Sustainability goes mainstream

Sustainability goes mainstreamSustainability – it’s no longer a buzzword. It’s business-as-usual.The latest GRESB survey confirms that Australian companies continue to elevate sustainability to new heights.The survey of global property companies covering a collective AU$3.2 trillion in assets has once again found Australia has the world’s greenest industry.The pre-eminent real estate benchmark for sustainability ranked Australia at the top of the table for the fifth year in a row, with Lendlease first of all 707 companies surveyed. Stockland and The GPT Group were also named ‘regional sector leaders’.Impressively, greenhouse gas emissions from Australian buildings covered by the survey fell by 4.3 per cent over the year and water consumption decreased by 2.3 per cent.That’s a very tangible reduction in our environmental footprint.Imagine if this performance from our largest property companies could be accelerated and translated more evenly across the industry. Now that’s a big emissions-reduction opportunity which deserves to be a stronger focus for the country.