Why green cities make dollars and sense

Media Release
23 January 2017

Why green cities make dollars and sense – Green Property Summit 2017

Building sustainable future cities that are good for the planet and offer sound economic returns is the focus of the upcoming Green Property Summit in 2017.

Taking place on 29 March at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland, the summit will bring together leading experts in sustainability and the built environment to discuss how New Zealand can combine building green with lucrative investment opportunities, to create healthy cities of the future. The summit is a joint event by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) and Property Council New Zealand.

The summit’s theme ‘Future Cities, Post 2020’ will delve into climate change, technology advancements, energy efficiencies, and the development of urban communities within proven guidelines and rating tools.

According to NZGBC chief executive, Andrew Eagles the summit comes at a crucial time for the property industry with the building sector responsible for 20 per cent of the country’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.

“The talent we have brought together in this summit is vital to addressing the issues future cities face. With increasingly urbanised populations, cities are the focal point for some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. We know that green offices provide better capital returns. New Harvard research outlines staff productivity increases more than 20 per cent. Green certification is the future with the built environment an essential area of focus of the interface between man and nature.”

Chief executive of the Property Council New Zealand, Connal Townsend agrees, saying that smart planning can create healthy, productive buildings that provide a powerful and sustainable platform for the future prosperity of the nation.

“It’s good for the planet, it’s good for cities and it’s good for investors. This is the way forward and we all need to get on board and create sustainable, green buildings that people want to live and work in,” he says.

The summit will feature keynote speaker Dr John Keung, CEO of Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA). Dr Keung who was named one of the Top 25 Newsmakers of the Year 2013 by Engineering News-Record for his work guiding Singapore in sustainable design and construction, will present on how going green isn’t just environmentally sound, but also makes economic sense.

Other speakers include:
• Katie Swenson, a Boston, USA-based leader in sustainable design for low income communities, speaker, author, and green design expert.
• Davina Rooney, general manager Sustainability Stockland’s, and sustainability champion, recognised for numerous industry awards including NAWIC NSW 2016 Sustainability Award, PCA 2014 Future Leaders Award and Sydney University Engineering Young Alumni Award.
• Matthew Ensor, Business Director – Advisory, Beca and Smart Cities consultant. Matt advocates data-driven smart design to reduce people’s frustrations of living in cities and improve the efficiency of our energy use.
• Peter Mence, Chief Executive, Argosy Property Limited and President of the Property Council of New Zealand.
• Matthew Cockram, Principal and CEO New Zealand, Cooper and Company and independent director of Tainui Group Holdings Limited and Waterfront Theatre Limited. He is also a member of the New Zealand Initiative, the New Zealand Infrastructure Council, Committee for Auckland and the New Zealand Law Society.

Industry-leading CEOs will also discuss their ‘light bulb moments’ where their perspectives on green buildings have changed, how they see Green Star and NABERSNZ standards as necessities for the industry, and how the adoption of sustainable practices has benefited their organisations.

Mr Townsend urges urban planners, architects, engineers, construction industry professionals and developers to attend the Green Property Summit.

“The speakers we have at the summit are at the forefront of construction and property issues both nationally and internationally, this is a summit you cannot afford to miss.”

For more information or to register, visit - https://www.nzgbc.org.nz/events/Event?Action=View&Event_id=489

About the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC)
The NZGBC is a not-for-profit industry organisation dedicated to a sustainable built environment. The Council achieves this through setting standards of best practice through green building rating tools; education and training for all areas of the building industry value chain; and providing access to networks, information, and resources for our members to lead the market. Visit: www.nzgbc.org.nz

About the New Zealand Property Council

Property Council New Zealand is a member-led, not-for-profit organisation offering a collective voice for the commercial property industry. Working closely with local and central government, Property Council advocates for quality urban growth that supports strong national and local economies. Through extensive research, policy development, advocacy, education, and networking event programmes nationally and regionally, Property Council is enabling a vibrant commercial property market and wealth for all New Zealanders. Visit www.propertynz.co.nz

About Green Star
Green Star is an independent rating system that assesses buildings’ sustainability attributes across a range of criteria. It is the pre-eminent system used to rate commercial buildings in New Zealand. Existing Green Star rating tools are available for offices, education and industrial buildings, and custom tools can be developed for specific one-off projects. Ratings range from 4 Green Star (best practice) to 6 Green Star (world leadership).

About NABERSNZ
NABERSNZ is the New Zealand scheme that benchmarks office building energy efficiency on a scale from 1 to 6 stars. Ratings are based on 12 months’ energy use, and can be carried out for whole buildings, tenancies, or base buildings (covering common areas and services provided by the landlord). NABERSNZ is licensed to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and is administered by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC). The Energy Management Association of New Zealand (EMANZ) adapted it for New Zealand conditions.

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