Who topped the NABERS sustainability scoreboard?

Now in its seventh year, the NABERS SPI ranks portfolios of offices, shopping centres and – for the first time – hotels, based on NABERS ratings for energy, water, waste and indoor environment quality.

This year, 67 property portfolios participated, up from 60 in 2024. NABERS says the increase reaffirms the property sector’s commitment to accountability, efficiency and environmental performance.

“The NABERS SPI 2025 shows how leaders in Australia’s property sector are transforming targets into tangible results,” says Magali Wardle, NABERS Head of Market Development.

“Whether they’re fine-tuning decades-old office buildings or benchmarking entire hotel portfolios, the leaders are showing how measuring performance translates into more efficient, attractive and more commercially valuable assets.”

Hotels here to stay

CapitaLand and the Schwartz Family Company are the first hotel operators to participate in the NABERS SPI, with around 6,000 rooms between them. Although their NABERS ratings weren’t as high as more established portfolio types such as offices and shopping centres, it marks an important step for the sector.

Shwartz Sustainability & Projects Coordinator Paul Briggs says that with the Australian government’s new accommodation policy now in effect – requiring employees to consider NABERS Energy ratings when booking hotels – NABERS ratings are becoming a commercial differentiator.

High office

The NABERS SPI 2025 Office Energy Index includes 428 rated assets, up from 414 last year, covering 8,190,000m² or about a quarter of the national office market.

The top two portfolios in NABERS Office Energy are Quality Green Group (6.0 stars) and Walker Corporation Parramatta Square (5.6 stars).

Participating in the SPI for the first time, Quality Green Group (QGG) owns three of the four highest-rated NABERS Energy buildings in the Illawarra, including the NSW SES headquarters – the region’s first 6 star NABERS Energy asset.

“We’ve used NABERS as a long-term tool to drive performance,” says QGG Group Manager Daniel Grozdanov. “We manage our buildings ourselves, monitor the data daily, and genuinely care about outcomes.

New benchmarks

The NABERS SPI continues to evolve – this year it features the Renewable Energy Indicator (REI) percentage, which identifies portfolios leading the way in renewable energy adoption.

QIC’s Active Retail Property Fund boasts the highest REI percentage overall, with 97.46% of energy procured from renewable energy sources – topping both the shopping centre category and the full index. Charter Hall’s DVP portfolio secured second place with 89.24%, leading the office category.

Electrification of assets also stood out in this year’s SPI results, with four portfolios from office and shopping centre funds achieving 99% electrification.

“The SPI isn’t just about who ranks highest,” says Magali Wardle. “It gives asset owners a clear picture of where they stand, and where we can go together.”

For more information on the NABERS Sustainable Portfolios Index 2025 and to explore the full data dashboard, visit the NABERS website.

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