NABERS launches new Policy Toolkit

NABERS has released a new Policy Toolkit that provides information and resources for using NABERS ratings for building procurement, portfolio management and planning.

NABERS uses its rating system to help people understand the energy and water efficiency, waste management and indoor environment quality of buildings. The toolkit demonstrates to users how to make the best possible decisions when purchasing, leasing or operating commercial buildings, or when designing for new commercial developments or within planning policy.

“The impact of NABERS has been truly transformational across many aspects of the built environment, from reducing energy, water and waste in buildings operating in a diverse range of sectors, and now spearheading a consistent approach across Australia to measure and reduce embodied carbon in the construction of buildings,” says acting director of NABERS Monique Alfris.

How it works

The toolkit has three sections that can be used independently or together:

• Procurement: For government and private sector businesses that lease or purchase buildings such as office space, hotel accommodation and data centres
• Portfolios: For government and private sector businesses accountable for setting environmental policies or operating buildings
• Planning: For approval authorities using NABERS ratings targets in planning policies and for organisations developing new buildings. 

The toolkit also explains how NABERS can be applied in policymaking to:

• Combine the NABERS suite of tools to drive action towards net zero and a circular economy
• Set short-term minimum targets alongside ambitious longer-term targets
• Align with and exceed the minimum requirements set out in the National Construction Code
• Examine different strategies that can be employed like disclosure of ratings, minimum thresholds and requirements to progressively upgrade buildings over time.

“To further drive impact at scale, we want to make it as easy as possible for NABERS to be embedded into policies to improve sustainability in procurement, portfolio management and planning,” says Alfris.

The NABERS Policy Toolkit is available to download here.