Abstract
Abstract
Some countries have significant public building backlogs. Schools, colleges, clinics, and hospitals still need to be built and existing infrastructure needs to be updated and refurbished. In addressing backlogs, there is the prospect of developing more sustainable buildings and infrastructure. However, often this opportunity is not taken, and the design and construction of public buildings continue to follow conventional unsustainable approaches. Reasons for this include the lack of a suitable sustainable building rating tool that aligns with government priorities. To address this gap, this study explores development a Government Sustainable Building Rating Tool (GSBRT). It investigates this for South Africa, a country with large public building backlogs. Government policy is analysed to establish the key development priorities and translate these into building performance criteria. These criteria are compared with criteria from an existing green building rating tool, to determine alignment. The study finds that while there is some overlap, there are also significant differences and that the conventional green building rating tool does not cater for some government sustainable development priorities. Recommendations are made for further research and development of a GSBRT as a means of addressing sustainability in government buildings.