Jerusalem, Aug 26 (IANS): Israel has decided on a green building obligation throughout the country, including all types of structures, the state's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MoEP) said on Wednesday.

The binding regulation, signed by Israel's Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, in coordination with the Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel, will come into effect in March 2021, Xinhua news agency reported.

Green construction saves energy consumption, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves air quality, reduces construction waste, lowers exposure to harmful substances and more.

Israel's main green building standard was set up in 2005, meeting international standards, but so far it is still voluntary.

The standard offers a definition of green building in Israeli terms, and includes the areas of energy, land, water, waste, health, environmental management, transportation, innovation, construction materials, and heating and cooling systems.

The standard relates to both new and existing buildings that undergo renovation and can be applied to most types of buildings in Israel such as residential, office, educational, commercial, public health and industrial buildings.

According to the MoEP, the new regulation will also correct social inequality, with green construction currently carried out mainly in the socio-economically strong cities, and not in weaker ones in northern and southern regions.