyan government issued a decree that all affordable housing development projects under the nation’s “Big 4” Agenda must meet the EDGE green buildings standard. Developers who meet certain requirements receive free land to build affordable housing projects.
To support the government in this endeavour and build internal capacity to accelerate the deployment of resource-efficient affordable housing, KGBS will be hosting its first EDGE Expert training for government officials at the end of May.
Future trainings will be open to participants throughout Kenya and the region. For more information on future trainings, please contact Francis Kimiri, Administration Coordinator at KGBS, at +254 710 869 547 or via email at admin@kgbs.co.ke
About KGBS
The KGBS is an independent, non-profit, non-political, member-based organization formed to lead the transformation of the built environment in Kenya toward environmentally sustainable buildings, promoting a healthy and efficient built environment. Our mission is to advocate, educate and certify green buildings in Kenya in order to achieve an environmentally, socially, and economically progressive built environment. For more information, visit http://www.kgbs.co.ke/
About Sintali
Sintali is an independent company that quantifies and verifies the environmental impact of decisions, and helps organisations map out the road to net zero. With deep expertise in the development of green building standards and corporate sustainability, Sintali brings transparency and rigor to the sustainability realm. For more information, visit https://www.sintali.com
About SGS
As the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, SGS is recognised as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, SGS operates a network of more than 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world. SGS’s reputation for independence, excellence and innovation has established the company as the market leader in providing services that improve efficiency, reduce risk and deliver competitive advantages for customers.For more information, visit www.sgs.com
About EDGE
An innovation of IFC, EDGE helps property developers to build and brand green in a fast, easy and affordable way. EDGE is supported by free software that encourages solutions to reduce energy, water and the energy used to make building materials by at least 20 percent, which is the standard for EDGE certification. The program has been generously supported by the following donors: Austria, Canada, Denmark, ESMAP, EU, Finland, GEF, Hungary, Japan and Switzerland. For more information, visit www.edgebuildings.com.
