More than 350 property, construction, sustainability and government leaders gathered at the sell-out Green Property Summit 2026 in Auckland on 11 August to explore the economic, environmental and political forces shaping New Zealand's built environment.
From global architecture and electrification to AI, circular fit-outs and election-year policy debates, the day highlighted a common theme: future-proofing buildings and communities requires long-term thinking, collaboration and practical action.
Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen opened the summit with an overview of the economic forces influencing commercial property investment and development decisions.
Key takeaways
• Inflation remains a significant concern for businesses and investors.
• Energy costs continue to rise, placing pressure on households and organisations.
• Commercial rents are increasing despite a softer market in some centres.
• Businesses are becoming more selective about investment decisions and seeking stronger value from assets.
• Sustainable, efficient buildings can help reduce operating costs while supporting workforce wellbeing.
• Work-from-home trends appear to have stabilised, with hybrid working now firmly embedded.
Kai-Uwe Bergmann from BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) shared examples of global architecture projects that combine innovation, sustainability and human experience.
Key takeaways
• Small, thoughtful projects can have an outsized impact on communities.
• Mass timber and prefabrication are enabling new approaches to affordable, low-carbon construction.
• Buildings should work with natural landscapes rather than against them.
• Rainwater management can create environmental and social value.
• Emerging technologies such as photovoltaic building materials are opening new opportunities for energy generation.
• Investing more time in design and planning often delivers significant benefits during construction and operation. Time at the design stage is crucial.
Representatives from 42 Ponsonby and Kärcher Auckland shared lessons from pursuing Green Star certification through very different project types. The panel featured Simon Wilson, Director RDT Pacific, Manoj Kumar, Senior Project Manager RDT Pacific, Bridget Pyć , Property Sustainability Manager, Samson Corporation (42 Ponsonby) and Marcus Bunn, Senior Project Manager, Savory (Kärcher). 42 Ponsonby was officially recognised with New Zealand's first Green Star Buildings certification.
Key takeaways
• Early commitment to sustainability simplifies project delivery.
• Collaboration between developers, consultants and contractors is critical.
• Green Star Buildings provides a practical and accessible framework.
• Sustainability outcomes can still be achieved even when projects don't start with certification in mind.
• Cultural and site history considerations helped shape the vision for 42 Ponsonby.
• Focusing on long-term occupant experience creates better outcomes than simply chasing credits.
A panel discussed practical pathways for buildings to transition away from using fossil gas. The panel featured Sam Archer, Director of Transformation, New Zealand Green Building Council (Moderator), Ellie Callard, Sustainability Manager, Auckland Airport, Chris Whiteley, Director of Facilities Management, Colliers Real Estate, Scott Smith, Technical Director of Sustainable Buildings, Beca.
EECA's Kate Gunthorp, Director, Commercial & Investment, provided an overview of expert advice and support options to help with getting investment ready. She also covered business access to lower cost bank finance under the new Gas Transition Loan Guarantee Scheme to improve energy resilience and prepare for the future.
Key takeaways
• Gas supply constraints are expected to increase in coming years.
• Gas prices have risen substantially and are likely to continue increasing.
• Electrification is becoming a key climate and resilience strategy.
• Energy efficiency should be the first step before larger retrofit projects.
• Heat pumps are providing significant operational and financial benefits.
• Businesses should view gas dependence as a strategic risk requiring active planning.
• Doing nothing is no longer the low-risk option.
Switching away from gas could save Kiwi households thousands and deliver $7.1B for NZ
AI leaders from Mott MacDonald, WT Partnership, Performance Building Technologies and Innovation Activator explored the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence.
Maria Mingallon, AI Leader APNA, Mott MacDonald, Deputy Chair, AI Forum NZ gave a thought-provoking keynote on the forces shaping AI use in property and construction. She was later joined in a panel by Nick Sterling, Founder & Chief Executive, Innovation Activator, Jon Sinclair, Digital Services Director, Preformance Building Technologies and Alex Hampshire, Director, Advisory, WT Partnership.
Key takeaways
• AI should be viewed as a tool that augments human judgement rather than replaces it.
• Strong governance and data management remain essential.
• AI can improve carbon assessments, compliance processes and project delivery.
• Building operations and performance optimisation are emerging use cases.
• Organisations need clear objectives before implementing AI solutions.
• Good-quality, trusted data remains the foundation for successful AI adoption.
• The focus should be on "better AI", not simply more AI.
Bobby Shen , Impact Manager - Buildings, New Zealand Green Building Council and Frankie L'Estrange , Head of Sustainable Finance, ASB Bank examined how NABERSNZ is evolving and why energy performance is becoming more important for building owners and investors.
Key takeaways
• NABERSNZ continues to expand into additional building sectors.
• Energy performance is becoming increasingly important for tenants.
• Performance ratings provide trusted verification and benchmarking.
• Sustainable finance opportunities are growing for highly performing assets.
• Better-performing buildings face lower stranded-asset risk.
• Significant gains can often be achieved by improving lower-performing buildings.
• Building owners should engage tenants, understand their current performance and talk to their bank about finance options.
More about NABERSNZ expansion here
Davina Rooney from the Green Building Council of Australia explored why circularity is becoming a global priority and how the new Green Star Fitouts is performing across the Tasman.
Key takeaways
• Nature loss and resource use are becoming major business risks.
• Fitouts generate substantial waste and embodied carbon.
• Occupiers increasingly expect workplaces that justify the commute.
• Circular fitout approaches can reduce waste while improving flexibility.
• Modular systems allow spaces to be more easily adapted and reused.
• Circularity is rapidly moving from a niche concept to a mainstream expectation.
Industry leaders discussed practical opportunities to reduce waste and carbon through better fit-out practices.
Joe Quad, Technical Development Lead, New Zealand Green Building Council (Moderator) was joined by Lizzie Whaley , Chief Executive, Spaceworks, Dave Moolman, Vice President of Strategic Accounts & Sustainability, Shaw Contract and Martin Skinner , President, NZ Retail Interiors Association. Spaceworks has registered New Zealand's first Green Star Fitouts project undertaking a fitout at 2 Degrees Riccarton store in Christchurch.
Key takeaways
• Fitouts represent a significant source of embodied carbon.
• Flooring replacement is one of the biggest contributors to waste.
• Reuse and recovery rates remain relatively low across the sector.
• Small projects can still achieve significant waste reduction outcomes.
• Circular approaches can deliver strong results without significant cost increases.
• Repeatable, easy-to-use tools are critical for widespread adoption.
NZGBC introduced its new guide designed to support more 4 Star Green Star projects.
Key takeaways
• Green Star is not only for premium developments.
• The new guide aims to simplify the certification process.
• Smaller projects can achieve credible sustainability outcomes.
• Sustainable finance opportunities are increasingly linked to recognised ratings and certifications.
Green Star Certified: a guide to achieving a 4 star rating
Pathways for achieving Green Star upfront carbon targets
Representatives from National, Labour, ACT, New Zealand First, the Green Party and Opportunity discussed infrastructure, housing, energy and resilience.
Key takeaways
• There was broad support for improving infrastructure planning and delivery.
• Energy security emerged as a major issue across the political spectrum.
• Several panellists highlighted the need for long-term infrastructure and energy strategies.
• Building resilience to climate impacts remains a growing challenge.
• Planning, consenting and regulatory reform featured prominently.
• Workforce capability and apprenticeships were identified as critical priorities.
• There was support from multiple parties for greater transparency around building energy performance.
Congratulations from NZGBC chairman Simon Neale MBA to:
Stephanie Mayer, Naylor Love, for consistently championing sustainable products and asking the challenging questions that help ensure Green Star continues representing best practice sustainability outcomes.
Annie Day, Naylor Love, has been a passionate advocate for sustainable buildings for years, completing Green Star and the biggest Homestar project Resido, to date, with leadership in innovation credits and reducing construction and demolition waste.
Sarah Beale, PFI, has tirelessly advocated for the use of Green Star across both new developments and existing buildings, helping embed sustainability into project decision-making and asset management.
Roel Markvoort, has been an invaluable supporter of the Green Star programme, generously sharing his expertise as a Green Star Accredited Professional presenter and providing thoughtful, responsive and highly respected assessment and training support.
Nick Carman, Mott MacDonald for his leadership in embodied carbon, including teaching NZGBC's Embodied Carbon Masterclass and providing technical expertise through the Green Star Expert Reference Panel for over 10 years.
Elaine Morgan, Green Gorilla, has supported NZGBC and the Green Property Summit for many years and has made a significant contribution to improving construction and demolition waste outcomes. She has recently played an important role in updating the Green Star C and D Waste Reporting Criteria.
David Annable, RME Solutions, is a strong supporter of Green Star Performance, helping building owners measure, improve and verify the operational performance of existing buildings, driving better sustainability outcomes and long-term value.
Key takeaways
Strong sector engagement, including 600+ members, 450+ people trained annually across 27 courses, and 35+ webinars and industry events each year.
Certification momentum is a central theme, with Green Star, NABERSNZ, Homestar, HomeFit and Carbonzero presented as independent tools that create measurement, reporting, disclosure and transparency.
There have been many new Green Star certifications and growing interest in Green Star Communities, particularly in multi-purpose developments in Auckland and Waikato.
Advocacy wins include retaining stronger insulation requirements, changes to H1, support for lower-interest funding to shift buildings off gas, and development of whole-of-life carbon methodology.