GBCSA chair Nkosinathi Manzana to sit on World Green Building Council board

Nkosinathi Manzana, board chair, GBCSA

Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council, said, "Nkosinathi has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of sustainability, and has championed green building as one of the most effective solutions to climate change. Our board of directors is an influential group of global leaders which works hard to ensure World GBC delivers on its collective mission of green buildings for everyone, everywhere. Nkosinathi has earned his place on the board through his commitment to and expertise in professional governance and sustainability in the sector. I look forward to working with him and our fellow directors to make that mission a reality."

The WGBC is a global network of national Green Building Councils with members in more than 70 countries and within the next 30 years is working to limit global temperature rise by 1.5˚C, reduce the building and construction sector’s contribution to CO2 emissions by 84 gigatonnes and ensure all buildings do not, whether directly or indirectly, emit greenhouse gases to operate.

Advocating for sustainable behaviour

Very much in step with these ambitions to meaningfully contribute towards the Paris Agreement, the GBCSA focuses on South Africa and Africa in advocating for sustainable behaviour in the built environment sector; training and encouraging sector professionals in how to work alongside nature and not against it; and celebrating green buildings which contribute and preserve our domestic ecosystems.

The GBCSA is maturing from encouraging the sector to not only do ‘less bad’, but to have a net zero or net positive environmental impact. The GBCSA is also a strong proponent of active government support and participation in green buildings.

Manzana is currently the executive head of group real estate services: commercial buildings for the Standard Bank Group. He oversees the entire value chain of a portfolio of 35 properties measuring approximately 600,00m² of real estate in South Africa. In addition, Manzana oversees the development of strategic properties in the 20 other countries on the African continent where Standard Bank is present.

The value chain of real estate activities under Manzana’s leadership includes location assessment, feasibility, leasing, development, facilities management, engineering, maintenance and energy, asset and property management and disposal of the property assets. As an alumnus of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability in Leadership, Manzana always seeks to infuse sustainability principles throughout his sphere of control and influence.

"We want to congratulate Nathi Manzana for this notable achievement, and we know the sentiment is echoed by our 800 members," said Dorah Modise, GBCSA CEO.