Challenges AND Opportunities in

Public and Private Sectors

Maria Atkinson

Green Building Council of Australia

Mission

The nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.

The organisation’s purpose is to:– Integrate building industry sectors– Lead market transformation– Educate owners and practitioners

What’s happening with relation to the built environment

Current and Future Attitudes Incentives Change

Topics

Sustainable Development

• economically viable• environmentally sound• socially responsible

Sustainable Development

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Water Conservation & Management Waste Avoidance & Management Biodiversity Protection & Restoration Pollution Prevention (light, soil, noise, air) Indoor Environment Quality Cultural Identity & Diversity Stakeholder Engagement Life Cycle Assessment (product & material selection

and costing)

Changing Regulatory Framework

National Rating for Green Buildings (Docklands, GBC, Commonwealth)

Corporation Law Environmental Risk disclosure to shareholders

Financial Services Reform Act March 2002

Sustainability Advisory Council (NSW) Sustainability Targets (VIC 5 Star Residential

2003, ACT zero-waste policy 2010)

Financial Institutions

In the US, $1 in every $8 is invested in an “ethically” screened fund

SRI >$2trillion. Between 1997 & 1999 at twice the rate of all assets under professional management

Attitudes

Baby Boomer Generation X Click & Go Trust Us

Show Us

Engage Us

Cardiff University, UK

Cardiff University, UK

Incentives

Markets for Ecosystem Services– Taxes and Subsidies– Tradable Schemes (Carbon Trading)

Performance Mechanisms (OH&S,Env Levy) Government Contracts

– Performance contracts – Alliance– Preference listings (limit tender costs & delays)– Life Cycle Costing (not 1st cost)

Promotion (Case Studies, Market Reward)

Water

Best

Rainwater

collection & re-use

Conservation

Good

AAA appliance Efficient showerheads

& taps

Onsite treatment and reuse

Water

On site detention for release (slow/cleaner)

CDS units

Management

Good

Pavement infiltration devices Designed in swales Trash-racks

Onsite treatment and

reuse

Energy

Best

Gas heating Solar Hot water Low Energy appliances Low lighting 5 star rating (NATHERS)

Conservation

Good

Insulation Passive design 3.5 star rating

(NATHERS)

Zero emissions PV technology

Building Envelope

Passive solar design

- Good orientation - Passive solar heating

& cooling- Insulation - Glazing- Shading

Design

Reduced consumption

- Water - Energy- Waste minimisation

Material selection

- LCA cradle to grave - Embodied energy - Indoor environment quality- Construction systems- Lifecycle biodiversity

impacts

Community Engagement

Stakeholder Engagement- stakeholders as members of

expanded project team- Needs Determination- Risk Mitigation- Value Creation

Strategy

Community Consultation

- Advising / Telling community prior to submission to Authority

Community Weighting

- Developer, project team, community and government weighting

- Planning instrument

Change

Guiding Principles Objectives Learning & Knowledge Sharing Continual Improvement

Remember it’s a journey …