29 Jan 2026
Welcome to 2026! I hope you all had an excellent holiday break and are ready for another year of impact and collaboration.
At the GBCA, we’ve hit the ground running. Not unlike previous years, we witnessed a bump in project submissions at the end of the year as teams pushed to get projects over the line before the holidays. And overall, we saw 22% more submissions in 2025 than in the 2024 calendar year.
As we continue to work hard to process your results on time, let’s look at what else is happening over the coming months.
Last year, we released Green Star Buildings v1.1. To align with the Freeze Frame paper, we issued a maintenance revision (Revision A), at the end of the year. To support the rollout of Buildings 1.1, we’re working hard to provide you resources to help you with understanding the updates, and to apply them to your project.
Available now:
Available soon:
Registration is open now, and projects wanting to submit against version 1.1 may do so from March 2026.
And that’s not all!
Green Star Fitouts seeks to deliver a new definition of a sustainability, drive supply chain transformation and for the first time in Green Star, we are introducing a Circular category. This will support the design of spaces that enhance occupant wellbeing, the achievement of the Paris Agreement targets, and is created to work with different fitout typologies.
As we work on the final touches of Green Star Fitouts ahead of its scheduled launch at Transform, those who are eager to use the tool should keep these dates in mind:
We’re also putting the finishing touches on the ‘Nature Positive Roadmap for New Developments’ to be launched at TRANSFORM. The roadmap recognises the important role of the built environment in reducing impacts to nature, and in driving regenerative developments that contribute towards nature positive goals.
To hear more about Green Star other leadership strategies, head to TRANSFORM. I look forward to seeing you there!
Green Star Buildings is Australia’s trusted sustainability rating tool for new buildings and major refurbishments. Since its launch, over 700 projects have registered under v1 as their roadmap to deliver better, healthier and more responsible places. The release of v1.1 builds on that foundation to keep industry aligned with what’s next.
Green Star Buildings v1.1 is now open for registration. During the transition period, projects may choose to register under v1 or v1.1. From 1 May 2026, all new projects will be required to register under v1.1.
Please note that for a project to be considered registered prior to 1 May 2026, two key steps need to be fulfilled:
Timing to certify
Have questions?
Further information on the transition to Buildings v1.1 including Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the GBCA website
Applicants and project teams should consult the relevant version of the Green Star Buildings Submission Guidelines to review the full requirements and eligibility criteria. For v1.1, please refer to the updated maintenance review version, Green Star Buildings v1.1 REV A. Information on how to register projects is available here:
If you would like to discuss your project prior to registration, please contact the Market Engagement Team.
Contact usFollowing industry feedback on Green Star Buildings v1.1 and insights from our Freeze Frame paper on refrigerants, we have revised the Refrigerants credit to raise the bar and clarify the path forward. This version supersedes the original version 1.1 Submission Guidelines (released in October 2025).
What’s changed?
Based on these changes, there are also amendments to the Climate Positive Pathway, so that projects registering from 2030 must meet the following:
Updated Submission Guidelines – Green Star Buildings v1.1. Rev A and a full Change Log from version 1 are now live on the Resources Portal.
For further information about Green Star Buildings v1.1, including Revision AKeen to learn more about Green Star Buildings v1.1 and the latest changes? Join our upcoming webinar for a clear walkthrough of the updates and what they mean for your team. 12th February 12pm -1pm.
Book nowEach year we publish Green Star: A Year in Focus to showcase the certification achievements and Green Star related milestones over the prior financial year.
Despite a climate of global uncertainty, last year marked unprecedented momentum and impact at scale. We continued to expand our reach into sectors across the built environment while engaging in increasingly complex and challenging conversations.
It was the most active year in Green Star’s history. Almost 2000 certifications were issued in FY2024-25 – doubling last year’s record.
Download the latest reportNominations for the Future Green Leader of the Year award are closing soon. If you’re 32 or under and driving meaningful change in the sustainable transformation of the built environment, this is your chance to be recognised.
Apply nowFAQ F-00525 - Which project milestone determines Climate Positive Pathway requirements in Green Star Performance v2?
Since the last Inside Green Star newsletter, we’ve published the following resources to assist you in preparing your Green Star submission. These are all available on the Resources Portal.
Submission guidelines
Submission templates
Calculators:
Other resources
Resource portal