Green Buildings

The Green Building project focused on promoting the construction of passive and low energy buildings. The reason for this was obvious as buildings are responsible for over 40 per cent of the green house gas emissions. As a result of this project a new NGO called the Czech Green Building Council was established.

The Climate Advocates organized a conference about architectural, technical, social and economic aspects of green buildings which took place in March 2009 in Prague and was attended by 120 experts. The discussion focused on the possibilities for expansion of green building in the country and raised awareness of possible incentives that work well in other countries. The Climate Advocates also obtained funding from OKD foundation for the creation of a web directory which provides comprehensive information on passive and low-energy housing for a nonexpert reader in an interactive way. The contacts the Climate Advocates made during these activities and the kind support of the U.S. Embassy in Prague helped them to establish a new organisation called the Czech Green Building Council. It is a non-profit association promoting high performance construction that is both sustainable and profitable. The organization is modeled after successful green building councils abroad. The number of founding partners grew to 36 and the Council also won strategic partners such as the National Theater and National Technical Library. In January 2010 the Council opened for new companies interested in becoming members. For more information check www.setrnebudovy.cz or www.czgbc.org.