Inside Green Star - 14th edition, June 2023

Barangaroo South, Sydney, NSW. 6 Star Green Star - Communities Pilot v0.2

02 Jun 2023

Green Star Communities version 2 launch for consultation

Green Star Communities, first released in 2012, was groundbreaking for its time. In response from both governments and developers, the rating tool provided a framework for sustainable precinct development, and a common language so industry and the users of these places understood what best practice looked like.  

Since its release it has significantly shaped a diverse range of projects, from airports and universities to urban renewals and greenfield residential developments, bringing substantial benefits to their inhabitants. With over 60 projects certified, and over 12 recertified maintaining and building upon the goals set at initial certification. The rating tool has played a key role in helping its users improve their sustainability practices and be celebrated as leaders through certification.  

Now, we're enhancing our rating tool to ensure it responds to the issues of our time, and the critical decade of action we now face. To tackle rising issues like climate action, equity inclusion, affordable housing, and resilience, it's crucial to go beyond just better precincts. We need to redefine what world leadership looks like. The updated rating tool addresses this through our Future Focus framework and a Climate Positive Pathway, ensuring more inclusive, resilient, and biodiverse precincts that are on a trajectory towards decarbonisation.  

Green Star Communities v2 features eight new categories representing the issues that define the next decade of the built environment.  

  • Establishes a new definition of sustainable precincts: Using the Future Focus framework, it addresses the issues that investors, governments and the community expect: action on climate change, health and wellbeing, sustainable materials and biodiversity. It also expects more inclusive approaches, embracing diversity and the role of First Nations peoples.  
  • Drives leading future-ready infrastructure: The tool drives the selection of infrastructure that creates sustainable outcomes for precinct operations.  
  • Exceeds Paris climate agreement carbon targets: The climate positive pathway requires all projects to be fossil fuel free from day one. And the tool recognises and rewards projects that go even further on their pathway to climate positive.  
  • Delivers value across multiple precinct typologies: The tool recognises the variety of developments and delivery models in precinct master planning such as greenfield masterplanned development, brownfield infill and urban renewal, and owner operated campuses and business parks.  
  • Rewards outcomes through a flexible, ongoing certification process: To an annual review, the certification process leverages an online platform for continuous progress tracking.  

Consultation on the credits and the Climate Positive Pathway in Green Star Communities v2 will be open from 15 June to 15 August. We invite you to help shape the future of Australia’s built environment by providing feedback on our new rating tool.  

Join us for a series of webinars running weekly from 26 June to 17 July 2023 detailing the consultation process, the new rating tool framework, and a deep dive on each of the categories out for consultation.

Book into a webinar here

Climate Active certification through Green Star

Did you know? Pathways are now available through Green Star to achieve Climate Active carbon neutral certification for upfront carbon for the delivery phase of a building, as well as for buildings in operation.

Buildings and fit-outs at design, and after construction, can be assessed for carbon neutrality at the same time as seeking a Green Star building or fit-out rating. The delivery phase includes emissions from the materials, manufacturing, transport and construction activities associated with a building.   

Buildings in operation can be assessed for carbon neutrality at the same time as seeking a Green Star – Performance rating, and benefit from synergies of parallel assessment to achieve certified ratings. As a minimum the scope covers energy, water, waste and refrigerants emissions.

Find out more

A practical guide to reducing upfront carbon

Australia’s upfront carbon emissions will balloon from 16% to 85% of overall building emissions by 2050 if we fail to make better choices around the materials we build with, and how we construct them.  

The Green Building Council of Australia and Lendlease today released a guide to reduce upfront carbon emissions in new buildings and major refurbishments, highlighting that 25% of a typical building’s emissions occur during the construction phase, and these emissions can’t be undone. 

GBCA Chief Executive, Davina Rooney said the buildings that we invest in now, will hold the emissions savings that we need in 2050. 

Read the media release

Green Building Day

Two stops on our Green Star roadshow have been complete, and in the next two week we’ll be painting the town green in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney!

Mingle with your industry colleagues and listen to innovators and leaders through a program of presentations and case studies that will push the boundaries of what the sustainable built environment can achieve. Hear from tier ones on their progression to net-zero, uncover vital next steps in reducing embodied carbon and join the conversation on taking practical action to address circularity. 

You’ll leave the event armed with knowledge and examples of how to address the key challenges of sustainability, embedded within a local and national context.  

Don’t miss out on your chance to be at Green Building Day 2023. 

Book here
See our other FAQs?