What is Green Star?

Wed 1 Apr, 2009 Green Star overview

What is Green Star?

Green Star is a comprehensive, national, voluntary environmental rating system that evaluates the environmental design and construction of buildings and, with 11 per cent of Australia's CBD commercial office buildings Green Star certified, building green is now a business imperative.

Green Star was developed for the property industry in order to:

Establish a common language;
Set a standard of measurement for green buildings;
Promote integrated, whole-building design;
Recognise environmental leadership;
Identify building life-cycle impacts; and
Raise awareness of green building benefits.

So why should you choose Green Star for your next project?

There are many business benefits for choosing Green Star for your next project including:

The message is simple: Green Star is here to stay. Download our "Why choose Green Star" brochure today.

Find out more about how you can register your building project for Green Star certification.

All you have to do is say 'Green Star' and set a star level, and everyone nods...one sentence to communicate a level of aspiration across half a dozen or more disciplines: that's pretty fantastic.
Mary Casey, Senior Consultant, McLachlan Lister

What are the Green Star Categories?

Green Star covers a number of categories that assess the environmental impact that is a direct consequence of a projects site selection, design, construction and maintenance. The nine categories included within all Green Star rating tools are:

Management
Indoor Environment Quality
Energy
Transport
Water
Materials
Land Use & Ecology
Emissions
Innovation

These categories are divided into credits, each of which addresses an initiative that improves or has the potential to improve environmental performance. Points are awarded in each credit for actions that demonstrate that the project has met the overall objectives of Green Star.

Once all claimed credits in each category are assessed, a percentage score is calculated and Green Star environmental weighting factors are then applied. These environmental weighting factors vary across states and territories to reflect diverse environmental concerns across Australia. Read more about the Green Star rating calculation.

What Green Star Certified Ratings are available?

The following Green Star Certified Ratings are available:

4 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 45-59) signifies 'Best Practice' in environmentally sustainable design and/or construction

5 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 60-74) signifies 'Australian Excellence' in environmentally sustainable design and/or construction

6 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 75-100) signifies 'World Leadership' in environmentally sustainable design and/or construction

Although Green Star certification requires a formal process, any project can freely download and use the Green Star tools as guides to track and improve their environmental attributes.

Read about the development of Green Star rating tools
Read about the Green Star Rating Tools
Read about various Green Star certified projects and case studies