Demand for more sustainable residential buildings isn’t going away, and both the federal government and many local councils appear on course for adjusting building regulations during the next few years.
The real estate industry is increasingly discussing the impact of a draft Federal Government and CSIRO rating system that would influence home valuations and insurance premiums.
If you want to future-proof your home or buy an ecologically sustainable home, then an initiative from the Property Council of Australia and Green Building Council called Every Building Counts may be the perfect roadmap for you to follow.
While the first draft recommendations were released in 2019, both parties recently launched a new draft for local councils, suggesting an array of actions based on case studies from across Australia.
The Property Council and Green Building Council are both to be commended for diligently pursuing this campaign over four-plus years.
Buyers are taking environmentally-friendly features increasingly seriously, not only to protect the planet and reduce their carbon footprint, but also to cut utility bills.
Authors of the initiative claim electrifying the built environment could save $49 billion in unnecessary bills for households and businesses and avoid pouring out 199 MT of CO2 emissions between 2024 and 2050.
Some 50% of the nation’s electricity consumption occurs within buildings. The Property Council argues technology already exists to decarbonise, but this goal will only be achieved through legislated emission reduction targets.
If you’re looking for inspiration to make your home more sustainable, these are some of the recommendations for adoption by local governments.
Self-sufficiency
Energy used in buildings should come from 100% onsite or offsite renewable sources.
Make a plan
Councils should set a long-term strategy for climate-resilient buildings that can adapt to acute shocks and long-term stresses from climate change.
Bright spark
Support market readiness for electrification and encourage retrofits for existing commercial and residential buildings.
High-performance
Drive deep energy efficiency and electrification retrofits for existing homes. Support creating industry leadership groups in priority sectors to champion best practices and collaboration.
Better measurement
Endorse and contribute to a single national rating scheme for home energy performance. Drive the broader application of trusted, robust and credible rating systems such as Green Star and NABERS in the community.
Silent emissions
Adopt a credible national framework for measuring embodied carbon, which means gauging emissions required to create building materials for new homes and renovations.