Green Star Buildings NZ

The latest version of Green Star for low carbon new buildings and major refurbishments is here!

Getting Started Register a project Technical resources

After more than two years of industry consultation across the motu, Green Star Buildings New Zealand (NZ) is live.

The next iteration of Green Star for the design and construction of non-residential buildings, Green Star Buildings replaces Green Star Design & As Built, further defining what it means to create a sustainable building.

Climate action, resource efficiency, social sustainability, transparency in supply chains and health & wellbeing are key megatrends changing the world as we know it. More and more companies are committing to climate action, as investors, consumers and employees expect more from companies than ever before.

Across Aotearoa New Zealand, our built environment must respond to meet the challenges of our time or risk obsolescence.

The Aotearoa New Zealand version of Green Star Buildings seeks to:

Establish a clear, well-defined entry point for best practice ratings
Set new levels of achievement for those committed to the highest possible levels of sustainability.
Introduce new categories and credits reflecting issues relevant to our market now and in the future
Further prioritise reductions in carbon emissions from the built environment
Create green features for all Green Star rated buildings, driving wider market awareness and appreciation for the differences and benefits that sustainable building practices can provide.

"Green Star Buildings NZ sets a bold new benchmark as the next evolution in sustainable building, aligned with global best practices and tailored for Aotearoa, New Zealand. Developed by and for industry, this next generation tool is the result of deep collaboration with the property sector. It reflects our shared commitment to creating healthier, low-carbon, and resilient places - shaping a future-ready built environment we can all be proud of."

Lisa Hinde
Chair of Green Star Advisory Committee | Head of Sustainability, Precinct Properties

A new benchmark

Green Star Buildings NZ has been specially designed to meet the challenges of the next decade, helping deliver assets that don’t just meet the expectations of today, but are also future ready and can withstand evolving customer demands, regulatory requirements and increasing scrutiny against greenwashing.

Green Star Buildings NZ introduces 16 minimum expectations that must be achieved for projects to achieve a Green Star rating. These expectations are aimed at ensuring all Green Star rated buildings meet a basic definition of a green building (energy efficient, water efficient, good healthy spaces, built responsibly, and on sites that are not critical natural areas).

A clear path to reach your decarbonisation goals

Green Star Buildings NZ includes the Net Zero Ready Pathway* which are a clear set of targets aligned with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations to help deliver a net zero building that’s fossil fuel free, powered by renewables, highly efficient, built with lower carbon materials and offset with nature.

Fast, simple, streamlined reporting

Green Star Buildings NZ has been specifically designed to align with leading frameworks, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, GRESB, IPCC recommendations and the Task Force for Climate Related Financial Disclosure.

The result? A project that aligns with Green Star NZ expectations and can help makes the reporting process faster and simpler.

Meet tenant demands for better, healthier buildings

In a post-COVID world, healthier buildings are more important than ever. Green Star Buildings NZ sets minimum standards for fresh air, adequate light, acoustic comfort and exposure to toxins, whilst also incentivising you to go beyond and reach higher benchmarks – so you can rest assured you’re delivering a healthier building that will be sought after by tenants.

Be recognised for your leadership

Green Star certification is your opportunity to differentiate your brand in a competitive market.

Build for better returns

Green Star has been used to certifying thousands of buildings across Ahitereiria Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Data from Green Building Council of Australia shows that Green Star certified assets lead to better returns; such as a 16.4% higher capital value per m2 and a 13.5% higher annual return. Not to mention significant utility cost savings such as 66% less electricity use and 51% less water use, and a 23% longer weighted average lease expire (WALE), reducing lease turnover.

We have now transitioned from Green Star Design & As Built NZ v1.1 (DAB v1.1) to Green Star Buildings NZ. To give clarity on the dates for this period:

- All DAB v1.1 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) must have been submitted through our website by 6pm, Friday 30^th May 2025. The ability to submit an EOI for DAB v1.1 closed at 6pm on that day.

- EOIs must become fully registered (i.e. paid and Certification Agreement signed) by 30 June 2025.

As always, we’re keen to work with you to get the best outcomes for your clients and your projects so please do get in touch if you’d like to talk further. Contact us at greenstarnz@nzgbc.org.nz

Key resources

- Eligibility criteria

- Green Star certification agreement

= Green Star certification agreement FAQ

- Area definition form is no longer required. 'ADF' is now 'Regularly Occupied Areas' and only applies to 5 credits.

- Brand guidelines

Submission pointers and guidance

- You must be an NZGBC member to access the submission guidelines. Please login or contact us to discuss membership options

Submission Resources

- Submission Planner

- Submission Scorecard

Submission Templates

- You must be an NZGBC member to access the submission templates. Please login or contact us to discuss membership options

Statements

- Modelling producer statement

- Construction and demolition waste reporting criteria

- Waste contractor disclosure statement

- Waste Processing Facility disclosure statement

- AEM peer review checklist

Projects are no longer required to submit a producer statement from an Accredited Energy Modeller (AEM) or a full energy model report for MAP review. Instead, you can now choose to undertake an independent peer review by a qualified AEM, subject to the following conditions:

- The peer reviewer must be from a different organisation than the original modeller.
- The reviewer decides the evidence needed to complete the checklist and verify the model’s quality with a signed peer review statement in lieu of an energy report.
- The completed checklist and signed peer review statement must be included in the project’s submission to NZGBC.

Important Notes:

- All costs related to the peer review are the responsibility of the project team.
- Once a peer reviewer is appointed, they cannot be changed unless they withdraw. If that occurs, a qualified replacement must be selected, and this change documented in the peer review statement.

Operational waste

Responsible Resource Management - Operational Waste Calculator v1.0

A New Zealand Guide to Operational Waste

Operational waste guidance

This first version of a New Zealand-based best practice guideline document for sustainable management of operational waste has been developed to provide a structured approach to minimise operational waste generation and maximise the recovery of materials, whether it be proactively within the design phase of a new development, or retrospectively (where applicable) on an existing building.

Download the guide

Water

Water Use - Potable Water Calculator

Water Use Calculator Guide

Movement and place

Movement and Place Calculator

Movement and Place Calculator User Guide

Energy

Energy Calculator

Energy Use Calculation Guide

Embodied Carbon

Embodied Cardon Calculator

Green Star Embodied Carbon Calculation Guide

NZGBC Embodied Carbon Methodology

Other

Responsible Products Calculator NZGBC v1.0

Life Cycle Impacts Calculator

This document provides guidance to project teams on how to use credits from Green Star Buildings NZ on projects registered under
Green Star – Design & As Built NZ

Download the guidance on credit substitutions

- Technical Question and Enquiry Submission Form

- Technical Clarification Rulings Page

Green Star recognises leadership and efforts to carve out new ways of building sustainably. Often these sit outside the current benchmarks laid out in the tool, however points are awarded under a separate 'Leadership' credit. This recognises new initiatives with a significant sustainability benefit.

Each project can submit up to 5 Leadership innovations to be considered for approval, for a maximum of 5 points towards a Green Star rating.

If you have an idea for leadership in your project, we encourage you to talk to us as early in the process as possible.

How to claim Leadership

After reviewing the section for Leadership in the Green Star Submission Guidelines (Available to members and Green Star professionals), your Green Star Accredited Professional will then need to register a project’s interest in targeting Leadership with the NZGBC.
You will then need to submit a completed Leadership submission using the template below. This outlines the initiative, its sustainability benefits and relevance in New Zealand.
Documentation will then need to be submitted for assessment after registration but before Round Two).

Project teams can provide partial documents or full documents in a 'Pre-Round One' or 'Pre-Round Two' review for each proposed leadership initiative. If the credit is granted conditionally pending further documentation, all the remaining documents need to be provided in either Round One or Round Two assessment. Innovations can't be targeted after Round Two.

Leadership Challenges

In addition to leadership claimed by projects, both Green Star and Homestar have published a list of leadership/innovation challenges. These recognise initiatives that don’t currently fit in to the main framework of these tools but that we believe are important to encourage and recognise. They cover environmental, social and economic sustainability initiatives. While some challenges only apply to some tools, others across all our tools. Several current innovation challenges were originally published by the Green Building Council of Australia for Green Star projects there, but have been adapted for Green Star and Homestar projects in New Zealand.

Submission Template

The submission template is developed to assist your project with a leadership submission – these will be submitted to us by your Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP)
Download the submission template

Mixed-use

This guide addresses the alignment of rating levels within mixed-use building
projects looking to target both Green Star Buildings and Homestar v5.1. It presents the association between the different tools
credits and provides guidance on which requirements need to be applied
where and identifies where pre-defined innovations can and cannot be
applied.

- Download guidance

NZGBC Members and Green Star Accredited Professionals can access the Submission Guidelines for free.

For Non-members the Submission Guidelines for any NZGBC tool costs $600+ GST.

"It has been incredibly rewarding to participate and witness the comprehensive engagement and collaboration facilitated by the NZGBC on the evolution of the Green Star tool. We hope this tool will continue to support and facilitate sustainability objectives within the built environment of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
NDY are proud to have been part of this process as the technical partners to the NZGBC."

Shelly Thompson
NDY Senior Associate | New Zealand Sustainability Lead

Certification fees

Green Star Buildings

Single Project Certification

For a Green Star Buildings Certified Rating, the following fees apply.

For the purposes of calculating fees, an applicant for Green Star certification is the individual or entity that holds all legal right to possess and control the real and personal property associated with any Project. We offer reduced fees for current members of NZGBC but any reduced fee is available only to the applicant and does not include the applicant’s agent.

Please note price will be determined at time of billing. NZGCB retains the right to review and amend Green Star fees, but the registration fee is a one off and once paid, registration is complete.

All fees shown are excluding GST.

Project value (NZD)	Member fees (NZD)	Non-member fees (NZD)
0M - < 3M	19,000	25,500
3M - < 10M	24,100	31,700
10M - < 30M	32,600	46,100
30M - < 60M	42,000	59,200
60M - < 100M	51,200	72,100
100M - < 150M	62,600	84,800
150M +	74,200	96,300

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