Diamond miner De Beers’ new rough diamond sorting, valuation and sales building Sky Park, in Johannesburg, has received a five-star interior green rating and two four-star green building ratings from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).

The ratings were awarded for the sustainable design elements proposed and approved by the GBCSA, as well as the ‘As-Build’ rating that evaluates the use of green and sustainable materials during the construction phase. The waste, water, and power management strategies implemented during construction were also recognised as part of these awards.

The five-star interior green rating was awarded for the sustainable choices made for the building’s interiors, including the selection of ecofriendly materials for furniture and furnishings, advanced water consumption systems and the integration of internal gardens.

The assessment also considered the building’s energy efficiency, highlighted by the installation of a solar plant and water management systems.

“Achieving the green star building ratings for the Sky Park building affirms [De Beers’] commitment to creating spaces that harmonise environmental responsibility with innovation,” De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa (DBSSSA) senior sales and office manager Richard Steenkamp said on July 22.

In January last year, De Beers announced that it was relocating its sightholder sales activities in South Africa from Kimberley, in the Northern Cape, where it had been operating since 1974, to Johannesburg, following a review of its sorting activities in the country.

DBSSSA is part of a global sightholder sales network that sells rough diamonds for beneficiation purposes in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Canada.  It is also responsible for the distribution of De Beers rough diamonds in South Africa and seeks to support the diamond industry in maintaining a sustainable diamond manufacturing industry through its beneficiation strategy.

The relocation supports government’s strategy to consolidate South Africa’s mineral beneficiation sector into one area at the Gauteng Industrial Development Zone, close to the OR Tambo International Airport.