The Caribbean is renowned for its beautiful natural landscapes, vibrant cultures, culinary delights, and warm weather. Yet, there is a growing concern surrounding rising levels of energy consumption within its built environment. As governments, architects, and mechanical engineers contend with growing energy demand, rising energy costs, and the threats from climate change, the need to improve energy efficiency in our buildings has become a core issue for sustainable development. Aligned to the ongoing mission to transform the way our country’s buildings and communities are designed, built, and ..read more

Founded in 2002, the Central Finance Facility (CFF) currently serves as the credit unions’ credit union, providing essential support and services. In concert with the Venture, Teachers, and Port Employees Credit Unions, the CFF launched on August 25th its Green Loan programme, entitled CU Green. Rolling out to Credit Union members in October, the initiative represents one of the first mainstream efforts locally to provide green financing or funding for home and small business owners to build more sustainably and improve energy efficiency. Green financing will play a vital role in addressing th ..read more

The Trinidad and Tobago Green Building Council (TTGBC) will be hosting our annual preparation training for the LEED Green Associate credential. A LEED professional credential signifies that you’re a leader in the field and an active participant in the green building movement. With growing opportunities for green building expertise locally and throughout the Caribbean, a LEED credential demonstrates a clear commitment to professional growth, while underscoring your value to LEED project teams and sustainability-focused organizations. Whilst anyone can have a LEED certification, for it to be of ..read more

Our urban and built environments are increasingly becoming more noisy and polluted. They are typically filled with more cars and people, but fewer trees and natural green elements. The great news is that we can take bold steps today to reduce our emissions and the adverse impact of our activities by using green walls and more plants to help clean up the air and create a healthier environment. Green walls are commonly designed and constructed throughout Europe and Asia. In the Americas, they are still a relatively new feature of the built environment. Throughout the Caribbean, green walls are m ..read more

Globally, various reports on the Building and Construction industry continue to track the progress of the sector in meeting Paris Agreement goals, based on key indicators such as energy use, emissions, the equity sourcing of materials, technologies, and the implementation of critical policies and standards. The latest reports highlight that building-related greenhouse gasses (GHG) are not yet declining. There are ever growing calls for greater and more timely efforts to improve building energy performance, indoor air quality, and reduce emissions, whilst safeguarding the environment. Here at h ..read more

The 10th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD), where the theme was Sustainable Development, was held in September. TTGBC member and now Board member, Dr Rachael Williams presented a virtual poster with our colleagues from RGM, the company responsible for the construction of Savannah East. We are sharing her presentation today, with the sincere hope that her discussion and others can make a significant difference in how future construction is approached in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension, the rest of the Caribbean. Sustainable building practices will help curre ..read more

In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainability is premised upon one simple yet powerful truth, that everything we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability goals and objectives is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations. The Trinidad and Tobago Expres ..read more

In celebration of World Environment Day on June 5th, TTGBC begins its series of Green Speak with some energy saving tips!  Here’s how you can get started on your energy saving journey! 1)     Switch off! Small changes in electricity usage not only help the environment and reduce energy bills but can also help make your organization become more environmentally conscious.  Electric lighting can burn up to 25% of your average energy budget.  Don’t hand it over to T&TEC. Simply turning off lights and other small devices when not in use will save you money ..read more

Today, the role and significance of sustainability within the built environment is becoming more prominent. Whilst many industries and sectors around the world produce waste, the global building and construction industry has become one of its largest producers of greenhouse gases (GHG), shown to be a significant driver of climate change. These gases are produced through the industry’s global value chain, waste created through construction processes, and the excessive energy consumption of inefficiently designed buildings once they become operational and occupied. With increasing levels of inve ..read more

Within the past decade, energy has emerged as a global issue and a priority for governments and organizations around the world, particularly as unsustainable energy supplies and increasing demands will have serious implications for everything from household budgets to international relations. Here at home, economists have warned that the country should not expect any significant recovery of energy commodity prices for the foreseeable future. This has implications not only for our national income, but continued growth and development, policy decisions, energy generation, and public consumption ..read more