A new report from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has quantified the impact of green star ratings in the built environment for the first time.
The report found that green star-rated buildings emit around a third of the greenhouse gas emissions and use a third of the electricity when compared with the average Australian building.
The Value of Green Star: A decade of environmental benefits report analyses data from 428 green star-certified buildings and fit-outs and compares it to the 'average' Australian building and minimum practice benchmarks.
GBCA CEO Romilly Madew said the report examined the impact of green star ratings on greenhouse gas emissions, operational energy, water consumption, and construction and demolition waste.
It found that on average, green star-certified buildings produce 62 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and use 66 per cent less electricity.
Green star buildings use 51 per cent less potable water than average buildings and recycle 96 per cent of their construction and demolition waste.
"The savings are too good to ignore," Madew said.
