Government leadership helps to foster resilience, reduce our emissions, encourage innovation and sustainably build productivity over the long term. Leading by example and implementing coordinated, targeted policies and programs can help our buildings and industry to achieve their full potential. GBCA works closely with departments and agencies of the Commonweath Government to encourage and support policies and initiatives that will help to deliver a more sustainable built environment.
Every Building Counts
In ‘Every Building Counts’, a policy platform released by GBCA and the Property Council of Australia in 2023, we call on governments to shape a green, healthier, and more equitable built environment. The federal government version of the report outlines 39 recommendations across eight themes to help Australia achieve its decarbonisation goals.
In Australia, the built environment accounts for over 50% of the country’s electricity and almost 25% of emissions. However, our property sector is a global leader in sustainability and so we are well positioned to deliver high-impact, but cost-effective ways of reducing carbon and improving energy performance.
Read Every Building Counts
See a few examples of visionary government leadership below:
Since the release of Every Building Counts, the federal government has made several commitments that respond to recommendations in Every Building Counts and will help to drive the transition to a more sustainable built environment. Key policies include:
Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy
The Net Zero in Government Operations strategy will help the Commonwealth Government to fulfil its commitment to achieving a net zero Australian public service by 2030. The strategy includes preferencing all-electric buildings for new office leases and achieving Green Star for future office buildings purchased or constructed for the Commonwealth.
Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy
The Environmentally Sustainable Procurement (ESP) Policy establishes, for the first time, a measurement and reporting framework to track environmental outcomes in government procurement. The reporting framework specifies a range of metrics, including Green Star certification, that suppliers can use to measure sustainability outcomes.
Businesses bidding for government construction services projects above $7.5 million will need to meet certain sustainability outcomes from 1 July 2024. Tenders for textiles, ICT goods, and furniture, fittings and equipment above $1 million will be part of phase 2, to be implemented from 1 July 2025.
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