Research and Releases

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Research and Releases:

Cities Snapshot – Background briefing on ASBEC Cities work

ASBEC’s Cities and Regions Policy Task Group has compiled a briefing document to help inform members and stakeholders about the Task Groups work and relevant Government policy and programs.

This document is an ongoing work in progress. We invite updated information to be sent to eo@asbec.asn.au for consideration of inclusion.

Click HERE to download the Cities Snapshot.

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ASBEC Submission to Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications re. Recent trends in and preparedness for extreme weather event

In January 2013, ASBEC provided a submission to the Senate Inquiry into Recent trends in and preparedness for extreme weather events.

This submission is drawn from ASBEC’s ‘Built Environment Adaptation Framework’ and the supporting ‘Preparing for Change’ report.

Click HERE for information on the inquiry and submissions received by the Committee.

Click HERE to download ASBEC’s submission.

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Net Zero Homes: An Industry Roadmap

ASBEC’s Sustainable Housing Task Group has undertaken to start a conversation with government, the building sector and the Australian community about the steps toward a low carbon future for housing, through their release of Net Zero Homes: An Industry Roadmap.

The Roadmap outlines the following pathways for stakeholders to achieve Net Zero Carbon Housing:

  • Delivering a Vision – a clear and consistent framework
  • Setting the Policy – the alignment of voluntary, incentive based and regulatory levers
  • Building Industry Skills – the identification of gaps and capacity building opportunities
  • Developing the Business Case – improving the feasibility to build and deliver
  • Build a Brand – engage with consumers and deliver understanding through information sharing

The Roadmap is part of a package, the first part of which is Defining Zero Emission Buildings: Review and Recommendations; the second of which is the Net Zero Emission Homes: An Examination of Leading Practice And Pathways Forward.

Click HERE to download Net Zero Homes: An Industry Roadmap.

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Net Zero Emission Homes: An Examination of Leading Practice And Pathways Forward

ASBEC commissioned the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) to undertake a global snapshot of pathways to delivering zero carbon homes.

This report, entitled Net Zero Emission Homes: An Examination of Leading Practice And Pathways Forward assesses leading Australian and international practice in the delivery of zero carbon homes. It seeks to examine the lessons learned from lead practitioners and considers the applicability of international initiatives in the Australian context.

This report specifically focuses on a zero carbon goal while recognising that many of the proposed actions will be equally relevant to low carbon or beyond zero carbon goals. This report should be read together with its sister document released by ASBEC, Net Zero Emission Homes: An Industry Roadmap.

This project builds on an earlier project for ASBEC looking at definitions of zero carbon buildings and uses the definitions proposed in that report and complements work undertaken to examine the challenges of retrofitting residential homes.

Click HERE to download Net Zero Emission Homes: An Examination of Leading Practice And Pathways Forward.

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Zero Emissions Residential: ‘Drivers of Demand for Zero Emissions Retrofits’ Report – 2012

The Zero Emissions Residential Task Group (ZERTG) has released a report on the drivers of demand for zero and towards zero emissions residential retrofits.

This report is a reference document for upcoming ZERTG reports outlining an industry roadmap to Net Zero Emissions Homes and also a marketing study.

This ‘Retrofit’ report finds that the strongest factors influencing the uptake of energy efficient refurbishments include the age and condition of the building, rising energy prices, short payback times and increased property value, appearance and visibility of the measures, householder income group and the desire for increased comfort and convenience.

For a widespread adoption of energy efficient refurbishments this report recommends a range of initiatives which address professional practice, social practice and changing concepts of ‘home’. Simple mechanisms including choice, price, technical solutions or voluntary codes will not sufficiently mobilise homeowners towards to high energy efficiency standards. The most effective strategy will need to build on broader understandings of the correlations between decision-makers’ motives, the skills and expertise of building professionals, technical solutions, regulations and householder practices.

This report is based on a desktop study undertaken by RMIT’s Centre for Design and made possible with the generous funding of Sustainability Victoria

Click HERE to download the full report.

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A Climate Change Adaptation Framework for the Built Environment – 2012

In response to the impacts of climate change on the built environment, the ASBEC Climate Change Task Group have launched a ten-point framework aimed at improving the resilience of our urban communities against extreme weather events and predicted future climate change.

The Built Environment Adaptation Framework proposes solutions to facilitate adaptation.

It has been informed by surveys of ASBEC’s membership about the gaps in policy and the specific needs of the built environment, and will help governments capture the significant potential benefits of early action.

The intention of this document is to propose a clear and comprehensive policy approach, by:

  • starting a constructive discussion about the risks, impacts, and implications of climate change associated with the built environment;
  • providing information on climate change risks and adaptation policy options, to improve understanding around the issues;
  • creating a basis for governments and others across the built environment to implement a strategic public policy approach to adaptation; and
  • establishing a dialogue and potential platform for joint action by industry and government on adaptation.

Click HERE to download the Built Environment Adaptation Framework.

Click HERE to download the “Preparing for Change – A Climate Change Adaptation Framework for the Built Environment” Report.

Click HERE to download the media release.

For more information on the Climate Change Task Group, click HERE to visit the Task Group page.

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Zero Emissions Residential: Defining Zero Emission Buildings – Review and Recommendations report – 2011

The work of the Net Zero Energy Homes initiative is now being carried out by the ASBEC Zero Emissions Residential Task Group, created in early 2010.

On November 15th 2011, the Task Group released the first component of its extensive action plan, in the form of the Defining Zero Emission Buildings – Review and Recommendations Report. With support from Sustainability Victoria, the Task Group commissioned the Institute of Sustainable Futures at UTS to conduct research into the local and international landscape around zero emission and low carbon buildings. The report proposes a comprehensive set of definitions, in support of the development of a common language for use across the built environment sector.

“Acknowledging the lack of clarity in this area, ASBEC’s Zero Emissions Residential Task Group has been working closely with ISF to produce a strong set of recommendations relating to a common language for low-emissions housing,” said Mark Allan, Task Group Chair, representing the Green Building Council of Australia.

Click HERE to download the Defining Zero Emission Buildings – Review and Recommendations report.

Click HERE to download the associated Media Release

For more information on the Zero Emissions Residential Task Group, click HERE to visit the Task Group page

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The Second Plank Update Report 2010

This report updates the findings from ASBEC’s The Second Plank Report: Building a Low Carbon Economy with Energy Efficient Buildings.

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. It takes into account the Australian Government’s Renewable Energy Target (RET), policy measures and programs, and forecasts energy efficiency savings under both a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) and a non-CPRS scenario.

Download the Second Plank Update 2010 Report here.

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Cities for the Future: Transport Baseline Report – 2010

The ASBEC Cities for the Future Task Group commissioned the Cities for the Future Report that considered the relationship between GHG emissions, land use and transport. The report is stage one of a long-term project for the Task Group and it was launched at the Green Cities 2010 conference in Melbourne.

To be re-directed to the Cities for the Future Report, click here.

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The Second Plank – Building a Low Carbon Economy with Energy Efficient Buildings – 2008

The ASBEC Climate Change Task Group (CCTG) commissioned economic analysis by the Centre for International Economics (CIE) to assist in stimulating discussion about the complementary role that energy efficiency can play in supporting the Australian Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

The report produced, ‘The Second Plank – Building a Low Carbon Economy with Energy Efficient Buildings’ responds to the fact that residential and commercial buildings (the building sector) are responsible for almost a quarter (23%) of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. It estimates that the Government’s proposed CPRS will result in the building sector saving eight mega tonnes per annum of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)– far short of the building sector’s full GHG abatement potential.

Download full report The second plank – building a low carbon economy with energy efficient buildings pdf file 1.5MB

Download Summary ASBEC @ work 2nd plank report

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Capitalising on the building sector’s potential to lessen the costs of a broad based GHG emissions cut – 2007

This study commissioned by the ASBEC Climate Change Task Group extended the Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change (BRCC) analysis to include a more detailed analysis of the significant energy efficiency potential of the building sector.

Key Research Findings:

  • The building sector is responsible for 23 per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and energy use in buildings is rapidly growing.
  • Electricity demand in residential and commercial buildings can be halved by 2030, and reduced by more than 70 per cent by 2050 through energy efficiency.
  • Energy efficiency alone could deliver savings of 30-35 per cent across the whole building sector including the growth in the overall number of buildings out to 2050.
  • Energy savings in the building sector (which accounts for 60 per cent of GDP and 23 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions) could reduce the costs of greenhouse gas abatement across the whole economy by $30 per tonne, or 14 per cent, by 2050.
  • By 2050, GDP could be improved by around $38 billion per year if building sector energy efficiency is adopted, compared to previous economy-wide estimates of the 60 % deep cuts scenario.

Australia’s ability to achieve at least 60 per cent deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will be significantly enhanced by transforming buildings to deliver energy savings.

Download Report – Building Sector Potential – Sept13 pdf | 353 kB

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