20 Nov 2025
This year promised to be a big one, and it did not disappoint.
It started with a bang, launching Green Star Communities v2 and the Apartments pathway in Green Star Buildings within days of each other. Consultation on Green Star Fitouts with its focus on circularity gave us the best Valentine’s Day we could imagine. We had TRANSFORM, where the Practical Guide to Circular Procurement for Buildings was launched, and Green Building Day where we discussed everything from the material cost of fitouts to the underestimated impact of refrigerants.
The second half of the year said ‘hold my beer’ and before we knew it, we were introducing you all to the new event Green Building Forum, a version 1.1 of Green Star Buildings, a cool new discussion paper, and a refresh of our Expert Reference Panels and Industry and Technical Advisory Groups. Consultation opened on Version B of the Responsible Products Framework, alongside a global alignment of what sustainable building materials means. A draft of the Nature Roadmap was tabled as part of a national in-person consultation process. New resources supporting submissions were released along with a Technical Newsletter and the doubling of Assessors on the Assessment Panel. Future Focus won an award, and just yesterday our very own Gabrielle Pavicic was awarded the Emerging Sustainable Architect/Designer category by the Sustainability Summit awards for her work on the Fitouts rating tool.
Oh, and did I mention that there are now 700 projects registered under the Future Focus rating tools? Phew!f. And on that note, if you’re looking to submit between now and the end of the year, make sure you’re on top of important deadlines and processing timelines.
At the start of every year, we at the GBCA brace ourselves, fearing that this will be year the momentum slows a little, that industry ambition will at the very least plateau. At the end of every year however, we can only stand back and admire how much work the built environment puts in to delivering better outcomes for people, the community, the planet. We marvel at the hundreds (even thousands!) of collective hours spent by you, the members of our ERPs, Advisory Groups and Green Star project teams. You volunteer your time to working through the practical ways a rating tool system can simultaneously raise the bar while also broadening its reach and impact. We are so grateful for the conversation you let us have, and the impact you drive.
As this is the last Inside Green Star, I and all the folks at the GBCA wish you a safe and happy summer holidays. 2026 is bound to be another big one, and I can’t wait.
We understand that many project teams have timelines set around major events. To support this, we've outlined the deadlines you'll need to meet to have your project certified in time for key milestones. These are published on our website and have been updated for the year ahead.
Submission deadlines to receive results prior to the end of the year has now closed.
Please note that the GBCA will pause standard processing timeframes from 15th December 2025 to 9th January 2026. This applies to all Requests, including Technical Questions and Submissions for assessment. Requests can still be submitted during this period; however, timeframes will be extended to account for the pause. This includes all requests due and submitted during this time.
We thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions about these deadlines, please talk to your project's GBCA Coordinator.
See important deadlines
We’re excited to give our Inside Green Star community an early preview of a new resource launching soon: the Guide to Best Practice Project Delivery for Green Star Buildings.
This practical guide walks you through:
What a Green Star consultant does and the value they bring to your project
Roles and responsibilities across the project team — including the client
How to prepare an effective scope of works
How to plan and deliver a practical points pathway
Whether you’re appointing a consultant for the first time or refining your process, this guide is designed to help you set your project up for success. It is also a useful resource for all members of the project team, including GSAPs.
Read the guideA reminder that consultation for the Responsible Products Framework version B is open for submissions until 12 December. Submit your feedback to help shape building products for the future of Green Star.
Submit your feedback
GBCA was very excited to launch Green Star Buildings v1.1 at the inaugural Green Building Forum in Brisbane on October 21st. An update over two years in the making, Green Star Buildings v1.1 represents strategic updates and feedback from the first five years of industry adoption.
We anticipate releasing a maintenance update (Revision A) before the end of the year to address some early feedback and align with the Freeze Frame discussion paper.
You can also expect resources being released between now and the end of January to support planning for v1.1 projects so check back to the resources portal regularly, or sign up to our new Technical Newsletter.
Heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems are essential in modern buildings—but the refrigerants they use pose long-term challenges that the built environment can’t afford to ignore.
GBCA in partnership with AIRAH are asking the built environment – what if we didn’t think about refrigerants just as something to manage during a building’s operational phase, but as critical systems infrastructure we design our buildings around. How does our thinking on the global refrigerant phase down change if we consider that choices made about refrigerant-based equipment and systems, based on availability today, could have major impacts to the building long term?
Our latest discussion paper Freeze Frame: refrigerants as building infrastructure steps through the often complex landscape of refrigerants, and seeks your thoughts on the future of our buildings in this context. Consultation is open until COB Thursday April 2, 2026.