GREEN BUILDING GUIDE 19 tralia ’ s
UCCESS d
Romilly Madew , Chief Executive Green Building Council of Australia
From soaring office towers in our CBDs to green-clad apartments , and from learning laboratories to the Sydney Opera House – Australia now boasts high-performing green buildings that are the envy of the world .
Our real estate industry is considered the world ’ s most sustainable . Almost 1,400 building projects around Australia have achieved ratings under Australia ’ s rating system for sustainable buildings and communities , Green Star .
A whopping 30 per cent of the nation ’ s office space is Green Star certified , and five per cent of the workforce head to a green office each day . More than 34,000 people live in Green Star-rated apartments , and an eye-watering 1.3 million people visit a Green Star-rated shopping centre each day .
These buildings reflect the best of Australian industry , ingenuity , know-how and innovation across a deep supply chain of successful Australian services and manufacturing businesses . These are indicators of our success in exporting our ideas and skills across the world .
Australian companies now top the global Dow Jones Sustainability Index , and the 2016 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark ( GRESB ) – which assessed 66,000 international assets last year – has ranked Australia the world ’ s most sustainable real estate market for six years in a row .
Bragging is not characteristically Australian for fear we will be cut down to size by our peers . But independent benchmarks like GRESB and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index aren ’ t just an opportunity for us to pat ourselves on the back . They also reflect the appetite of hard-nosed investors looking for the best performing real estate and infrastructure in the world . And that is found in Australia .
As the world looks to solutions that meet global commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating liveable cities that attract investment and human capital , Australia is where their attention is turning .
Consider just a few examples that are well-recognised overseas , but are perhaps worthy of more domestic applause .
GOVLINK » ISSUE 1 2017