The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) is confident the building sector is ready to deliver a significant part of Australia’s contribution towards achieving the low carbon goals established in the Paris Agreement.
According to ASBEC President, Professor Ken Maher, the value of the Paris Agreement must be delivered through tangible actions within a critical period. Observing that buildings account for over 23 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, he notes that this segment offers the most rapid and cost-effective solutions to reducing emissions.
ASBEC is a collective of leading industry organisations committed to a sustainable built environment in Australia by promoting more liveable, productive buildings through leadership in energy efficiency, resilience and urban policy.
Maher explains that there are a range of measures that could be implemented immediately to achieve significant outcomes in Australia’s efforts towards reducing emissions. These include tax incentives for green buildings; a national white certificate scheme; higher energy performance standards in the Building Code; public funding of building retrofits; and enhanced Minimum Energy Performance standards.
ASBEC is collaborating with its members, including the Property Council of Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Energy Efficiency Council, Green Building Council of Australia, Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating, Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association, Insulation Australasia and WWF on an emission reduction roadmap to 2050.
With the global agreement now in place, Prof Maher concludes that the building sector is ready to deliver on the ambition for a more sustainable, resilient, prosperous and equitable future.
