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New boss to build on green environment

New Green Building Council of Australia chief Davina Rooney wants to capitalise on momentum of the environment movement.

Green Building Council of Australia chief executive Davina Rooney. Picture: Ryan Osland
Green Building Council of Australia chief executive Davina Rooney. Picture: Ryan Osland

At a time when Australians are more switched on to their environmental impact than ever, new Green Building Council of Australia chief executive Davina Rooney wants to take consumers along on the development ­journey.

As part of a renewed push ­towards the decarbonisation of the built environment, the GBCA is looking to upgrade the key standard for building.

Part of Ms Rooney’s plan is to make the language of building sustainability more simple to reach the everyday homeowner.

This will mean a reworking of the current terminology around the Green Star certification, which acts as a framework of best-practice benchmarks for sustainability for industry.

“Sustainability has been complex and if we’re going to succeed with the change we need to make, we actually need to make it ­accessible, not just to the business community, but also broadly to consumers,” Ms Rooney said.

“We really need to focus to ­ensure that our tools can speak that language.”

The GBCA introduced the Green Star system in 2003, with the focus largely on the office market. The council has since ­expanded its asset base into retail and increasingly into the residential sectors. More than 2250 projects have now been Green Star certified. Almost 40 per cent of ­office space in Australia has the green stamp of approval, while 42,000 people live in certified apartments. Each day, 1.3 million people visit a Green Star-rated shopping centre.

Ms Rooney said it was important industry worked with the community. “As we broaden the base of the assets we’re reaching, we really need to speak a language that all of those customers can understand.

“With the residential sector accounting for 57 per cent of our built-environment emissions, we need a clear standard for housing, and I look forward to continuing the work with GBCA’s Future Homes Champions.”

Ms Rooney has built her ­career in sustainability, having joined the GBCA this month from Stockland, where she was general manager of sustainability and corporate procurement. Over this time, she has watched consumer participation in the sustainability space grow.

“If you look at public consciousness, there’s never been more engagement with the environmental movement … there has never been more commitment to a future where we’re environmentally responsible.”

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/new-boss-to-build-on-green-environment/news-story/766e87f3928b4703bff55ed6dc16969c