The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and the Property Council of Australia have released a new report based on the ‘Every Building Counts – Local Government’ policy plan. The report was released at an event last week with the City of Melbourne.
The report details a suite of recommendations for local governments to drive down carbon emissions in buildings.
The ‘Every Building Counts – Local Government’ policy plan is part of a series of publications that demonstrate how government and industry collaboration can drive innovation for a greener, healthier, and more equitable built environment.
It is a companion to two others tailored for the Federal Government and State and Territory Governments.
“Our local governments have been at the global forefront of climate action innovation. In recent years we have seen them step up to lead the charge on policies and programs that accelerate action on energy efficiency, emissions reduction and electrification for homes and buildings in their communities.”
Davina Rooney, CEO, GBCA
The ‘Every Building Counts’ series has been developed with the input of steering group partners Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council and Energy Efficiency Council.
‘Every Building Counts –Local Government’ makes 19 policy recommendations over six key themes to shape a greener, healthier, and more equitable built environment.
“Every Building Counts recognises that every level of government has an important role to play in setting policies that support full decarbonisation of new and existing buildings. For local government, the recommendations in this report and ready-made examples of successful initiatives provide a platform for the next phase of locally led reforms. The adoption of Every Building Counts policies will incentivise high performance buildings, encourage uptake of proven ratings tools and showcase local government leadership.”
Cath Evans, Victorian Executive Director, Property Council
The report aims to highlight the importance of local governments continuing to demonstrate climate leadership by setting targets for achieving net zero by 2050 or sooner for their local area, underpinned by clear, long-term strategies that will encourage and deliver zero-carbon-ready, resilient buildings.
GBCA and the Property Council of Australia also welcomed the City of Melbourne’s Retrofit Melbourne plan which was launched alongside the report.
“Existing buildings contribute 66% of our current carbon emissions. To become a zero-carbon city by 2040, more than 80 commercial buildings need to be decarbonised each year. It’s crucial we act now – working alongside industry, government, and academic partners to future-proof our city for generations to come. We need to get the balance right – protecting our older buildings which give Melbourne its character, while accelerating our collective journey towards zero net emissions. Buildings that are decarbonised are more attractive to tenants and increase capital value over time – unlocking enormous potential to revitalise underutilised commercial buildings in the city, supporting a thriving city experience and economy.”
Nicholas Reece, Deputy Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne
Key policy recommendations from ‘Every Building Counts – Local Government’ include:
- Set a long-term vision for zero-carbon-ready buildings.
- Support a nationally harmonised approach to phase out fossil fuel gas in buildings and appliances.
- Accelerate the shift to high-performance, sustainable buildings with targeted incentives.
- Commit to achieving zero-carbon-ready new and existing government-owned and leased buildings by 2030.
- Drive the application of trusted, robust, credible rating systems such as Green Star.
- Adopt a credible national framework for measuring embodied carbon.
