In this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, we talk to Amanda Visser, group manager – Sustainability at The Star about the casino’s sustainability journey.

While most people might not think ‘sustainable’ when they hear the word ‘casino’, Visser says The Star has been on a sustainability journey since 2013.

“Sustainability is at the forefront of our thinking, not only from a business improvement perspective but also our contributions towards our community. The Group achieved the ‘global leadership position’ of the ‘Casinos and Gaming Industry’ in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Assessment for the first time in 2016 and again in 2017.

“We are constantly evolving our standards that we design and build to; our requirements are mapped out on our sustainable design and operational standards, which clearly communicate our targets for carbon and water – to achieve a 30 percent reduction by financial year 2023. The standards also present mandatory and voluntary requirements for a range of material categories, aligned to Green Star and NABERS, which include energy, water, materials, general management, biodiversity, supply chain and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“[However,] a growing portfolio means a potential increase in absolute carbon emissions, energy, water and waste generation. The more visitors you have, the more impact you have on your resource use. The 24/7 operations also mean our intensity is higher than other commercial buildings. We know we need to continuously evolve and consistently improve; we are growing rapidly but we do need to ensure we reduce our carbon emissions in line with our intensity.

“One way is through the energy and water project pipeline, and the other is through technology.”