The Chief Executive Officer of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), Romilly Madew was honoured with the prestigious International Leadership Award by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) at the annual Greenbuild Conference in Washington D.C.

Now in its 13th year, the award recognises outstanding individuals and organisations that embody vision, leadership and commitment to the evolution of green buildings and communities.

USGBC Chief Executive Officer and Founding Chairman Rick Fedrizzi paid tribute to Madew’s “open mind, innovative spirit and infectious passion for sustainable development”. According to Fedrizzi, Madew’s long-term involvement in the green building movement in Australia, and her clear success with Green Star, have been instrumental in helping the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) advance global market transformation of the building industry.

He added that Madew’s work in multiple capacities with the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) had produced measurable results with more than 1.3 billion square metres of green building space now certified around the world. The WorldGBC is a non-profit organisation comprising around 100 national green building councils in six continents. 

Madew, who has led the GBCA since 2006, wrote the seminal Dollars and Sense of Green Building, which established the first business case for sustainable design and construction in Australia. Having served as the inaugural Chair of the WorldGBC’s Council Development Committee, she sits on its board of directors today.

WorldGBC Chair Bruce Kerswill says Romilly deserves the award, having been one of the WorldGBC’s most enthusiastic participants for almost 10 years, and a passionate champion for green building at a global level.

Madew said it’s been a great privilege to be part of an industry that has seized the sustainability agenda with the property and construction industry in Australia showing real leadership while other industries continue to debate the business case for sustainability. Noting that the building industry led the world in sustainability thanks to their steadfast commitment to collaboration and innovation, she added that the award acknowledged the Australian industry’s achievements on a global stage.