20 Mar 2017
How will our industry ensure all new buildings are carbon neutral by 2030? And, even more challenging, how will we ensure every building is carbon neutral by 2050? These are the question we’ve been pondering lately.
By working collaboratively to drive the shift to a sustainable built environment, we have encouraged leadership transformed industry practice and created enduring value for building owners, investors, managers and users.
But despite our collective efforts, large-scale emissions reduction remains a vexed issue in Australia.
We believe a Carbon Positive Roadmap supports our industry to create real solutions.
At Green Cities in Sydney, the GBCA launched a discussion paper, A carbon positive roadmap for the built environment, and is now calling for industry feedback.
The discussion paper outlines how our industry can help Australia meet its greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets, in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Australia is among the 170-plus nations that have agreed to limit global temperature rises to less than 2˚C, and to strive towards global temperature rises of no more than 1.5˚C.
At the GBCA, we are working with the 1.5˚C target. This means that all new buildings must be net zero emissions by 2030, and all existing buildings must be net zero emissions by 2050.
The discussion paper asks industry what this means for Green Star buildings – and especially for world-leadership Green Star buildings.
We have identified four key priorities:
1. Promoting energy efficiency through passive design and efficient systems
2. Driving investment in resilient, renewable energy infrastructure
3. Increasing markets for net zero carbon products, materials and services
4. Promoting offsets for remaining emissions.
We aim to create an approach that is a cost-effective pathway for buildings and portfolios, and will also achieve other positive outcomes for Australia – such as efficient, comfortable and healthy buildings, energy security and a thriving renewable energy industry, jobs growth in emerging sectors, and enhanced biodiversity.
But we want to hear what you think. While this discussion paper puts forward our ideas, feedback and support from industry is mission critical.
It is only by working together that we will achieve a carbon positive future.
So, go to our website, download the discussion paper and get involved in the conversation.