All members are invited to participate in ASBEC Task Groups.

Task groups currently in place are:

• Climate Change Task Group
• Cities Task Group
• Distributed Resources Task Group
• Zero Emissions Residential Task Group
• Green Skills & Education Task Group

Climate Change Task Group

Task Group Chair - David Parken, CEO, Australian Institute of Architects

The Climate Change Task Group’s main objectives are:

• To undertake research into how the property sector can respond to climate change, including in adaptation activities
• To communicate this research to ASBEC members, the property sector more broadly, and the public.
• To recommend a policy position on climate change to ASBEC Council.

The Task Group released the Second Plank Update on 16 June 2010.  The update report provides an economic analysis of the potential role the building sector can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) through additional energy efficiency measures.

The report highlights the impediments and market failures that prevent the building sector from reaching its full GHG abatement potential, including the funding gap problem – that is, the long period between initial investment in energy efficiency measures and the realisation of benefits in terms of energy savings and other gains.

The report’s findings further support the Task Group’s call for Accelerated Green Depreciation, a national white certificate scheme and public funding for building retrofit as key initiatives to overcome barriers to the building sector achieving its full abatement potential.   A sub-set of the Climate Change Task Group is working on further development of a green depreciation mechanism in an effort to fast-track positive abatement outcomes across the sector. 

Most recently, the Task Group has turned its attention to Climate Change Adaptation and the need to build resilience in the Built Environment, to address the increasingly extreme climatic events predicted into the future.  The Task Group is currently working on the development of a Policy Framework for Climate Change Adaptation in the Built Environment.

With support from the Australian Institute of Architects, the Property Council, Consult Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia, the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and the WA Department of Finance, the Task Group considered the range of proposals received in response to the Task Group’s Request for Proposal   AECOM was commissioned to develop the policy framework, with the Task Group providing input and feedback as the project has progressed.

The project has included a range of approaches, including extensive surveys across the wider ASBEC membership, desktop research of voluntary and regulatory examples of adaptation policy, both domestic and international, and workshops with Task Group members.

Having received over 600 responses from the members of ASBEC’s own member organisations, AECOM has identified a number of trends, notably around the blurring between mitigation and adaptation among built environment professionals.  There was also clear reference as to a lack of professional tools available to support the consideration of adaptation at a practitioner level.

A review of international and domestic adaptation initiatives has also produced an extensive mapping of the adaptation landscape around the world, outlining a wide variety of levers being utilised to generate both voluntary and regulatory approaches.

AECOM delivered a second draft of the report early in November, after comprehensive feedback from Task Group Members on the first draft.  The Task Group is currently reviewing the second draft and it is anticipated that, after this feedback has been addressed, a final version will be made available to ASBEC members for consideration.

ASBEC’s Climate Change Task Group comprises representatives from the Green Building Council Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Conservation Foundation, Property Council of Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia, Consult Australia, Facilities Management Australia and the Victorian Building Commission.

See ASBEC news for more information on the leading research commissioned by the group.

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Cities Task Group 

Task Group Chair - Romilly Madew, Chief Executive, Green Building Council of Australia

The ASBEC Cities Task Group was established to consider the sustainability implications associated with cities, and urban planning and development and to develop an effective policy framework to minimise the perverse outcomes present in current approaches to developing the urban landscape.

The Task Group has undertaken research to explore and measure the links between greenhouse gas emissions from urban transport and land use within our cities. Importantly, the project sought to set out, in practical terms, what impact that changes to land use and transportation will have on greenhouse gas emissions, economic outcomes and liveability in Australian cities.  The outcomes of this project identified the costs and benefits of various urban scenarios and potential optimal urban forms to inform public policy and government decision making.

More recently, the Task Group has been working with industry, government and academia on a set of indicators to complement the review of strategic planning systems for cities and urban areas, currently being undertaken by the COAG Reform Council.   In support of this work, the group recently released a 'Call to Action', seeking the establishment of a Federal Minister for Cities and Urban Development, accompanied by the relevant administrative functions required to support such a portfolio.  The Task Group has been pleased to provide strong input into the Federal Government's recently announced 'National Urban Policy' and is continuing its work with the Commonwealth to promote a national approach to urban sustainability. 

Recognising the clear role that ASBEC can play in driving momentum around the Cities agenda, Task Group members have been actively engaged in the Cities debate through a number of forums held in recent months. These include

• Council of Capital City Lord Mayors Cities Roundtable
• COAG Reform Council’s Capital City Strategic Planning Systems Review Workshops,
• Planning Institute of Australia’s State of Commonwealth Cities Symposium
• Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities’ (DSEWPaC) Measuring Sustainability Roundtable.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics' Measures of Australia's Progress forum

Work on the Cities Indicators continues.  The Task Group has been working closely with ASBEC’s extensive stakeholder network, hosting a workshop in August, as planned.  The aim of the workshop was the consolidation of work that had been undertaken across a similar group of stakeholders late in 2010, in conjunction with UNSW, which led to the development of a set of 76 draft urban indicators.  

As well as the core Task Group members, the workshop was attended by representatives from a range of Federal Government agencies, including the DSWEPaC, the Major Cities Unit of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, all of which are looking at indicators in various aspects of their on-going work. 

The workshop also included representatives from local government and the corporate sector, providing a well-rounded discourse on a range of topics, from the importance of a collaborative approach to further development of indicators, to the next steps for ASBEC in continuation of its advocacy work around Cities and Urban Planning. 

The Task Group commenced the development of a discussion paper to accompany the workshop and this has become the focus of further work, in collaboration with the broader stakeholder group. The paper looks at the role of indicators and measures within the Urban Policy framework and provides a comprehensive outline of work being done at home and overseas. Further to this, it explores the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, with a focus on encouraging stronger cooperation in the development of indicators across a comprehensive range of economic, social and environmental aspects of the Australian landscape. Finally, the paper outlines a pathway for ASBEC to continue working with the stakeholder group in the further promotion of the indicators agenda and advocacy for a collaborative approach to Cities. 

It is anticipated that the discussion paper will be distributed to Council members for feedback in coming weeks and once finalised, will become the central element of a campaign to continue the Task Group’s advocacy efforts.  The campaign is timed to complement the recent release of the State of Australian Cities report, the delivery of the COAG Reform Council’s Review of Capital Cities Strategic Planning Systems, the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities MEasuring Sustainability initiatives.  It will seek to capitalise on one of ASBEC’s primary strengths, through the effective mobilisation of the organisation’s extensive network of stakeholders in government, industry, academia and civil society, to drive the message and facilitate collaboration around a continued focus on getting our cities right.  The Task Group anticipates that the discussion paper will be released before the end of 2011. 

Click HERE to listen to Cities Task Group Chair, Romilly Madew, discussing the role of ASBEC in the Urban agenda at the Property Council of Australia's Cities Summit 2011 (Sydney, September 2011)

ASBEC’s Cities Task Group comprises representatives from the Green Building Council Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Conservation Foundation, Property Council of Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia and the Association of Consulting Engineers Australia.

See the Cities for the Future Report for more information on the leading research commissioned by the group.

Contact us for more information if you would like to know more about this study.

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Distributed Resources Task Group 

Task Group Chair - Peter Verwer, Chief Executive, Property Council of Australia

The Distributed Resources Task Group’s main purpose is to examine the prospects for encouraging distributed resources systems in Australia and more specifically, to develop a strategic plan for raising the environmental self-sufficiency of Australian buildings and precincts.

ASBEC’s Distributed Resources Task Group comprises representatives from the Green Building Council Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Conservation Foundation, Property Council of Australia, the Australian Green Infrastructure Council, Australian Procurement and Construction Council, Consult Australia, Chartered Institute of Building and the Energy Efficiency Council. 

More information on the Task Group's work will be updated as it becomes available.

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Zero Emissions Residential Task Group 

Task Group Chair - Mark Allan, Associate Director, Billard Leece Partnerships P/L, (representing Green Building Council of Australia)

The Zero Emissions Residential Task Group seeks to address the needs for a cohesive strategy and for the development of voluntary tools and “sustainability drivers” to reduce residential emissions in Australia.  Desired outcomes of this work include the development of a framework and advocacy campaign that defines, measures and rates zero emission homes.

A focus on residential homes (ie both new and old detached, semi-detached buildings and apartments) beyond simply energy efficiency and the building envelope has potential flow-on benefits beyond the direct emissions reduction of the home itself. It also has the potential to change how people value their homes (in terms of quality of life, not just the cost for development, maintenance and appliances), and influence the decision that they and professionals within the residential sector make in relation to emissions. 

As a first step in a comprehensive action plan, the Task Group has recently commissioned two pieces of research from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney. 

The first research project was recently completed and focused on the wide variety of definitions and metrics associated with describing and measuring zero emissions housing.  Recommendations from this work will provide a foundation on which further Task Group work will be based. 

Defining Zero Emission Buildings - Review and Recommendations was officially released on Tuesday, November 15th.  Click HERE to download the associated Media Release. 

The second piece of research is currently being finalised.  Continuing the Task Group's work with ISF, the research will investigate regulation and incentives, both domestically and internationally, to understand the drivers associated with a successful move towards low or zero emissions residential development.  The Regulation and Incentives report will also be released later in 2011. 

ASBEC’s Zero Emissions Residential Task Group comprises representatives from the Green Building Council Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Conservation Foundation, Property Council of Australia, the Victorian Building Commission, Sustainability Victoria, Consult Australia, the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and the City of Melbourne.

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Green Skills & Education Task Group

Task Group Chair - Rob Murray-Leach, CEO, Energy Efficiency Council 

The Green Skills & Education Task Group has been established to help develop a vision across the built environment secto,r to address the green skills shortage that is emerging with the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

In December 2009, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed a new Green Skills Agreement to enable individuals and businesses to contribute to a sustainable, low-carbon economy in their workplaces and communities.  After a Green Skills Forum held in October 2010 to discuss a draft National Green Skills Agreement and the broader skills and training implications of transitioning the Australian economy, ASBEC undertook to stimulate discussion around the topic within the Built Environment sector, by convening the Green Skills and Education Task Group. 

The Task Group is currently planning research into the broad spectrum of green skills training and education across the built environment sector, ranging from CPD training, through to vocational and tertiary education programs.  This research will provide a comprehensive snapshot of the existing educational landscape for green skills in Australia and will assist ASBEC to identify gaps across the spectrum and provide a framework in which to conduct advocacy with government and industry.   

The Task Group will shortly initiate the first stage of its work plan, commencing with a brief survey of ASBEC members, looking at green skills within the accreditation and CPD frameworks operated by our members.  The format of this survey is close to completion, with deployment options currently being considered by the Task Group.  It is anticipated that the survey will be distributed to ASBEC members in coming weeks and we look forward to the participation of our members, to ensure a comprehensive analysis of the green skills training available within the ASBEC community.  

Once the survey results have been collated, the Task Group will then consider the range of educational offerings through our membership in light of broader options available in the wider educational landscape.  This mapping will provide a basis on which to engage other sectors within the built environment that are offering green skills development, as well as both Commonwealth and state government agencies responsible for promoting green skills through the education sector.

It is anticipated that the results of this survey will be made available to ASBEC members early in 2012. 

Core objectives of the Task Group are to highlight the need for a consistent national approach to green skills and education, while advocating the benefits of investing in green skills to ensure existing gaps are adequately addressed to support the evolution of jobs in the emerging low-carbon economy. 

As a newly established group, the Green Skills & Education Task Group currently comprises representatives from the Energy Effiiency Council, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Australasia) and the Australian Institute of Building.  The Task Group will be seeking participation from the broader ASBEC membership as the group's workplan is further defined.

More information on the Task Group and its activities will be updated as it becomes available.

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Last Update: 4 Nov 2011