Sydney program to slash business greenhouse gases |
City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP has announced that Sydneys world leading sustainability program CitySwitch Green Office is going national.
"We are very proud that another green initiative which started right here in North Sydney and Paramatta and City of Sydney is expanding across the nation,"said Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP.
The program, which began as a joint initiative of three Sydney councils will welcome Adelaide, Melbourne and Perthto the program helping commercial tenants improve their energy efficiency and reduce harmful CO2 emissions which contribute to climate change.
Chief Executive of Property Council of Australia, Peter Verwer, today endorsed CitySwitch Green Office. Property Council Australia is the nations leading advocate for commercial property interests.
"CitySwitch Green Office commits businesses to tangible changes which deliver long-term environmental benefits for Australia and keeps our country at the forefront of energy efficiency", said Ms Moore.
"Earth Hour also started here in Sydney and is now an international event. This new program works in a similar way by teaching businesses small changes can collectively make a big difference to our environment and our future.
"If all of Australias commercial office tenants were to adopt the simple changes involved in CitySwitch Green Office it could deliver a saving of 960,000 T of CO2 per annum, which is the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road."
Businesses that join CitySwitch Green Office can take simple actions to improve their energy efficiency rating, such as:
Businesses which become CitySwitch Green Office signatories commit to achieving an accredited 4 stars or higher National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) Energy tenancy rating. Administered nationally by the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), NABERS Energy rates the efficiency of buildings and tenancies from 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars representing exceptional greenhouse performance.
Improving an offices star rating not only saves the tenant money on their energy bills but can also increase the value of a property, with tenants keen to be seen as green.
56 high-profile corporations, including some of Australias largest, representing more than 600,000 sqm of office space in Sydney alone are already signatories. As most building stock is currently rated as 2.5 stars, each signatory is encouraged to improve their energy tenancy rating by at least 2 stars.
In Sydney alone such an improvement in efficiency could yield an impressive saving of $36.5 million in energy cost and over 329,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. That is the equivalent of taking nearly 68,000 cars off the road.
With the inclusion of Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth CitySwitch Green Office could make a saving of up to $67.3 million annually.
"Businesses have led calls for the programs expansion as a way of addressing their environmental responsibilities. We believe that the creation of a national initiative presents a great opportunity and we will work with all levels of government to make this a success,"Ms Moore said.
"In Australia, office tenants are responsible for nearly 9 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions as well as almost half the electricity consumed in commercial office buildings, so this program is a key to tackling the biggest challenge of our time - climate change."
"Businesses which sign up to CitySwitch Green Office are showing that as well as saving money, they are committed saving the environment and becoming environmental leaders in Australias business community,"said Ms Moore.
The delivery of CitySwitch Green Office was coordinated through the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors (CCCLM), which recently met with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss the contribution cities make to national policy outcomes.
The national roll-out of CitySwitch Green Office demonstrates the benefits of collaboration and cooperation between capital cities on issues like climate change. Through the CCCLM, Capital Cities are talking to State Governments and the Federal Government about further opportunities to grow the program.
CitySwitch Green Office is an extension of the successful 3CBDs Greenhouse Initiative, launched in 2005 by City of Sydney, North Sydney Council and Paramatta City Council with the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC). They will be joined by Adelaide City Council, City of Melbourne, City of Perth and Willoughby City Council.
Businesses interested in joining the program should visit www.cityswitch.net.au for more details.
CitySwitch Green Office signatories are:
- 135onKing, ahm Dental & Eyecare Practice, Allens Arthur Robinson, AMP Capital Investors, Arup, Barclays Global Investors, Big Switch Projects, Brookfield Multiplex, CB Richard Ellis, City of Sydney, Clemenger BBDO, Colliers International, Colonial First State Global Asset Management, Commonwealth Bank, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Department of Water and Energy, DEXUS Property Group, Dinosaur Designs, DTZ, Ebsworth & Ebsworth Lawyers, Energetics, ENVIRON Australia, Ernst & Young, Ferrero Australia, Garfield Barwick Commonwealth Law Courts Building Parramatta, Gilbert + Tobin Lawyers, GlasgowHart, Goodman, Haden Engineering Pty Ltd, hamiltonthomson, Insurance Australia Group Limited (IAG), ING Real Estate, Investa Property Group, Jones Lang LaSalle, Knight Frank, KPMG, Lenovo, Lend Lease, Mirvac, NIX Management Pty Ltd, North Sydney Council, NSW Fire Brigades, NSW Health, ODonnell Griffin, Parramatta City Council, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rice Daubney, Roberts Weaver Group, Stockland, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, Sydney Water, The GPT Group, TressCox Lawyers, University Co-operative Bookshop, Westpac, and WWF-Australia.
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