AUSTRALIA GETS A GOLD STAR FROM GREEN STAR

Of this, more than 8.1 million square metres is office space – equivalent to all the existing Premium and A Grade office space in the Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide CBDs combined. Those offices are now the workplaces of 540,000 Australians, or 4.5 percent of our total workforce.

Beyond the commercial sector, more than 4400 people now live in Green Star-rated apartments and 16,800 students learn in Green Star-certified schools. Some 80,000 people will soon be living Green Star – Communities. That’s more than the entire population of Rockhampton.

The environmental benefits of 1000 Green Star projects are impressive – slashing 625,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually – the equivalent to removing 175,000 cars from our roads or saving 128,000 average households’ electricity use.

As the innovators continue to challenge the status quo, Green Star understands that it must continue to adapt and evolve too. They continue to push the building industry into new areas of opportunity with the introduction of ‘Innovation Challenges’ that address social housing, health impacts, and reconciliation action plans.

Green Star has also worked hard to streamline systems and refine processes. And, they continue to forge new international partnerships – most recently with GRESB, the Green Building Information Gateway and the Climate Bonds Initiative

Green Star is continuously recognised as a viable mechanism that delivers rigourous results valued by domestic and international investors, tenants, owners and verifiers. This was recently seen at the World Green Building Council conference in Hong Kong, and the International Green Building Conference in Singapore, where interest in Green Star ratings and Green Star-rated buildings was high.

Meanwhile, our industry in Australia continues to use Green Star to help challenge the status quo, reposition their assets, inspire their staff and build loyalty with their investors.

Image 3: Commonwealth Bank Place, Darling Harbour received Australia’s first 6 star green rating.