by jbs100109 j3 — October 2, 2009—Nonprofit research foundation Green Ideas Green Actions (GIGA) launched China’s first online system to identify and evaluate green building materials at the recent Clinton Global Initiative. By visiting www.gigafoundation.org, architects and builders in China will be able to upload, review and find the best green materials in China.
“China should be the most fertile ground for innovations in green buildings: it has the highest number of construction sites, building material manufacturers and graduating designers of anywhere in the world,” said Raefer Wallis, founder of GIGA and architect originally from Canada. “Materials pour in from around the world with different labeling systems covering different aspects of sustainability, leaving much space for confusion and green-wash. Often, finding competent suppliers that can actually install these products is even more challenging.”
GIGA has developed a free, online system that allows all materials, local and international, to be measured against the same set of standards. It enables users in China to review materials themselves, not only serving as a means to educate, but also involving what is now the world’s most active online community.
“This creates an economic environment focused on green credentials that local and international materials could really benefit from, this is especially important for China,” said Ms. Wang Fang, director of sales for Mylch, a Chinese window manufacturer. Other manufacturers to have signed on to the database include Haworth, Sirewall, Plyboo, and Biohouse.
GIGA has a further commitment to develop a directory of service providers and a database of best practice case studies.
