The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has released a draft Carbon Positive Roadmap that sets out ambitious targets and actions to support the built environment’s transition to net zero emissions by 2050.
The roadmap is expected to create new opportunities for Australia’s smart cities market, says the Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand.
Adam Beck, executive director of the Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand, comments that the roadmap represents an ‘unmissable opportunity’ for technology and data solutions suppliers in the emerging smart cities marketplace.
According to Beck, the roadmap is an important driver for greater digitalisation of the design, construction and operational performance of Australia’s built environment assets through the use of intelligent building information modelling tools.
Many of the biggest developers and property owners in the country who are backing GBCA’s roadmap, have already committed to meet net zero emissions; they can meet these targets only with the help of smart technology and data solutions.
One of the important commitments listed in the Carbon Positive Roadmap is that all new buildings and fitouts will be emissions-neutral in operations by 2030, with existing buildings to follow by 2050.
Since the property and construction industry will be incentivised to select products and services that drive down emissions, it will stimulate unprecedented demand for smart meters, Internet of Things devices, renewable energy solutions, battery storage systems and other technologies that promote grid decarbonisation, as well as energy efficient systems and electric vehicles, explains Beck.
To have an idea about the roadmap’s potential to create new business opportunities in the smart cities marketplace, technology companies should simply look up the Green Star rating system, which has influenced the design and construction of nearly 40 percent of Australia’s commercial office space.
Beck explains that many property industry leaders seized the sustainability agenda to gain market advantage, manage risk and attract investors. The same segment will lead the investment in smart buildings technologies and data solutions over the coming decade, he added.
The Smart Cities Council Australian New Zealand and the Green Building Council of Australia have now come together to launch the Smart Buildings Centre of Excellence in anticipation of the next wave of technology investment to enhance property asset performance in the region.
This initiative is expected to help build one of the world’s leading smart buildings marketplaces.
The Carbon Positive Roadmap can be downloaded from the GBCA’s website.
