Important reminder for projects registering for Green Star Buildings

15 Nov 2022

Buildings registering from 2023 seeking a 5 Star or 6 Star rating need to meet additional requirements

Introduced in 2020, Green Star Buildings is GBCA’s newest rating system for new buildings and major refurbishments, aiming to deliver buildings that meet or exceed what is required to meet a 1.5C trajectory. 

Green Star Buildings v1 includes specific requirements that vary based on the date of registration. There are requirements that apply for projects seeking a 5 Star and a 6 Star rating that register from January 1, 2023.

5 Star will need to meet the criteria to be considered Climate Positive. That is, they must be fossil fuel free, highly efficient buildings, powered by renewables and built with lower upfront emissions.

6 Star rated buildings also have an additional requirement to compensate for all remaining emissions with nature-based offsets.

The requirements are described in the Green Star Buildings Submission Guidelines under the Climate Positive Pathway.

Note: All buildings certifying from 2030 onwards, regardless of registration or submission will be required to meet the requirements to be considered Climate Positive.

With 2023 fast approaching, projects looking to achieve a 5 Star or a 6 Star rating and not wishing to meet the additional requirements must meet the following dates to be considered registered before 2023:

  • Execute the project's Certification Agreement by 16 December 2022
  • Pay the certification fee by 28 February 2023

Projects that do not execute the certification agreement or pay the certification fee by the above dates, or that register after January 1, 2023 will need to meet the additional requirements.

What credits are impacted by the additional requirements?

  • Energy Source 
  • Energy Use 
  • Upfront Carbon Emissions
  • Other Carbon Emissions 

How does this deadline apply to projects transitioning from Green Star - Design & As Built to Green Star Buildings?

Projects already registered under Green Star - Design & As Built (any version) that wish to change their registration to Green Star Buildings are subject to the 'Registering from 2020 onwards' requirement regardless of when they update their rating tool. They are not subject to the 2023 requirements.

However, those upgrading are still subject to the requirement that applies to all buildings under 'Certified after 1st January 2030, regardless of registration date'.

To assist project teams develop their Green Star Buildings strategy, we have developed the following resources that can be downloaded from the Green Star resources portal:

  • The Green Star - Design & As Built to Green Star Buildings Gap Analysis tool
  • The Green Star Buildings Submission planner

What else do I need to know?

  • Registration is completed and formalised once the Certification Agreement has been executed, and certification fee has been received by GBCA.
  • These deadlines apply to projects registering as part of a volume program.
  • There are rules in the Certification Agreement as to how long you can take from registration to certification, in most cases, this period is three years.

If you believe you can't meet these deadlines with your current or upcoming registration, please contact us at MEteam@gbca.org.au before the deadline.