Henley Business School Africa's campus has earned a 4-Star Green Star Existing Building Performance Rating by the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), a sustainability milestone that directly benefits the day-to-day experience of teaching and learning on its Johannesburg campus.
‘This recognition is important because it demonstrates that Henley practises what it preaches,’ says Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and Director of Henley Business School Africa. ‘In our classrooms we equip and challenge our students to lead more sustainable business – so it's important that we actively pursue sustainability our own operations, too.
‘For students, faculty, and visiting executives, this award highlights an additional benefit: high-performing environments naturally support high-performing minds. Studies consistently show that sustainable, resource-efficient buildings support healthier, more comfortable, and highly productive spaces that enhance focus, learning, and wellbeing.’
The Green Star Existing Building Performance rating measures factors such as energy efficiency, water use, waste management, indoor environmental and air quality, transport accessibility, and building management practices. A 4-Star rating signifies "Best Practice" performance and indicates that a building operates at a significantly higher sustainability standard than a conventional commercial building.
‘By meeting "Best Practice" standards in operational efficiency and indoor environmental quality, Henley through our landlord, GrowthPoint Properties, provides a space that optimises human potential,’ comments Graham Garrard, Operations Manager at Henley Business School. ‘For professionals stepping away from demanding roles in government, corporate, or entrepreneurial businesses to learn and reflect, the Henley campus offers an ideal ecosystem for deep strategic insight and maximum productivity.’
The Green Star certification forms part of a broader sustainability journey for Henley, which has received increasing international recognition for its environmental performance and commitment to responsible leadership.
In 2025, Henley's Global Executive MBA climbed 27 places to rank 17th globally in the Corporate Knights Better World MBA Ranking, one of the world's leading assessments of sustainability-focused business education. The ranking evaluates how effectively MBA programmes integrate sustainability, responsible leadership and social impact into their curriculum while preparing graduates to address complex global challenges.
‘Business leaders today are navigating a world shaped by climate change, resource constraints and rising stakeholder expectations. Business schools have a responsibility to prepare leaders for that reality,’ says Foster-Pedley.
Henley's environmental credentials have also been recognised in the Financial Times Executive MBA Rankings, where the school ranked first in the UK and Africa and among the top 30 business schools globally for its carbon footprint measure. The ranking reflects Henley's efforts to reduce its environmental impact and its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. The broader University of Reading has already reduced the institution's carbon footprint by over 60% compared to 2009 levels.
‘Buildings account for a significant proportion of global carbon emissions, which means every organisation has an opportunity to reduce its environmental footprint through its building management practices,’ says Garrard. ‘This Green Star certification is another important step toward responsible business practices and long-term sustainability.’
Since its establishment in 2007, the Green Building Council South Africa has certified over 1,000 green building projects across the country, making Green Star one of the most respected sustainability benchmarks in the built environment.