Australian leadership in green building has been applauded by the World Green Building Council, with one engineering firm and two Green Star projects named finalists in the Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards.
 
Three businesses and nine projects across the Asia Pacific have been shortlisted for the biennial awards, which celebrate leadership in sustainability.
 
“Hot on the heels of last week’s GRESB result, which confirmed Australia’s ‘unbroken leadership’ in sustainable property, we have three new examples of why our industry continues to challenge boundaries, question the status quo, and accelerate the sustainable building movement,” says the Green Building Council of Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew.
 
Cundall has been nominated in the Business Leadership in Sustainability Award category, and will compete with Hong Kong’s Henderson Land Development and India’s Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
 
“Cundall has a team of highly-experienced Green Star Accredited Professionals who are rock-solid in their commitment to sustainability, and are actively pushing the envelope and challenging the industry to demand more and deliver more,” Ms Madew says.
 
Floth Australia’s headquarters at 69 Robertson Street in Brisbane has been named a finalist in the Sustainable Design and Performance – Commercial category, alongside buildings in Singapore and New Zealand.
 
“Floth achieved the first 6 Star Green Star – Design & As Built v1.1 rating in Australia. This is about more than achieving a ‘first’ – it’s about understanding that a certified sustainable building can attract quality tenants, reinforce a company’s brand and future-proof its assets,” Ms Madew says.
 
The University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute is a finalist in the Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance – Institutional category, and will compete with other public buildings in Hong Kong and Korea for the coveted prize.
 
“The Global Change Institute is one of Australia’s first net zero energy and carbon buildings, and is a working test case for a range of sustainability innovations. This living laboratory shows us that zero carbon isn’t something we can work towards in the future – it’s happening right now,” Ms Madew adds.
 
Terri Wills, the WorldGBC’s Chief Executive Officer says the growth of green building across the Asia Pacific is in response to “significant population growth, environmental pressures and the strengthened business case.”
 
Winners will be announced at the India Green Building Council’s annual Congress in Mumbai in early October. 

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