By Tina Perinotto, published in The Fifth Estate, 20th August 2015
After eight-and-a-half years, Robin Mellon, the Green Building Council of Australia’s renowned chief operating officer, is heading off in a new direction.

First stop a long overseas sojourn in Sri Lanka to “see the elephants, the temples and the tea plantations, and do a lot of eating”, relaxing and to undertake a reboot. And then, who knows?

The Fifth Estate wagers he will land somewhere back in the industry, so deeply embedded does he seem to have become in the space.

But before Mellon can reset his internal computer, there’s a bit of defragging that needs to be carried out. Hence an exit interview to get a few things off his chest.

First, to be absolutely clear, now that he’s free from the constraints of the advocacy game, Mellon would like it known that he does not think much of this current federal government. It’s a “pathetic excuse” for leadership, he says. On climate, for example, the government simply “won’t take the lead”.

He says conservative British MP and former Environment Minister in the UK Lord Richard Benyon put it best recently when he said the Abbott government’s response to climate change was “incomprehensible” and “bewildering” (a sentiment the majority of Australian population seems to agree with, given recent opinion polls pointing to a surge in support for climate action).

“Abbott’s dismissal of climate science and his belief that Australia must choose between economic growth and tackling climate change speak to a distorted vision of what it means to be a conservative,” Benyon said.

“True conservative values include distaste for over-regulation and enthusiasm for entrepreneurialism. But they also include a respect for sound science and economics, a belief in protecting the natural world and a responsibility to do the best for the biggest possible number of one’s citizens.”

Mellon would have quite a deep understanding of conservative British politics, perhaps more than the avowedly Anglophillic Abbott could rightly lay claim to.

His background is as a valuer in the Department of Environment and Planning at the City of Westminster in London, marketing and property management at Woodhams London, and policy adviser for the Heritage Lottery Fund in the UK, before moving to Australia fourteen years ago.

Mellon says Benyon is “as blue as they come”, and he’s nailed the issue.

The choice, Mellon says, is not between development and the environment.

“It’s not buildings or green buildings; it’s both. It’s about green building, a productive workforce and a sustainable economy. If you want to, say ‘it’s the economy, stupid’.”

The recent emissions reductions targets announced by the federal government were a “disappointing excuse for emissions reductions, making it 26-28 per cent by 2030 with Abbott’s ‘captain’s pick’ of 2005 when everyone else is at 2000 [levels] because that’s easier.

“When you couple that with the woeful emissions reductions fund, which frankly had nothing in it for buildings…” Mellon trails off.

The ERF could have been good for buildings, Mellon says.

Together with the weakness on same-sex marriage, it all adds up to more reason for people to ignore the federal government and simply “get on with it”, he says.

Certainly local councils are doing that.

Mellon says some are doing outstanding work.

“I take my hat off to them,” he says.

A recent workshop in Melbourne on resilience organised by the City of Melbourne’s new chief resilience officer Toby Kent, who is part funded by the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Network, was particularly inspirational.

“Councils are leading the world, not just in Melbourne,” Mellon says.

In evidence, he says, was a load of commitment.

“Not just admiring the problem, but people putting things together, a spirit of collaboration that together we can achieve something much greater.”

Mellon also liked the broader sense of resilience in the discussion – a sense that a resilient community is critical to bouncing back after a disaster.

“Resilience, not just to floods and so on, but looking to having jobs, and residents and community in the future. It speaks to a better quality of life.”

Brisbane bounced back after devastating floods because it had a resilient community. In some places, such as the poorest parts of New Orleans, the community did not go back.

Mellon loves to visit places such as Gosnells in Western Australia and Melton in Melbourne where “world class buildings” such as civic centres, sports facilities, libraries and learning hubs have been developed by the local councils.

“The point is that Australian councils are really leading the charge now although I have no doubt the Abbott government would use these developments to say it means the market is working perfectly well without any intervention.”

What’s more important, he says, is that “any idiot” would look at these initiatives and say, “How do we create the best policies and market conditions to foster them and spread them around the country?”

There’s another issue he wants to bring up, and that’s the unintended consequence of success of the green building and sustainability sectors.

It’s around the fragmentation that’s happened with a growing host of organisations setting up and competing for the same space.

The industry, Mellon says, “will probably not sustain many more of these organisations.

“It’s not that the GBCA is an early mover and everyone should support the GBCA. But I see more fragmentation. There is a limit to the size of the market.”

If there are 200 organisations all after the same members, and all after the same pot of sponsorship, it’s going to be harder to make progress as a whole.

The answer, he says, is greater collaboration. If organisations are aligned then maybe they should start to work together instead of working on their own small patch.

The fallout is a waste of people’s energy, goodwill and trust.

Division may be what a very conservative federal government is going to rely on.

“I’ve never been prouder of Australia… as when the built environment put in one submission to the Emissions Reduction Fund” under the banner of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council.

For the GBCA the path is inevitably one of greater collaboration – with other ratings systems such as Living Building Challenge, WELL and One Planet Living. Each has their own emphasis and part to play, he says.

And on the subject of ratings, Mellon is keen to say how important it is to keep pushing the ratings agenda.

If you design and build to GS standards, he says, “then prove it, otherwise you won’t be believed.”

He thinks verified ratings will be the future, countering the trend for companies to claim they’ve built to GS standards but have saved themselves the expense of official ratings.

In the future we will have more ratings, across a greater range of products, he says. You can already see the strong makings of this trend in third party certification for items such as furniture that is “mainstreaming” sustainability, he says.

As evidence, he points to IKEA, which now claims it will make its entire supply chain green. This means green products will be making their way “through to everyone’s living room”.

Besides, having the ratings is a way to stop accusations of greenwash that can emerge very quickly with items that are not rated.

What about the opposite – having a green building and not promoting your green credentials? This has been a trend picked up by people such as Danielle King of Green Moves Australia in an article penned for The Fifth Estate, There’s great value in green credentials, so why are commercial agents so shy?

That’s changing, Mellon says. Marketing for homes and communities are starting to show Green Star ratings in the collateral, often with descriptors of what a 6 Star Communities rating means, for instance.

What about his move then? We know it’s come about because of restructuring within the organisation.

Mellon totally endorses the evolution of the GBCA.

“Every business goes through a period of reflection and reassessment.”

He thinks what will happen is that the GBCA will increasingly turn outwards. He hopes the industry and aligned interest groups will do the same and be part of greater collaboration.

“Not just in Australia but internationally” in order to achieve greater objectives.

The GBCA is very well positioned for the next stage, he says. It’s strong financially, it’s got good transparency, it’s taking aboard feedback and it’s got good governance.

In fact, “some of the best governance I’ve seen in any organisation,” Mellon says.

That’s an attribute that Mellon has clearly had a role in creating, judging by the comments from industry observers hearing about his departure. And partly the restructure is a function of the leaner more efficient organisation that chief executive Romilly Madew recently cited after the departure was announced.

And that’s not a bad juncture to sign out on.

In late May, the Australian Government released the Infrastructure Australia Audit, which explores how the nation will cope with an expected population of 30.5 million by 2031.

The audit underscores the importance of making our cities work. Cities are expected to contribute $1.6 trillion to the economy by 2031 – a 90 per cent increase on their current input.

The audit also gives us a clear picture of the future we face if we don’t get serious about sustainability, with skyrocketing congestion costs, high emissions and rising inequality just the start.

Over the last year, the Green Building Council of Australia has brought together some of the nation’s ‘city builders’, along with industry leaders and policy makers, for a series of forums which tackle the big question: what makes a city great?

In Sydney, Lord Mayor Clover Moore is proud of the City of Sydney’s efforts to reduce carbon pollution through green retrofits, with vast reductions in energy usage achieved through the installation of solar arrays and efficient LED streetlights, and thousands of square metres of green walls and roof space that is improving air quality across the city.

“Great cities don’t come by accident,” Moore said. “They emerge through choices we make and the commitment we bring to ensuring they are sustainable, equitable, inclusive, stimulating and beautiful.”

In Melbourne, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle is leading an ambitious Urban Forest Strategy – a plan to increase urban canopy cover from 22 per cent to 40 per cent by 2040. Significant investment in street furniture and paving for footpaths and streets is also helping to enhance the pedestrian experience of Melbournians. Doyle argues that “making our city more sustainable is directly connected with our future prosperity.”

In Brisbane, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk is looking at centralisation.

“As our cities grow up and become more dense, we need to embrace opportunities for centralisation - cooling, water, waste, energy,” he explained. “Great cities must also prioritise all four modes of transport – public, pedestrian, cycling and cars – rather than prioritising one at the expense of all others.”

The federal member for Perth and former WA Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Alannah MacTiernan, stressed that the design and quality of the buildings within our cities would dictate their future success.

“There is a balance we need to achieve between planning regulation and best practice development that will ensure our buildings, streets and open spaces make up a real community and not just a collection of separate assets,” she said.

Great work is being undertaken all over the country, yet all of the leaders highlighted the need for a truly holistic approach to sustainable development in our cities. They also emphasised the importance of creating community within our urban areas.

As federal member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt eloquently put it, “Great cities need to be designed by and for the people that actually live in them, not just by committees or ‘ministers on high’‎ far removed from the effects of what they do. There needs to be control over density and assurances that what actually gets built is appropriate; so that it benefits the many not just the few.”

His comment are reminder of the risks we face in our quest to make our cities both green and great.

The first is the risk of diminished or conditional access. How do we ensure that sustainable cities and their benefits don’t become the exclusive privilege of the wealthy?

Enhancing the efficiency of our existing residential developments, and encouraging people to think beyond the ‘quarter acre block’ is a good start. The City of Sydney’s Smart Green Apartments program and the City of Melbourne’s Smart Blocks initiative both aim to make existing residential buildings more cost-effective and efficient while minimising their environmental impacts.

Another risk for great green cities is our narrow focus of investment. The majority of our Green Star-rated buildings are within in the office sector. While nobody would argue that green offices are a bad thing, creating truly sustainable cities demands green buildings outside office hours. But this is changing; we now have more than 100 Green Star-rated university and school projects, 40 multi-unit residential developments and five community developments - some that will one day have their own postcodes and be home to many thousands of people.

A third risk is disconnected decision-making. We need more connected thinking and a consistent, collaborative approach to city development. The Green Building Council of Australia believes a Minister for Cities would ensure a more integrated approach to the planning and delivery of critical infrastructure for our economic powerhouses, and drive the reforms needed to connect policies and programs across all levels of government.

As our population grows, our nation is changing. We must accept this reality, and embrace the opportunities that bigger cities present. Doing nothing will cost more than the $53 billion annual congestion price tag outlined in the Infrastructure Australia Audit. Doing nothing will mean cities that are less liveable, less productive and less sustainable for all of us.

Our cities are more than a collection of buildings – they are the engine rooms of our nation’s productivity, prosperity and future potential. As Bandt said, “we don't just build buildings, we create communities.”

Resilience – the capacity of people, communities and systems to survive, adapt and recover from anything on a spectrum from slow change to major disasters – is not something innate. 

We aren’t simply born resilient.  We learn resilience.

Resilience reflects a community’s ability to persevere in the face of change, and to learn from the past to strengthen the future.  Resilience is a critical characteristic of any 21st century city – whether it’s Detroit facing bankruptcy, Venice coping with rising tides, Rockhampton mopping up after floods or Lagos addressing an exploding population.

The Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities program has recently awarded its second round of grants to cities that have “demonstrated a dedicated commitment to building their own capacities to prepare for, withstand, and bounce back rapidly from shocks and stresses.” The Foundation's support includes funds for a “chief resilience officer” in each city, as well as assistance in the development of a resilience plan.

The cities currently being supported range from financially-stricken Athens to flood-prone Bangkok, and from the sprawling megapolis of Mexico City to the socially-inequitable Accra in Ghana. Sydney and Melbourne are also in the mix, and the City of Melbourne has recently appointed its own Chief Resilience Officer, Toby Kent.

The idea is to help cities become more resilient – and to share their lessons with other cities around the world.

However, there is no faster way to learn about resilience than to face the full impact of climate change – as cities and communities around Australia know well.

Rob Whelan, executive director and CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia, captivated the audience at Green Cities 2015 in March when he presented charts illustrating the accelerating costs of natural catastrophes in Australia. Two things are driving what Whelan called the “inexorable climb” in insurance costs – extreme weather events from climate change and population growth.

“The risks from climate change are exacerbated by socio-demographic factors such as population growth and the rise of mega cities,” Whelan said. “Within 25 years’ time, more than half the world’s population is expected to live within 100km of the coast – and sea levels are rising fast.  That’s potential five billion people in harm’s way.”

Whelan said the vast majority of those in the insurance industry are convinced that climate change is “a real and present danger.”

“These events are significant, they are impacting the economy, they are impacting communities, and we need to address that here and now,” he said.

In Australia, the cost of extreme weather events will be $25 billion a year by 2050, according to Deloitte Access Economics. Queensland has been bearing the brunt of these extreme weather events, and has the insurance bills to match. Whelan pointed out that the federal government’s proposal to further develop Northern Australia – right in the pathway of the nation’s most intense cyclones – must consider adaptation and resilience from the outset.

“If we are going to live in these places, we need to build for them,” he said emphatically.

According to Catherine Carter, the Property Council’s ACT executive director, planning for the future requires buildings that are not only resilient to climate change, but also adaptable to changing community needs.

“We need to build with flexibility in mind, so that we can transform offices into apartments, or hotels into art galleries when we need to. The evolution of workplaces has radically altered the way we build offices, and our communities are changing as more people embrace apartment living. Who would have thought to integrate a childcare centre in an office in 1970? We can’t predict where we’ll be in 40 years – so we need buildings that can adapt,” Carter said.

Lend Lease recently launched its Climate Change Adaptation and Community Resilience report for Barangaroo South, which outlines the climate change effects that are likely to affect the $1.2 billion precinct. Lend Lease has adapted the design of Barangaroo South to mitigate these impacts.

An expected increase in the number of extreme heat days, for instance, is being addressed by the selection of materials along boardwalks with a high solar reflectance index. Public realm areas have been modelled for sunlight exposure and wind movement to find the balance between winter and summer comfort, with tree-lined promenades, street awnings and drinking water fountains being integrated into the design.

Stormwater infrastructure has been upgraded and building facades have been designed to withstand intense storms and winds, while the ground plane was raised to address sea level rises of 0.9 metres, the level predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Lend Lease is building a community – one that will be the workplace of a third of Sydney’s CBD and home to 2,000 residents – to stand the test of time.

“We need to create frameworks that help our communities adapt and be resilient," said Anita Mitchell, Lend Lease’s general manager of sustainability for Barangaroo. "We need to embrace innovation and think through how we design and build in a changing world.”

So if change is the only constant, it is best we learn to be resilient to the changes that will be happening around us, our families, our businesses and our communities.

Much as it would be lovely to have an unlimited credit card and bottomless pockets (that's not a fashion thing, trust me, it's a financial limitation), I recognise that we cannot all rush out and buy an entire new wardrobe each month. However, the principle of buying one or two good suits each year, especially from a good designer or tailor round (and around the sales), will help you build up a good selection in time.

One of my Sydney favourites when it comes to look AND affordability is Brent Wilson. Again, I've bought one suit a year from him over the past six years, and they're all really different - different weights, different fabrics, different colours and very different styles. Refreshingly, at Brent Wilson you can buy a second pair of trousers when you buy a suit, meaning not just that you'll get a bit more wear out of the suit but that if you're travelling for a few days you'll have a freshly-pressed pair of trousers to keep you looking sharp (even if you're tired and cranky you can still look good!).

Brent seems to be making it into the bigtime now, dressing celebrities like PRINCE, and appearing in his own regular photoshoots (honestly, put some clothes ON sometimes, would you - you're really showing some of us up!) - but his stores and his lines are still accessible and affordable. Best of all, he’s got everything from conservative jackets and suits (best for government meetings or performance reviews) to glorious modern plays on traditional styles with great colours and patterns. In the photo I’m wearing one of Brent’s blue windowpane three piece suits – and I love it. Go have a look at his work . . .

In an earlier post, I mentioned Billy Wood, the self-styled 'Head Honcho' of Woody Roo. I first met Billy in the Bondi Markets one Sunday a year or two back, and was taken by his traditional styling with modern flair, great materials and quirky touches such as jacket linings, pocket squares and shirt-and-tie combos made from the same material (which I happen to love, despite knowing what some of my colleagues think!).
 
For me, it's the sustainability angle of his designs and clothing that really fascinates me. As his website states:
"WoodyRoo is proud to have every piece crafted in Sydney by Australian hearts and hands. Being 100% Australian made is a huge part of what the label is about. Premium fabrics have been sourced from around the world, including superfine Australian wool suiting sourced from the grazing pastures of New South Wales, Japanese cotton drills, linens, and Italian shirting. WoodyRoo's work is full of pride knowing that the gentleman lives… ". My friend Lisa Heinze, author of 'Sustainability with Style' looks at issues of product, provenance and proof in her book, so it's good to be able to walk the talk just a little bit.
 
Wearing an Australian-crafted suit to represent the Australian green building industry whilst overseas gives me great pride - and they look awesome, too. I've got suits made by Billy in light tan, dark green and navy blue, and ties in pretty much every shade under the sun. Love good suiting, love locally made products, love old styled new!

I was delighted to be photographed in the street, a year or two ago, for a new blog entitled 'Scrub the f*%k up' that showcases smart and well-dressed men and encourages guys to make more of an effort in their appearance. Since then, they've changed its name - perhaps to get past those 'NSFW' problems, language restrictions, or just to scrub itself up - and can now be seen at www.facebook.com/stfumen  But they do have a point . . .
 
I don't hold myself up to be any paragon of style, but I do like to dress well and I do look around many of the men in Australian cities and think "Wow - we could do SO much better!". The usual uniform of badly-fitting dark suit, old greying shirt and mismatched, poorly-knotted tie sorely needs refreshing, and it's really NOT that hard. There are so many amazing designers, stores, tailors and retailers offering guys everything from quirky to quaint, sombre to splendid, and elegant to extravagant, and with so many up-and-coming designers around Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Brisbane alone there is great competition - which means prices aren't too steep.
 
Knowing my own limitations, I enlisted the help of my friend Howard Steeves - a man with a truly amazing eye. Former fashion stylist for Vanity Fair magazine in New York, as well as for TV, print media and designer collections here in Australia, Howard is now based in Sydney and works as a stylist and personal shopper for private clients as well as for Westfield. He showed me how to make better use of my shape (tall and lean), the better parts of my existing wardrobe (similar suits in wildly different colours), and the better examples of things in the shops that wouldn't break the bank but which would last well (Henry Bucks, Brooks Brothers and Brent Wilson). Howard can be found here, and there really is nothing better than an experienced, objective eye: www.workagency.com.au/agency
 
And I was delighted to read how the men in different cities have such different looks - the book 'Men in this town' was a present from my friend and writer Michael Wilton (www.teaorcopy.com). It takes a look at how the guys in London, Tokyo, Sydney, Milan and New York have their own styles, colours and looks - and it's good to recognise a few faces in there including Billy Wood (www.woodyroo.com - more on him later) and Patrick Johnson (www.pjohnson.com.au - more on him later as well). Read more in Giuseppe Santamaria's book and on his website: www.meninthistown.com
 

The bottom line is that, as with most things, there is no single ‘right answer’ (or silver bullet, or panacea, or whatever metaphor you choose) for how we improve our existing buildings. Many older buildings around Australia – whether residential, office, retail, industrial, hotel, etc. – have some amazing opportunities to improve their efficiency and reduce their operating costs, but the expense incurred in doing up these buildings is often the single biggest deterrent. Probably the next hurdle is having the right information, not just about what needs doing but who can do it.

That’s why countries with a RANGE of solutions often do WAY better when it comes to improving their existing building stock. With that in mind, it’s really encouraging to see that Australia is starting to put the pieces together – albeit slowly – and it’s going to take a concerted push to make sure all these avenues are explored by building owners:

Environmental Upgrade Agreements (or Building Upgrade Finance) – whilst these initiatives have been slow to pick up speed, with Victoria and the Sustainable Melbourne Fund going first (some great examples here and here) and an awesome new case study video about their solar finance work and NSW and the City of Sydney following on with some good work (more examples here and here) the SA Government has recently introduced their version (which is now getting more coverage in the media).

Climateworks and the Sustainable Melbourne Fund have developed a great website to make that process easier.
 
Emissions Reduction Fund – there’s many that roll their eyes at the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund, part of Direct Action, but there will be some opportunities here, particularly for first-movers, and different streams available within the centrepiece of the Government’s policy suite to reduce emissions.

There’s also options for residential blocks that include excellent guidance.

Each of the states and territories runs different grants, initiatives and schemes for improving existing buildings, so look to their websites for information such as.

And of course there are specific tools for aspects such as Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC).

And, if you’re going to be making improvements to your building, why not do things properly and get a Green Star – Performance rating – from a 1 Star (‘Minimum Practice’) to a 6 Star Green Star (‘World Leadership’) rating, benchmark how your building is doing and find out which areas need work to improve performance over time.

 C’mon, people – ‘better’ is within our grasp!

A new report from the Climate Council demonstrates that targets hit their mark, and I’d suggest this is as relevant for national targets as it is for portfolios, buildings or organisations.

The Climate Council's recent report, The Australian Renewable Energy Race, finds that those states with a favourable policy environment and with established renewable energy targets winning the renewables race.

South Australia, having already met its 2020 renewable energy target of 33 per cent, now sources more than a third of electricity from renewable sources and a quarter of homes have solar PV panels. South Australia has installed more large-scale renewable capacity since 2001 than any other state, and has now set a 50 per cent target.

The report finds the ACT is also “punching above its weight” with a target of 90 per cent renewable energy by 2020, and a feed-in tariff scheme attracting investment in large-scale projects.

No other Australian state has a current target to increase renewable energy, and during 2014 the federal government made moves to water down the Renewable Energy Target (RET). The GBCA, just like many other industry bodies, made our reaction perfectly clear.

On a positive note, NSW’s Minister for Environment and Heritage, Rob Stokes MP, declared in July that the Baird Government intended NSW to be “Australia’s answer to California,” with investment in solar for government buildings and a better climate for renewable energy solutions.  Unfortunately, this has yet to generate significant change within the state.

Renewable energy targets have been found to stimulate innovation, set a direction for industry and provide the impetus to invest in new technologies.  Independent modelling commissioned by the Climate Institute, for instance, has found that abolishing the RET could diminish investment in renewable energy by almost $11 billion.

More than 21,000 Australians are currently employed in the renewable energy industry and this may increase to 32,000 in 15 years with a strong and consistent policy environment.

With 2014 the hottest year on record, climate change is getting harder and harder to ignore. While national action has stalled, the action of some state governments demonstrates that setting goals and targets – and sticking to them – can deliver real, lasting change. So what does this mean for our built environment?

Around Australia, more than 800 Green Star-rated projects consume, on average, just a third of the energy used by traditional, non-green buildings. From green schools that complement geothermal energy with hydro power from the grid, to bank buildings complete with wind turbines and co-generation plants, to apartments with heliostats and entire communities tapping into precinct-wide tri-generation systems, energy targets encourage investment in technologies and solutions that are being found in buildings across Australia.

For our nation to grow its renewable energy industry, and to deliver better, greener buildings, we must have clear standards, benchmarks and targets. The building code sets the standards, Green Star sets practice benchmarks, and policies such as the RET set the targets, which help us do better.

The bottom line is simple. The property industry has made considerable investment in recent years in renewable energy technologies. As the Property Council of Australia points out, installed capacity of solar panels on commercial buildings increased nine-fold from 2010 to 2013. The RET has been a driver of good technology – and future investment in greener buildings depends on it.


- See more at: http://sourceable.net/hitting-the-renewable-energy-target/#sthash.cJgBcszH.dpuf

The retail sector is one of the largest energy guzzlers in Australia, consuming 50 per cent of the commercial property sector’s share of energy and generating up to 5 per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to an April 2010 article.

Lighting is responsible for a large portion of this energy consumption.  While a comprehensive breakdown of the retail sector in Australia has never been undertaken, a 2002 report commissioned by the UK Government gives an insight, revealing that 18 per cent of all service sector electricity consumption was from the retail sector, with electricity mainly used for lighting.  Cooling and air conditioning is likely to be the other largest part of energy use here in Australia.

The size and scale of shopping centres can make sustainability a challenge – with the need to provide fresh air, natural light and temperature control to large spaces resulting in high consumption of electricity and water. 

However, there has been a recent paradigm shift and we are now beginning to look beyond the negative impact of retail centres, and instead identify their potential as power stations and water harvesters.

Some shopping centre owners have recognised the importance of reducing their environmental impact.  We have solid data from the US which demonstrates that shopping centres with higher quantities of fresh air, more connection to outdoor spaces and fewer air pollutants from materials also have lower energy bills and higher sales per square metre. Why?  Simply because people like shopping there.


US research company Heschong Mahone, for instance, has found evidence that access to natural light alone can increase sales at the till.  A 2003 study found that daylit stores deliver an increase in sales of up to 40 per cent.  “By the most conservative estimate, the profit from increased sales associated with daylight is worth at least 19 times more than the energy savings, and more likely, may be worth 45-100 times more than the energy savings,” the report found.

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has integrated much of this international research into its Green Star - Retail Centre v1 tool, which was released to the market in August 2008 to support the sustainable planning, design and construction of high-performance retail centres.

Green Star, which has been the leading environmental rating tool for buildings since 2003, evaluates the green attributes of building projects based on nine categories, including energy and water efficiency, indoor environment quality and materials. 

The tool, which assesses base buildings and services, not tenancy fitouts, considers the unique development requirements and impacts of retail centres. As such, the number of credits within categories and the category weightings vary from other Green Star rating tools.  Examples of credits in the tool include: implementing a waste and recycling management plan, addressing car park ventilation and encouraging trip reduction.

Indoor Environment Quality, which affects both customers and employees of retail centres, is an important category, and rewards best practice where it relates to ventilation, comfort and pollutants.  For example, Green Star points are available to retail centres with good natural light, with one point awarded where 30 per cent of the nominated area has a Daylight Factor of at least 2.5 per cent. 

Lighting retrofits can also make a real difference.  Stockland, one of the sponsors of the Green Star tool for retail centres, undertook an energy audit of 19 retail centres in 2008, and as a result implemented initiatives such as installing energy-efficient lighting in car parks and malls.  This is expected to result in an approximate reduction of 8 per cent of total base building energy use over a two year period.

Of course, reducing energy consumption in retail centres is best achieved through a combination of good design and good habits.  Tenants of retail centres are beginning to recognise their role in reducing energy consumption, and green leases are driving tenants to reduce their carbon footprints and take an active role in supporting the green initiatives of their retail centre.

The Green Star – Retail Centre v1 rating tool can be downloaded from the GBCA’s website: www.gbca.org.au

 

Inspiring to see the growing links between better places and better quality of life. Great article on bbc.com today.

"Probably the one area where rapid progress could be made is improving communication and collaboration between land-use and city planners, people involved in public health - both research and application, and their connection to ecological science."

Read the full article here.