Our Achievements
Below is a snapshot of just some of our activities and achievements in the last year:
Green Star environmental rating tools
The GBCA has a suite of Green Star environmental rating tools for commercial office design and construction, which has been complemented by tools for healthcare, industrial facilities, schools and universities, public buildings, retail centres and multi-unit residential dwellings. Green Star tools can be downloaded for free.
In 2009 the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) consulted with its members and other industry and government stakeholders to identify opportunities for supporting a tool for urban communities and to also lead the development of a rating tool for sustainable communities. Find out more about Green Star Communities.
Green Star Performance will be designed to assess the operational performance of existing buildings. It will extend beyond rating only operational energy and water performance to include all categories currently used in Green Star: Management, Indoor Environment Quality, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Land Use & Ecology, Emissions and Innovation.
We now have more than 380 certified Green Star projects with more than 515 currently registered to receive certification over the coming months.
Green Star education
Over the course of the year, the GBCA has hosted more than 90 Green Star courses across Australia. In July 2010, our flagship course Green Star Accredited Professional was re-named the Green Star Foundation Course and as before it provides participants with the skills to apply Green Star environmental rating tools to their projects, a broader understanding of green building practices and an opportunity to connect with other sustainability-focused professionals in the property industry. Also on 1 July 2010, the GBCA launched its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program.
Green Star Masterclass
The Green Star Masterclasses are designed to educate on specific Green Star Rating tools. Both introduction and advanced courses are available and are run over half a day. For more information please email the Education Team.
Publications
The GBCA is a powerful and active voice in the sustainability debate. Our most groundbreaking publication, The Dollars & Sense of Green Buildings: Building the Business Case for Green Buildings in Australia, was revised and reissued in September 2008. The 2011 Green Building Evolution, was launched at Green Cities '11 in Melbourne and features the latest global research, statistics, trends, and technologies together with case studies that highlight Australia's world leading position in sustainable building. Green Building Evolution 2011 is free to download.
We also worked in partnership with BCI Australia to produce the Green Building Market Report 2008. These reports are available for purchase online.
Green Cities
Green Cities is the leading Green Building Conference and Expo in Australia and is a jointly run by the Green Building Council of Australia and the Property Council of Australia. The conference brings together renowned global green building experts to explore new ideas and challenges in sustainable building. Green Cities '11 was held at the 6 Star Green Star Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on 27 February-2nd March 2011, with Green Cities 2012 being held in Sydney from the 4-7 March 2012.
Presentations are available to download for free.
Networking events
The Green Builing Council Summits are the next generation in green building education and gives you the key to exclusive GBCA updates, courses and access to the people shaping your green building landscape. The Green Building Council Summit is a two-day forum with Day One providing a members-only insight and access to GBCA exclusives in an engaging networking dynamic, while Day Two delivering a series of new, dynamic, state-by-state tailored courses on the latest green building knowledge and expertise.
Our Meet the Stars forums attract as many as 300 people to each event, and are seen by our members as an outstanding opportunity to make new contacts, gain market intelligence and hear about practical case studies of green building excellence. We also host other events, such as boardroom lunch and dinners, member evenings and site tours.
Market intelligence
Our e-newsletter, Green Building Voice, is distributed to more than 30,000 readers each month, and provides updates on our events, activities, our members' environmental achievements and national and international green building news.
Our website is the 'go to' point for all green building knowledge in Australia. We attract 30,000 unique visitors each month who want to access the latest green building news and research, download exclusive member-only reports and listen to podcasts.
