Green Building: Summit leads shift to a healthier, greener New Zealand

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The Green Building sector says it has the solutions, the opportunity and the momentum to play a lead role in the shift to a healthier, greener New Zealand.

The building and construction sector comes together today at the Aotea Centre in Auckland for the "Green Property Summit: Better buildings, together" focused on reducing carbon emissions.

"Now it is time for our sector to play a leading role in driving a greener, healthier, zero carbon Aotearoa, for the benefit of all New Zealanders," say summit co-leads, Leonie Freeman (CEO, Property Council NZ) and Andrew Eagles (CEO, NZ Green Building Council).

The urgency is obvious. New Zealand's built environment is responsible for approximately 20 per cent of the country's carbon emissions.

Stats NZ figures show that while climate change pollution from construction fell by 22 per cent (68 kilotonnes) in the June quarter, 2020 it soared by 46 per cent (113 kilotonnes) in the September quarter. "Our sector has the potential to be the carbon-busting hero our country needs, while continuing to deliver significant economic benefits," say Freeman and Eagles.

The summit has a strong array of speakers including the head of the World Green Building Council, Cristina Gamboa, and health and wellbeing guru Dr Joseph G Allen from Harvard.

It will present and discuss the latest initiatives in delivering green buildings and precincts, retrofitting existing buildings, and the policies and opportunities for building green. It will showcase local and international healthy building case studies, explore solutions, and feature key players in the world's green building sector. This one-day event includes world-leading inspirational content, market intelligence and practical guidance, showcasing local content, concepts that work and a chance to meet with industry peers and leaders.

Greening the Green Property Summit

This year's Green Property Summit also has a focus on reducing greenhouse emissions at the event.

The organisers say it will have the least amount of waste, greatly improved energy efficiency, and increased sustainable transport to and from the summit in comparison to previous events. The organisers are working towards gaining Toitū carbonzero certification.

Using this carbon zero programme they are able to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of the summit.

The goals are to:

1. Reduce all waste from the summit as much as possible, with an ambition to eliminate waste entirely from the event.
2. Clearly show everyone involved with the summit what is being done to make it the greenest ever.
3. Improve the sustainability of sourcing and procurement.
4. Reduce the summit's greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Track what's being done and to measure it, and improve.

Summit Sustainability sponsor Milliken will assist the organisers to triple offset any emissions not eliminated at this year's event to high-quality, verified-offset projects.