Green Property Summit: Beyond the Why

Tē tōia, tē haumatia  

Nothing can be achieved without a plan, workforce and way of doing things.

It’s with huge thanks to Rui Peng from Critical who raised the roof with more than 300 of you joining us in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland for the annual Green Property Summit. We often hear feedback on our programmes being packed with content and the importance in managing your journey over the course of the day. Rui was electric in his energy and ready the room to share that energy getting us out of our seats, welcoming our speakers, stealing the moves of our Olympians with the mana wave, and challenging us all to take real action – beyond the why. 

Check out the full event photo gallery. 

Our team loves to see your socials lighting up our feeds so thanks to all of you for sharing your feedback, using your photos and ours from the photo gallery. 

Full recordings of presentations are now available. Click here and login.

Challenges for our advocacy strategy - this is the critical decade 

In the face of ambitious policies throughout the OECD, our Director of Market Transformation Sam Archer put out the call for transparency. ‘We’re working in the dark. You’ll never make progress if you can’t see where you're going’. 

Fortunately, in his address Climate Change Minister Simon Watts signalled interest in seizing the opportunities presented by our sector and encouraged all to get involved. ‘This is the critical decade; we must work together. The commercial construction sector plays an important role in our climate response.’ 

Turning green into gold 

Tyrone Hodge – JLL’s Global Head of Risk Advisory covered the trends he’s seeing driving sustainable buildings in the market. Globally there’s growing requirements for risk reporting and climate transparency. ‘Better tenants are demanding and requiring sustainable buildings.’ He also unveiled new analysis looking at the rents, prices and values of green certified office buildings in Aotearoa. Check out that research hot off the press here. 

Green Star Champions 

Our Senior Manager, Buildings and Communities, Brad Crowley took the opportunity to acknowledge our professionals who have contributed to the growth of sustainable design and construction since the launch of Green Star in 2007. 

Please join us in congratulating Alec Couchman, David Fullbrook, Ella Osborne, Ethan Duff, Fiona Caulfield, Graham Gilleberg, Jason Quinn, Jo Woods, Manoj Kumar, Patrick Arnold, Paul Jurasovich, Scott Smith, and Scott Waller.  

Case studies galore! 

We packed in not two but three case studies over the day. Celebrating the progress with the team from 90 Devonport Road, Tauranga, NZ’s largest mass timber building to date reducing emissions by 4000 tonnes, or 50% lower embodied carbon compared to a standard building.  

It was inspiring to see what’s to come through Australia’s first certified Green Star Building, Mirvac’s Heritage Lanes in Brisbane achieving 6 star Green Star, and finishing the day with the award-winning 8 Willis/Stewart Dawson Corner with Argosy.   

The shift to sustainable materials 

As is common when we all get together, the conversation on our app’s chat and Q&A areas lit up during the discussion on embodied carbon. The message from our panellists Phoebe Moses, Jeff Vickers, and Callum Morrison was it's important to ensure a focus on low carbon is embedded early so there can be a carbon lens over everything. We need a standardised approach to measurement, and there’s a huge task ahead of us with research showing we need to reduce embodied carbon by as much as 50% by 2030. 

Laura Gemmell from Eco Choice Aotearoa and Aidan Mullan from Interface reiterated the availability of independent verification and the need for collaboration. As Aidan said – ‘measure where you’re at and share your experience.’ 

The Australian invasion 

Green Property Summit was just one commitment for our visitors from NABERS and GBCA. Our team filled their diaries with commitments to meet government, advisers, banks, and investors to share their experience from developments in the Australian and international markets. Over the next decade the challenges are going to shift, which is why it was great to hear about the latest thinking behind how we can meet those challenges from our mates at Green Building Council of Australia. Chief Impact Officer, Jorge Chapa. 

Magali Wardle, acting director of NABERS Australia showcased the dramatic uptake and impact of transparent building performance reporting. It was great to hear about the increasing growth of NABERS being used for sustainable finance. ‘There is real appetite for investments with strong sustainability credentials and this kind of investment will be key to driving the transition to net zero.​’ 

That opportunity was also front and centre for our panellists with Lisa Hinde from Precinct Properties, Fabio Pagano from Oyster, and Michael Gillon from 151 Property sharing their experience, and encouraging us all to take up monitoring and benchmarking. ‘Sustainability is good for business.’  

Green Star Buildings – Tohu Māori Ora credit 

One of the new credits under Green Star Buildings NZ has deliver the opportunity to recognise genuine engagement through the Tohu Māori Ora credit so it was great to hear the reflections from Jade Kake, Matakohe Architecture + Urbanism, and Tyrone Newson, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings Limited who helped create it - it’s so important to consult early, and if you’re not already, forming strong, meaningful relationships with local mana whenua. 

Let’s do this! 

Ngā mihi nui. Thank you for joining us. Rui challenged us to make meaningful connections. Fortunately, the day was full of them, both in the new people we got to know, and the numerous synergies presented throughout the day between buildings and climate action, prosperity, and community. At times making those connections was uncomfortable, but as our Platinum Sponsors RDT Pacific encouraged us first thing this morning – we need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Sustainability matters. 

See you in August next year for the 2025 Green Property Summit. Don’t forget to get in touch with Hayley Metcalf to talk topics, speakers and sponsorship opportunities.