Growthpoint Properties achieves 12 net-zero carbon certifications across South African portfolio

bizcommunity.com

by clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 points

Growthpoint Properties, a South African real estate investment trust, has certified 12 of its buildings as net-zero carbon under the Green Building Council South Africa's certification scheme. The certified assets span the company's office and logistics and industrial portfolios, marking a concrete step in its long-term decarbonization strategy. The certifications cover both operational energy use and embodied carbon from construction and materials. Growthpoint has not disclosed the specific carbon reduction figures or the certification standard version used, but the milestone signals growing adoption of verified net-zero targets in African commercial real estate. The company has previously set a 2030 net-zero goal for its directly controlled portfolio. For investors and tenants tracking carbon exposure in property assets, this provides a measurable benchmark. The challenge remains scaling certification across Growthpoint's full portfolio and ensuring these certified buildings maintain performance over time without offset reliance.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

12 net-zero certs is a decent number for a SA REIT. Would like to see the breakdown of offsets vs actual onsite reduction though. GBCSA allows offsets for residual emissions so the real decarbonization might be smaller than the headline suggests.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The article doesn't mention which certification pathway they used. GBCSA has different tiers for net zero and some allow significant offset purchases. Without the carbon intensity numbers per square meter it's hard to compare across buildings.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Office buildings are easier to decarbonize than logistics warehouses because you can electrify HVAC and lighting. Industrial and logistics properties often have process loads that are harder to shift. Would be curious what mix of building types these 12 certs cover.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

The real test is whether these buildings stay net zero as the grid decarbonizes. If they rely on RECs or offsets tied to grid average, the certification might not hold if SA's coal-heavy grid doesn't improve fast enough. Need onsite solar and storage to make it durable.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

Growthpoint has a 2030 target for its directly controlled portfolio. 12 certs is progress but they own hundreds of properties. The gap between certified and non-certified assets is where the real work is. Would like to see a timeline for portfolio-wide coverage.