16 Oct 2024
It’s exciting to see the development of substantial plans to help us achieve our big goals. But now we need to see them turned into action at household, business and industry level with urgency and scale.
Recent policy developments include the ACT Sustainable Buildings Pathway - a ten-year plan to lead the territory towards international best practice on environmentally sustainable and climate resilient buildings – and the NSW Consumer Energy Strategy which focuses on making energy-saving technologies like solar, batteries, and energy efficiency upgrades more accessible to households and businesses across the state. These plans detail a range of actions and programs, including some that will be rolled out quickly to accelerate change. The Victorian Government continues its commitment to electrification, introducing new legislation to provide for a potential expansion of their electrification commitments. A Regulatory Impact Statement is expected to be released in December for public consultation. This marks another important step on the road to zero emissions in Victoria, as outlined by the Gas Substitution Roadmap (first released in 2022 and updated in 2024) which provides the framework for action on electrification. At the national level, the Climate Change Authority’s recently released Sector Pathway review will inform the development of the sector plans that will chart Australia’s course to achieving our net zero by 2050 target. WA has already developed a sector strategy and NSW and QLD have both passed legislation that will require these states to also establish sector plans.
GBCA is providing input to consultation on these plans, highlighting the opportunities available in the built environment as well as significant progress to date. It’s positive to see growing commitment to establishing these strategies, but the challenge remains in developing and delivering them with urgency. In the built environment, industry has the solutions for achieving net zero, but government leadership and support is needed to catalyse uptake at scale.
Green Star Performance v2 offers numerous advantages for building owners and tenants, as well as supporting government sustainability goals. Here’s how:
1. Aligning with government emission targets
Projects certified under Performance v2 assure government, as an owner or a tenant, that the property they own or occupy is contributing to national, state and local emissions reduction targets and sustainability objectives. As recommended in Every Building Counts recommendation 6.2, governments are urged to use trusted and credible building rating systems, such as Green Star and NABERS, in all new projects and existing assets. The Climate Positive Pathway within Performance v2 ensures property assets are on a path of continuous improvement towards net zero and beyond, allowing governments to lead by example.
2. Complementing government policies
Green Star is aligned with key government initiatives, including the Australian Government’s Net Zero in Government Operations strategy, the Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy, the NSW Government Resource Efficiency Policy and a range of other government property and and procurement policies at state and local level. By achieving Green Star Performance v2 certification, owners and tenants will deliver on policy objectives and demonstrate leadership in sustainable development.
3. Delivering sustainable outcomes
Beyond reducing emissions, Green Star Performance v2 offers broader sustainability benefits:
4. Certification integrity
The Green Star certification process is ISO 9001-certified. This provides independent verification of sustainability achievements, ensures credibility and trust in the certification process and reduces the risk of greenwashing.
5. Global alignment
Green Star Performance v2 aligns with 14 out of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addresses key recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It also tackles critical key risks highlighted by the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Risks Report.
Transitioning to Green Star Performance v2:
Currently using the Green Star Performance v2 tool or planning to use it?
See our Green Star Performance v2 advance courseNABERS has developed a toolkit to empower policymakers to make sustainable choices in procurement, portfolio management and planning. The Policy Toolkit provides information and resources on how to use NABERS ratings to make the best possible decisions when purchasing, leasing or operating commercial buildings, when designing for new commercial developments or within planning policy.
Download the NABERS policy toolkit pdfThe Green Star for Government course is ideal for those who want to further their knowledge of sustainability and the role of Green Star. The course is based on our Green Star Foundations course, with content particularly tailored for all levels of Government. With specific policies around sustainable government procurement now announced, it explores what this means in the context of Green Star and how Green Star can help you achieve your outcomes.
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