A landmark new plan to ensure our buildings work towards cleaner air and a sustainable future has been welcomed by industry bodies this week.
Buildings currently account for over 50 per cent of Australia’s electricity use and almost a quarter of our carbon emissions. Every Building Counts: A Practical Plan for Emissions Reduction* is a policy toolkit setting out a practical pathway for transforming Australian homes and other buildings into low carbon, high-performance structures while cost-effectively reducing emissions.
The package includes 75 recommendations to federal, state and territory and local governments, designed to transform Australia’s built environment and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The recommendations cover residential, commercial and public buildings, both existing and new, and include proposals to: introduce a single national rating for the energy performance of homes; leverage the Climate Solutions Fund and other Government policies to drive emissions abatement; and encourage high performance with tax incentives.
Property Council Chief Executive Ken Morrison said the recommendations have been put forward in a way that should enable immediate implementation by the Australian Government.
“Buildings are a quarter of our emissions and consume over half of our electricity so we need a plan to guide this transition for all of the built environment”, Morrison said.
“Energy efficiency has been the forgotten part of energy policy for the past decade as governments have debated energy supply.
“With the right policy frameworks in place, we can minimise the costs of a transition to net zero emissions and create economic opportunities across all parts of industry, from sole traders and homeowners to large businesses.”
GBCA CEO Davina Rooney remarked that the solutions identified in the toolkit have been tested and will drive real improvement across the sector.
“Australian property companies are already global leaders on sustainability”, Rooney said.
"We urge the Federal Government to seize the unique opportunity the built environment offers to dramatically reduce carbon emissions in highly cost effective ways that will also stimulate the economy.
“Low carbon, high-performance buildings are better places to live, work and play and all of the policies we’ve recommended have a proven track record.
The toolkit was sponsored by Low Carbon Living CRC with support of steering group partners ASBEC and the Energy Efficiency Council and is available at www.everybuildingcounts.com.au
* Jointly developed by the Property Council of Australia and Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the plan was launched this week by the Federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, the Hon Angus Taylor MP.