COP26, the UN’s global climate change conference, is due to be held in Glasgow in early November 2021. Many believe the event to be the world’s last best chance for climate action; 190 world leaders will discuss what needs to be done on top of the Paris Climate Agreement reached at COP21 in 2015.
Buildings account for over 50% of electricity use in Australia and almost a quarter of its emissions. The built environment presents some of the lowest cost – and largely untapped – emissions reduction opportunities.
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC), as the peak body of key organisations committed to a sustainable, productive, resilient built environment in Australia, urges the federal government to seize the unique opportunity the built environment offers to dramatically reduce carbon emissions in highly cost-effective ways that will also stimulate the economy.
In this policy platform for COP26, ASBEC recommends five practical policies across residential, commercial and public buildings that should be implemented by federal government to drive emissions reduction:
- Give households the energy performance information they need to achieve
healthy, affordable, comfortable homes - Demonstrate government leadership through high performing government
buildings - Position Australia as a global leader in high performance building products and
technologies - Provide economic stimulus by incentivising building upgrades
- Deliver a Net Zero Carbon Ready building code and pathways to decarbonise
building operations
ASBEC and its members call upon the Australian Government to adopt these practical recommendations. We look forward to working collaboratively with all spheres of government, towards facilitating the transition of Australia’s building sector towards an economy for the future. This will be critical in improving and sustaining the future liveability, productivity and sustainability of our communities and cities and pave the way for Australia to make a meaningful and successful contribution to COP26 discussions.
Download Five ways the built environment can help Australia transition to a net zero future here