A newly built warehouse at The YARDS industrial estate in Kemps Creek, NSW has been awarded Australia’s first embodied carbon rating, setting a new benchmark for transparency and low carbon construction.

The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) Embodied Carbon rating tool measures the hidden emissions generated throughout the construction of a building, right from manufacturing materials and transporting them to site to energy use and waste onsite. These emissions are increasingly recognised as a critical challenge on Australia’s journey to net zero.

The pilot was held during the construction of pharmaceutical company Probiotec Multipack’s facility at the industrial estate in Western Sydney. The project was delivered by joint venture partners Frasers Property Industrial and Aware Real Estate, working closely with Mainbrace Constructions.

Adopting an innovative approach to drive down embodied carbon and increase transparency in the project, these stakeholders selected materials with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to get a clear idea of the emissions associated with each product’s manufacture, allowing them to make transparent, low carbon product choices. The team also collected a detailed level of construction data, tracking all materials delivered to the site to get an accurate picture of the building’s true carbon footprint.

The primary objective of a NABERS embodied carbon rating is to provide builders and developers trusted, independently verified proof that a project has genuinely reduced its construction-related emissions. The rating not only strengthens credibility with investors but also provides a clear competitive advantage in tenders and leasing, particularly as government and corporate clients increasingly seek low carbon buildings.

“Embodied carbon is the next frontier when it comes to reducing carbon emissions in buildings,” says NABERS Director Magali Wardle. “The team at Frasers Property Industrial and Mainbrace has set a great example by collecting an exceptional level of construction data and choosing materials backed by Environmental Product Declarations. This is exactly the kind of leadership Australia needs to scale low carbon construction.”

With embodied carbon expected to become the largest source of emissions in the built environment, the new rating also helps organisations demonstrate progress towards net zero commitments and get ahead of future regulatory changes.

NABERS is a national initiative administered by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

Observing that embodied carbon is a major hurdle on the path to net zero, Frasers Property Industrial Managing Director Australia Ian Barter says, “At Frasers Property Industrial, we’ve always backed ourselves to lead the sector on sustainability and innovation, and becoming the first industrial developer in Australia to secure a NABERS embodied carbon rating really reinforces that ambition.”

Mainbrace Managing Director Rob Doust adds, “Mainbrace has worked closely with NABERS in developing the new embodied carbon measuring tool and are proud to have teamed with Frasers Property Industrial to deliver this Australian first.”

Images: Supplied

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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