The Sydney Opera House was today awarded a 4 Star Green Star – Performance rating by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), putting the national icon among a select few World Heritage buildings that have achieved green certification globally.

The announcement was made jointly by NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant, Sydney Opera House Building Director Greg McTaggart, and GBCA Chief Executive Officer Romilly Madew on stage in the Concert Hall – a key venue in the Opera House’s sustainability strategy.

The 4 Star Green Star rating, awarded for ‘best practice’ in the industry, is an extraordinary achievement for a heritage building. It will also be critical to the Opera House’s Decade of Renewal, a sequenced program of works to update the world-renowned performing arts centre for 21st century audiences, artists and visitors.

From the installation of new energy-efficient technologies in key performance venues to the use of eco-friendly cleaning products and a robust Reconciliation Action Plan, a wide range of both environmental and social sustainability initiatives across three core areas have contributed to the Opera House’s 4 Star rating.

1. Building management, encompassing energy efficiency, sustainable heritage design, green cleaning and indoor environmental quality.

2. Environmental management, incorporating building user engagement, operational waste management, monitoring & reporting and sustainable transport.

3. Social sustainability, including the development of its Reconciliation Action Plan and the launch of its Access Strategic Plan.

For further information about the Opera House’s track record, current commitments and future plans in sustainability, you can view its 2014 – 2016 Environmental Sustainability Plan online here.

Read the full media release here.