Kia ora koutou
I hope the past month has gone well for everyone, I was in Australia recently attending the annual Transform event run in Sydney by our sister organisation, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).
It’s always inspiring to see what other organisations are doing, and this year I was impressed by case studies showing how lower carbon building materials are being used to produce 6 Star Green Star buildings - we also heard from French real estate company Nhood, which has found that 25% more vegetation in a shopping centre equals 20% higher footfall!
Examples of Green Star-rated, human-centred interiors are delivering huge value increase through retention, attraction and an uplift in productivity. The rise of sustainable finance continues with banks setting out how important proxies are for them.
And it was also fantastic to see such a large NZ contingent at the conference!
One of the major highlights of the event was the launch of Green Star Fitouts, developed in partnership between us and the GBCA.
Fitouts are refreshed every 5–7 years, making them one of the most frequently replaced components of our built environment. Each refresh has implications for embodied carbon, waste, occupant wellbeing and project costs - yet these impacts are often underestimated or treated as short term choices.
These impacts have for a long time sat outside the spotlight. But as expectations rise around circularity, climate performance and healthier interiors, these once-hidden impacts can no longer be overlooked.
Green Star Fitouts gives owners, project teams and tenants a clear, scalable path to healthier, more circular and future ready spaces. It’s great to already be getting interest from those wanting to certify to the new standard.
CBRE's Su-Fern Tan, Chair of the GBCA’s Expert Reference Panel on Sustainable Fitouts, described a future where fitouts move away from “fast fashion” towards something more enduring – where materials hold value.
Find out more about Green Star Fitouts by coming to our webinar on 29th April or get more information here.
I was really pleased to see new research this month demonstrating the value of Green Star and NABERSNZ – tenants like to be in these buildings, which are pulling ahead of rivals when it comes to CBD vacancy rates. Real estate and investment management firm JLL's latest survey found overall CBD office vacancy across Auckland and Wellington currently at 16.6%.
But:
"Buildings with strong, transparent sustainability performance can offer greater certainty around operating costs and alignment with corporate environmental objectives. That assurance can be a genuine differentiator at the margin," said JLL Associate Director of Research Hina Uaqaili.
On the residential side, we’ve been delighted to see so many people signing up for our nationwide series of Residential Energy Modelling masterclasses.
Tomorrow’s event in Wellington is sold out, with Queenstown the next stop on the tour on 20 May, and Christchurch on 25 June.
See details of all our classes and events here.
During my recent visit to Australia, it was great to see the success of sensible regulation and Government support for sustainability and energy efficiency.
In New Zealand, jobs are being lost and businesses are going under due to the gas crisis. Policies like those seen in Australia can free up 40% of our current gas supply for industry.
Let’s get moving on this Aotearoa New Zealand!
Earlier in the month I was honoured to be invited to host a building walking tour in Wellington by the Bluegreens – the National Party’s advisory group on environmental issues.
One particular highlight was the tour of the new Parliamentary building currently under construction. It’s a brilliant example of the extraordinary innovation of our sector in decarbonising materials with green concrete, recycled steel and mass timber all included. It is quite special to see Wellington's brilliant base isolator engineering prowess in all these buildings also, helping keep people and buildings safe from earthquakes.
And finally, I’m delighted to be able to share some details about this year’s Green Property Summit, being held in Auckland on Tuesday, 11 August.
We’re offering great early bird deals, check here for more details:
Green Property Summit 2026
Ngā mihi nui
Andrew Eagles
Pictured: Launching Green Star Fitouts in Sydney earlier this month - Jorge Chapa, Chief Impact Officer of the Green Building Council of Australia (L) and Sam Archer, NZGBC Director of Market Transformation (R)