GREENING COMMUNITIES
03 Sep 2012
GBCA has launched the Green Star – Communities rating tool to assess and certify the sustainability of community-level development projects.
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is Australia’s leading authority on green buildings and communities. The GBCA was established in 2002 to develop a sustainable property industry in Australia and drive the adoption of green building practices. The GBCA has more than 850 member companies who support the Council and its activities.
Its membership base is drawn from a diverse cross-section of developers, local, state and federal governments, owners, professional services firms, investors, manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, facility and asset managers, universities, professional societies, utilities and contractors.
The GBCA promotes green building programs, technologies, design practices and processes, and operates Australia’s only national voluntary comprehensive environmental rating system for buildings and communities – Green Star.
Green Star
Since its launch in 2003, Green Star has transformed the property and construction industry. More than 500 building projects have achieved Green Star ratings, and a further 500 plus are registered for certification. More than eight million square metres of building space is now Green Star-rated.
Green Star supports the property and construction industry to improve the sustainability of buildings and communities, boost occupant health and productivity and achieve cost savings.
Green Star rating tools are currently available or in development for commercial offices, retail centres, hospitals, schools and universities, multi-unit residential dwellings, public buildings, industrial facilities, communities and existing buildings.
From buildings to communities
For nearly a decade, a Green Star rating has been a symbol of environmental sustainability in Australia. From towering skyscrapers to low-rise schools, Green Star has driven a market shift which encourages an integrated, holistic approach to building design and construction.
To begin with, Green Star was restricted to buildings. In June 2012, the Green Building Council of Australia launched the Green Star – Communities rating tool to assess and certify the sustainability of community-level development projects.
Green Star – Communities evaluates environmental issues – such as minimising energy and water consumption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, managing waste and reducing dependence on motor vehicles. However, the rating tool also reaches beyond environmental efficiencies to broader holistic sustainability issues, such as economic prosperity, liveability and health.
With support from industry and federal, state and local governments, the Green Star - Communities rating tool is set to become a voluntary national standard for green communities. For more information, visit www.gbca.org.au/communities
