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Green Building Council of Australia
Sustainability Survival Guide
In recent months we’ve seen the a global financial crisis unfold, the world’s stock
markets collapse, house prices fall, unemployment rise and a wave of pessimism
flood Australia’s economy.
At the same time, the world is facing its biggest challenge yet: climate change.
We know that climate change cannot be ignored. Extreme weather, species and
habitat loss, mass migration and resource shortages are all predicted unless we
act swiftly and decisively.
Now is not the time to step back from our commitment to sustainability. Now is
the time to work harder to ensure that green building remains high on the
national agenda. Now is the time, in the words of Sir Nicholas Stern “to lay the
foundations for a world of low-carbon growth.”
We know that people want to be a part of the solution to climate change and
business wants to do the right thing, but in tough times decisions are made on
bottom line benefits.
With that in mind, the Green Building Council of Australia has outlined why
sustainability in the built environment is more important than ever.
Sustainable is smart
Whether it’s an individual home or a multi-billion dollar commercial development,
there is growing acceptance that green buildings are a better investment.
Why? Because sustainable buildings are increasingly more valuable buildings –
over time buildings that aren’t sustainable will become obsolete.
Green buildings have been found to increase building values by as much as 7.5
per cent, improve return on investment by 6.6 per cent and decrease vacancy
periods and increase occupancy ratio by 3.5 per cent.
Green buildings are proven to boost worker productivity and health too. One
post-occupancy study in Australia found a 10.9 per cent increase in worker
productivity after moving into their green premises. Imagine what that sort of
improvement can have on a company’s bottom line?
“The biggest challenge to our industry is not the global economic downturn. The
biggest challenge to our industry is buying or developing properties that become
obsolete.”
Tony Arnel, Chairman, Green Building Council of Australia's Chair
Less is more
When budgets are tight, savings on operating costs can make a big impact on a
small – or a large - business.
And with energy and water costs set to rise, it makes smart business sense to
minimise consumption of our precious resources. Green buildings save at least
20-30 per cent on energy costs when compared with industry standards –
potentially saving thousands of dollars each year.
Turning collars green
The economic downturn is just the time to invest in sustainability skills and
training to ensure your company is better placed than its competitors when the
economy recovers.
In the new green world, sustainability knowledge will be an increasingly valuable
commodity – particularly as rapidly developing countries look for a low-carbon
route to development.
The Green Building Council of Australia has established a new Asia-Pacific
committee to create stronger links within the region and promote the benefits of
sustainable green building practices. Australia’s green building ‘blue print’ could
be our next big export – and your company could be ideally placed to benefit.
Time to retrofit
Of Australia’s 21 million square metres of existing office stock, 81 per cent is
more than ten years of age, equalling more that 17.5 million square metres.
Greening our existing office stock will not only improve our buildings’
environmental performance, but also provide thousands of jobs.
Retrogreening Offices in Australia, released by Davis Langdon in April, estimates
that refurbishing a significant quantity of office stock across Australia could create
jobs for more than 10,000 people in the construction industry – which translates
into almost 27,000 new jobs across the broader economy.
For every ‘green collar job’ created as a result of retrofitting existing office stock,
there is a potential annual saving of approximately 300 tonnes of greenhouse
gas.
What’s more, this research clearly demonstrates that greening our existing office
buildings will provide more value than the immediate impact on the environment.
We will create jobs growth without needing to create additional office stock future proofing our existing buildings, ensuring they perform closer to new
standards and addressing tenant expectations for green buildings.
The rising cost of carbon
Residential and commercial buildings are responsible for 23 per cent of Australia’s
greenhouse gas emissions. That’s equivalent to 130 megatonnes of greenhouse
gas released into the atmosphere each year.
As the largest single contributor to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions,
buildings use 40 per cent of global energy, and governments around the world
are addressing this by legislating to drive down carbon emissions.
In Australia, regulation, green taxes and the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
will increasingly be used to meet climate change targets.
Being a member of the Green Building Council of Australia means you’ll have a
voice to ensure the government gets it right, both in Australia and on the
international stage.
“Improving energy efficiency is the quickest and most cost effective way of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Green is here to stay
In recent years, we’ve witnessed a fundamental shift in the way that building
owners, investors and tenants all consider green buildings.
Green building is no longer seen as a niche market, a trend or a luxury. Choosing
to build green is now a business imperative.
While there have been fears that the financial crisis will subdue the growing
impetus for green building, there is a real opportunity for it to be a defining
catalyst for investment in a sustainable built environment.
What is your company doing to ensure it is part of the green revolution?
“The built environment is the greatest opportunity for energy efficiency and CO 2
reduction we have. It is the lowest of the low hanging fruit."
Malcolm Turnbull, Leader of the Opposition
Become a member
If you haven’t done so already, make membership of the Green Building Council
of Australia central to your sustainability survival strategy.
For more information on membership and the work of the Green Building Council
of Australia, visit: www.gbca.org.au