12 Dec 2024
A few numbers recently landed on my desk, early gifts spreading Christmas cheer.
We certified more than 1,000 Green Star projects in the last financial year – a record-breaking feat – according to our latest Green Star: A Year in Focus. Cumulatively, 5,660-plus Green Star projects cover a massive 64 million square metres of space.
We started the year doing ‘everything, everywhere all at once’ and our collective results speak for themselves. It took five years to achieve 100 Green Star Design & As Built registrations. Astonishingly, we reached the same milestone with Green Star Buildings in just 14 months.
For the first time in Green Star’s 21-year history, commercial offices are no longer the dominant asset class. Industrial buildings now lead with a remarkable 24% of Green Star Buildings registrations. Residential projects – both multi-unit and student accommodation – account for 22% of registrations, with education buildings just behind at 17%.
Retail facilities, with 5% of registrations, and healthcare facilities, with 3%, disguises the size of these asset classes and their impact in the communities they serve. More than 3.4 million people visit a Green Star-rated shopping centre daily and 930,000-plus people heal in Green Star-certified hospitals each year.
The uptick of Green Star registrations in some asset classes reflects industry leadership and market demand. In other sectors, it is the fruit of many years of hard work to foster relationships, advocate for third-party certification, and lay a strong business case for sustainable building. In others, government leadership has played a pivotal role. Hotel registrations, currently just 2%, are expected to escalate next year thanks to the federal government’s Net Zero Government Operations Strategy.
These statistics tell stories of opportunity and optimism. They are a reminder of what we’ve achieved together this year, and what’s ahead as commitments are converted into real-world buildings.
To everyone who has collaborated with us this year, thank you. Our team is continually inspired and uplifted by the people who turn their everyday roles into extraordinary acts of passion, talent and skill.
As we wind down for the holiday season, please take time to reflect on your individual and our industry’s achievements in 2024. We’ve all earned the right to rest on our laurels – just for a moment – before we take on the challenges of 2025.
Next year is shaping up to be a big one. Despite the economic and political headwinds, the triple crises of climate, biodiversity and housing affordability will still be with us in 2025. We cannot ignore the heartbeat of the community calling for healthier, more resilient and positive places for people and nature. In this season of giving, every Green Star project you worked on this year is a gift to the future and a better world.