Unified Strategy for Carbon Measurement in Australia’s Commercial Construction Sector

 


The ACT Government is introducing a new initiative to establish a unified strategy for carbon measurement across the nation's commercial construction sector. This significant step was agreed upon at a recent national meeting of building ministers, where consensus was reached to implement a standardised method for gauging emissions. 

Quoted in World Construction News this week, Rebecca Vassarotti, Australia’s Sustainable Building and Construction Minister, stressed the importance of this agreement. She highlighted that a consistent national framework is essential for the construction of new commercial buildings to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. “Across Australia, new buildings represent 10% of overall carbon emissions. Most of these emissions come from the materials, transport, and construction associated with new buildings,” Vassarotti said. 

Currently, there is no national standard for measuring ‘embodied carbon’—emissions from building materials, transport, construction, repairs, and renovations. The ACT is already leading in sustainable building practices with a ten-year strategy aiming to set a global benchmark for eco-friendly construction. 

As climate change intensifies extreme weather conditions, the need for resilient buildings becomes crucial. Vassarotti has proposed updates to the National Construction Code to unify all states and territories under a common system for measuring carbon emissions in commercial buildings. This nationally consistent approach is the first step towards empowering governments to develop robust action plans to combat and reduce emissions within the sector. 

The 2025 National Construction Code will incorporate a standard metric for carbon measurement using the National Australian Built Environment Rating System. Further details on the ACT’s Sustainable Construction Pathway are expected before the current government’s term concludes.  

Read full article here https://www.worldconstructionnetwork.com/news/australia-approach-net-zero-construction/ 

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