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Fostering an Australia–India Zero-Carbon
Building Construction Network
Project Road Map Implementation Report
Authors: Thayaparan Gajendran, Jessica Siva, Owi Toinpre,
Kim Maund, Cameron Beard, Deepak Bajaj, Sanjay Patil, Shumank Deep and Argenio Antao
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Fostering an Australia-India Zero Carbon building construction network © 2024 by Thayaparan
Gajendran, Jessica Siva, Owi Toinpre, Kim Maund, Cameron Beard, Deepak Bajaj, Sanjay Patil, Shumank
Deep and Argenio Antao. is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
ISBN 978-0-7259-7974-4
https://doi.org/10.25817/H1NA-E680
To cite this publication: Gajendran, T., Siva, J., Toinpre, O., Maud, K., Beard, C., Bajaj, D., Patil, S., Deep,
S., & Antao, A. (2024).
Fostering an Australia-India Zero Carbon building construction network
.
University of Newcastle Australia. https://doi.org/10.25817/H1NA-E680
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CONTENTS
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Definition of Terminologies ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Acknowledgement ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
1.1 The Problem .................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
1.2 Fostering an Australia–India Zero Carbon Construction Network: The Rationale ........................................................ 14
2. Zero-Carbon Construction Network Strategic Focus Areas: Review of Literature ........................................................... 18
2.1 Construction Market, Technology, and Industry Readiness ............................................................................................... 18
2.2 Trade and Supply Chain Networks .......................................................................................................................................... 20
2.3 Behavioural and Cultural Issues .............................................................................................................................................. 21
2.4 Educational Capacity – Awareness, Capabilities and Skills ............................................................................................... 22
2.5 Net Zero Policy Directions: Challenges and Opportunities ................................................................................................ 24
2.6 Net Zero Operational and Embodied Carbon Strategies .................................................................................................... 29
3. Australia–India Engagement and Dialogues ............................................................................................................................... 34
3.1 Events Design, Management and Coordination .................................................................................................................... 34
3.2 Stakeholder Engagement and Communication .................................................................................................................... 36
3.3 Challenges and Solutions During Implementation......................................................................................................... 36
4. The Outcomes – Results and Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 38
4.1 Barriers and Enablers for Zero-carbon Practices ............................................................................................................ 38
4.1.1 Design and delivery of zero-carbon building education ......................................................................................... 38
4.1.2 Design, Construction and Operation of Zero-carbon Buildings ............................................................................ 39
4.2 Policy Initiatives to Drive Zero-carbon Practices .............................................................................................................. 39
4.3 Strategies for Enhancing Educational Capacity .................................................................................................................... 41
5. Conclusion & Outcomes .................................................................................................................................................................. 44
5.1 Summary of the Project’s Objectives, Implementation and Outcomes .......................................................................... 44
5.1.1 Education ........................................................................................................................................................................... 45
5.1.2 Design, construction and operations .......................................................................................................................... 46
5.1.3 Industry-focused approach for achieving a net-zero carbon-built environment ............................................. 46
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5.2 Future Plans and Recommendations ...................................................................................................................................... 52
References ........................................................................................................................................................................................53
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Building & Construction Industry share of GHG emissions, 2020. ...................................................... 12
Figure 2: Share of world GHG emissions indicating India and Australia. ..........................................................13
Figure 3: The Environmental Kuznets Curve (LHS) and Change in North Carolina’s electricity generation
between 2000-2014 ........................................................................................................................................................... 22
Figure 4: Year-wise consumption growth for India. ............................................................................................... 23
Figure 5: Strategies for achieving net zero whole life carbon buildings........................................................... 24
Figure 6: Australia’s 2030 emissions reduction targets and initiatives .......................................................... 26
Figure 7: Australia’s whole-of-economy plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050................................. 27
Figure 8: Commercial building strategies to achieve net zero operational carbon. .................................... 29
Figure 9: Residential building strategies to achieve net zero operational carbon. ...................................... 29
Figure 10: Strategies for reducing embodied carbon at various stages of design process. .......................31
Figure 11: Strategies for decarbonising energy intensive buildings. .................................................................. 47
Figure 12: Pathway framework towards achieving net zero carbon-built environment. ............................ 48
Figure 13: A unified framework for fostering an Australia-India Zero Carbon Building Construction
Network. ............................................................................................................................................................................... 50
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Industry-based climate change strategies across Australian States and Territories .................. 18
Table 2: Australia’s Net zero policy initiatives across some States and Territories ................................... 25
Table 3: Australian Net Zero Emissions Initiatives ................................................................................................... 27
Table 4: Categories of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Buildings .......................................................................... 28
Table 5: Strategies for achieving net zero operational carbon performance ................................................ 28
Table 6: Engagement and Dialogues ............................................................................................................................ 33
Table 7: Key issues and identified gaps for zero-carbon practices ....................................................................37
Table 8: Key issues for policies to drive zero-carbon practices ........................................................................ 39
Table 9: Emerging issues for enhancing educational capacity............................................................................ 40
Table 10: Key outcomes for fostering net zero practices ...................................................................................... 44
Table 11: Industry challenges for enabling net zero strategy ............................................................................... 46
Table 12: Components of a unified built environment pathway framework (residential/ commercial) .. 48
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ACRONYMS
AIC
Australia–India Council
AIBC
Australia-India Zero-Carbon Building Construction Network
BEEP
Building Energy Efficiency Programme
COPs
Conference of Parties
CLT
Cross Laminated Timber
ECBC
Energy Conservation Building Code
GHG
Green House Gas
LRET
Large-scale Renewable Energy Target
IEA
International Energy Agency
MW
Megawatt
NABERS
National Australian Built Environment Rating System
NCC
National Construction Code
NZE
Net Zero Emissions
PAT
Perform Achieve and Trade
SRES
Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme
SDGs
Sustainable Development Goals
UN
United Nations
WGBC
World Green Building Council
DfGEs
Design for Greater Efficiencies
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DEFINITION OF TERMINOLOGIES
Terminology
Definition
Net-Zero Carbon Building
A highly energy efficient building that is fully powered from onsite or
offsite renewable resources and offsets (WGBC, 2021).
Zero-Emission Building
An energy efficient building with onsite renewable energy generation that
can export enough energy to compensate for the carbon footprints of the
building’s own energy and material consumption in a life-cycle
perspective (Stephan & Stephan, 2020).
Net-zero energy emission
A building that produces at least as much emissions-free renewable
energy as it uses from emissions-producing energy sources (Kibert &
Fard, 2012)
Net-Zero Carbon
A phenomenon describing a zero or negative annual record of the amount
of carbon emissions released (WGBC, 2021).
Net-Zero whole life
carbon
The status a building achieves and maintains until the amount of carbon
emissions associated with both operational and embodied impacts over
its nominated service life are net zero or negative (Prasad et al., 2021)
Embodied Carbon
The total of all direct and indirect GHG emissions arising from the
production of and processing activities for producing materials and
constructing the building and using stage material and service inputs into
the maintenance of a building and or infrastructure (Prasad et al., 2021).
Zero-Carbon-Ready
A highly energy efficient building that uses either renewable energy
directly or from an energy supply that will be fully decarbonised by 2050
(IEA, 2021)
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge grant funding from the Australia–India Council and support from Colliers India,
Amity University, and The University of Newcastle, Australia to organise the three discourse events that assisted in the
data collection process that informed this report. The authors would also like to thank all the Joint Dialogue Event Panel
Members, event organising team from the School of Architecture and Built Environment - College of Engineering, Science
and Environment at the University of Newcastle and event speakers.
Event 1:
Driving the Zero Carbon Construction Strategy: Key Drivers and Opportunities
▪ Caroline Noller, CEO – The Footprint Company, Australia
▪ Monica Richter, Project Director – MECLA, Australia
▪ Claire Tubolets, CEO – SmartCrete CRC, Australia
▪ Chris Jones, Technical Sales Manager – Boral Concrete; Vice President – Concrete Institute of Australia
▪ Harish Srivastava, Director Civil Engineering – Transport for NSW, Australia
▪ Ajay Sharma, Managing Director, Valuation Services – Colliers, India
▪ Dr Ajit Sabnis, Principal Consultant – ASP-SDI, India
▪ Madhav Maroju, Director – Skytree Morrow Suss Engineering Services, India
▪ Sushil Kumar Sharma, Founder CEO – Sustaineco, India
Event 2: Industry Partnerships for Mapping and Operationalising Zero Carbon Construction Networks
▪ Paul Reidy, Partner – Fitzpatrick and Partners, Australia
▪ Simon Squire, Executive Board Member – Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Australia
▪ Ivana Brown, Sector Lead, Accelerating Net Zero Buildings – National Australian Built Environment Rating
System, Australia
▪ Alison Scotland, Executive Director – Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, Australia
▪ Ashish Rakheja, Managing Partner – AEON Consultants, India
▪ Roshan Gowda, Regional Head APJ & Greater China – Global Real Estate and Facilities (GRF), SAP, India
▪ Nitin Bansal, Assistant Vice President – Brookfield Properties, India
▪ Archana Tayade, Managing Director – Corporate and Workplace Solutions Division, The Goldman Sachs Services
Private Limited, India
▪ Dr Raghu Dharmapuri Tirumala, Senior Lecturer – University of Melbourne
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Event 3: Educational Partnerships for Curriculum Design
▪ Caroline Pidcock, Director – Pidcock Australia
▪ Dr Josephine Vaughan, Lecturer – University of Newcastle, Australia
▪ Subbu Sethuvenkatraman, Research group leader – CSIRO Energy Business unit, Australia
▪ Dr Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi, Senior Executive Director – Experion Developers, India
▪ Ashwani Awasthi, Managing Director – RICS South Asia
▪ Autif Mohammed Sayyed, South Asia Green Building Program Lead – IFC, World Bank Group
▪ Dr. Chitrarekha Kabre, Professor – School of Planning and Architecture, India
▪ Dr. Rajdeep Deb, Officiating Dean, School of Entrepreneurship Skills – Bhartiya Skill Development University,
India
Project Events Organising Team
▪ Maria Roberts – Editorials
▪ Kelly Caddies - Engagement Officer, School of Architecture and Built Environment – College of Engineering,
Science and Environment
*All background images utilised for this report have been sourced from www.Pexels.com.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The adverse impacts of climate change and concomitant effects of the construction sector’s operations in terms of net
energy consumption and contribution to GHG emissions have once again rekindled commitments of countries globally to
develop strategies for reducing their carbon footprint. Major highlights for such claims have been witnessed through the
tremendous support for the implementation of international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,
the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and the United Nations Habitat III which have renewed a focus on
sustainable development. These frameworks have also been utilised to set ambitious targets aimed at ensuring safe and
affordable housing, resilient cities and communities and keeping global temperatures well below 2oC while designing,
developing and operating buildings in a manner that does not compromise the safety and well-being of future generations.
While these international frameworks have also largely served as a conduit for creating collaborative platforms for the
exchange of knowledge and localisation of built environment policy frameworks, the Australia-India Council through
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) established the Australia-India Zero Carbon Construction
Network project to solidify and reinforce this move. The project was underpinned by five strategic focus areas to foster
collaboration and engagement between the academia-industry and government in Australia and India. These strategic
focus areas include: (i) construction market, technology, and industry readiness; (ii) trade and supply network challenges;
(iii) behavioural and cultural issues; (iv) policy challenges/opportunities and (v) educational capacity-awareness,
capacity and skills.
The project’s objectives were focused on (i) facilitating relationships for addressing long-term climate change impact
(ii) creating a platform for developing ongoing business-trade connections and knowledge sharing (iii) proposing a guide
for appropriate levels of zero-carbon construction exposure to raise awareness and build capabilities and skills (iv)
produce an action road map outlining strategies for addressing and engaging in educational trade and business
collaborations. Through partnerships with experts in the construction industry, the academia, government and research
organisations and professional bodies, the Australia-India Zero-Carbon Construction Network identified key barriers and
enablers for achieving a net zero carbon construction strategy in education and practice. By using face-to-face and
online modes, three dialogue events were conducted simultaneously across locations in India and Australia to facilitate
cross-institutional, cross-boundary multidisciplinary collaboration and engagement. This project spurred the
organisation of a design competition amongst students across Australia and India which has further extended the
bilateral ties between not just Australia and India, but with countries in the Asia-Pacific region as it had stakeholders
from Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia and Sri Lanka in attendance. Other countries that participated in the event featured
stakeholders from New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
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Key outcomes from the project highlighted barriers and enablers for achieving a zero carbon construction strategy at
two distinct levels. The first was in the design and delivery of zero carbon building education, while the second was the
design, construction and operation of zero-carbon buildings. Some of the major barriers for the design and delivery of
zero carbon building education included: gaps in awareness on changes in construction industry trends; transforming
mental models of professionals in practice; and reviewing teaching and training models/pedagogies; while major barriers
for design, construction and operation of zero-carbon buildings included: gaps in methodologies for measuring carbon;
integrating sustainability components at early stages of building design; perceived cost implications for adopting zero-
carbon construction strategies; and facilitating multisectoral engagements for knowledge sharing. Upon successful
deliberations during the dialogues, key highlights on the solutions included: improving education about zero carbon
buildings; facilitating academia-government and industry collaborations and engagement; developing voluntary
programmes; and reducing cost through efficient designs. These can further be facilitated through policy initiatives that
are focused on mainstreaming innovation and providing tools, data and information for benchmarking. Furthermore,
government roles in providing enabling mechanisms, targeted building polices and supporting measures is crucial. These
are reflected in a unified framework for fostering an Australia-India Zero Carbon Building Construction Network.
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FOSTERING AN AUSTRALIA–INDIA ZERO CARBON
CONSTRUCTION NETWORK
1.
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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE PROBLEM
One of the world's biggest challenges is climate change which is exacerbated by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The
construction industry contributes massively contributes to global GHG emissions – a proportion of which has been
associated with embodied carbon within construction materials (Pan and Pan 2020; IEA 2021a; UNEP 2023). Therefore, a
transition towards zero-carbon construction has become an urgent priority, requiring a transformation on how buildings
are designed, built and operated. The construction industry has been identified as a sector within the economy of nations
that significantly contributes to economic advancement. This is often indicative of the industry as a panacea for improving
a country’s economic outlook in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment rate (i.e. short, medium, or
long-term) given its project-based nature. While the immense contributions of the construction industry cannot be
overemphasised, its operations account for about 37% of global energy related emissions (UNEP, 2021) which has
prompted the need for a global discourse on strategic policy directions to race towards halving global emissions by 2030
while working towards carbon neutrality by 2050. Figure 1 illustrates the building and construction industry’s share of
global energy-related GHG emissions.
Figure 1: Building & construction industry share of GHG emissions 2020.
Adapted from Prasad et al. (2021); UNEP (2021)
23%
6%
7%
3%
6%
11%
10%
33%
Building & Construction Industry share of GHG emissions
Transport
Other
Non residential buildings (indirect)
Non-residential buildings (direct)
Residential buildings (direct)
Residential buildings (indirect)
Building construction industry
Other industry
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1.2 FOSTERING AN AUSTRALIA–INDIA ZERO CARBON CONSTRUCTION NETWORK: THE RATIONALE
Bearing in mind the immense contribution of the construction industry to worldwide GHG emissions, countries are now
heading towards a zero-carbon construction industry as a priority strategy to halve global carbon emissions by 2030.
While this is a significant step towards attaining the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement
on climate change, which is binding on all countries (including Australia and India), key influencing indicators such as
demographics, population, and nature of the economy (which may be production, manufacturing or service-driven) have
proven to be areas worthy of note.
In this instance we examine both countries, with Australia alone accounting for about 0.33% of the world’s population
yet having one of the highest levels of energy consumption and emissions of GHG per capita in the world (Yu et al.2017)
and despite its status as a global leader in the roll-out of new solar and wind energy technologies which significantly
contribute to the decline in Australia’s emissions. On the other hand, India (one of the world’s largest populations) ranks
fourth among the world’s biggest carbon emitters after China, the United States, and the European Union, with its
emissions per capita lower than most advanced economies. These experiences make the Australia-India Zero-Carbon
Building Construction Network an important opportunity for achieving the goal of restricting global warming to well below
2°C by initiating some of the countries' commitments and pledges to align with national, sub-national and private sector
goals.
At the 26th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in 2021, which brought together
world leaders committed to attaining emissions targets, India and Australia set targets to achieve. India proposed: (i)
achieving the target of net zero by 2070; (ii) bringing its economy's carbon intensity down to 45% by 2030; (iii) fulfilling
50% of energy requirements through renewable resources by 2030; and (iv) bringing non-fossil energy capacity to
500GW by 2030. Figure 2 indicates Australia's and India’s share of GHG emissions (Shankar, Saxena & Idnani 2022).
Figure 2: Share of world GHG emissions indicating India and Australia.
Source: Australian Government (2022)
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Australia has also pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005
levels by 2030 (ClimateWorks Australia 2021). States and territories have also set interim emissions reduction targets
by 2030. For example, NSW 50% (on 2005 levels); Victoria 45-50% reduction (on 2005 levels); Queensland 30% (on
2005 levels); South Australia at least 50% (on 2005 levels); Western Australia and the Northern Territory are yet to set
a 2030 target but support the Federal Government’s target by reducing emissions by 26-28%; Australian Capital
Territory 65-75% and Tasmania already achieved net zero in 2015 (ClimateWorks Australia 2021; Australian Government,
2022). The five focus areas of the Australia-India zero-carbon building construction network provide a unique opportunity
for both countries to fulfil commitments towards achieving a net-zero emissions strategy for a more sustainable built
environment. Other global strategies for facilitating zero carbon buildings, such as the Advancing Net Zero campaign
established by the World Green Building Council (WGBC) in 2016, aim to catalyse the efforts of governments, the academia,
industry and other built environment professions towards meeting country requirements of the Paris Agreement on
Climate Change.
The WGBC recognises leadership action taken by businesses, organisations, cities and sub-national governments to tackle
operational and embodied carbon emissions from the building and construction sector. According to the WGBC, this will
require deep collaboration across value chains and a radical transformation of the manner in which buildings should be
designed, built and occupied (WGBC, 2023). Furthermore, it requires new building models that promote circularity, high
performance operations, whole life cycle thinking, etc. Two commitments of the WGBC are that by 2030 existing buildings
reduce energy consumption and eliminate emissions from energy and refrigerants; and that new developments and major
renovations are built to be highly efficient, powered by renewables with a maximum reduction in embodied carbon and
compensation of residual and upfront emissions (WGBC, 2023).
In response to the Paris Agreement’s call for reducing emissions well below 2°C, India is initiating a series of progressive
commitments, such as the recent upgrades to the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), encouraging green building
rating and energy certification and stimulating markets for low carbon/high efficiency technologies. This effort could
further align with national, sub-national and private sectors to facilitate the attainment of low-carbon emissions targets
(Graham & Rawal, 2019).
This report is based on the conduct and collaborative outcomes from three dialogues between academia, government,
and industry to develop an action roadmap towards achieving zero-carbon buildings. The dialogues were funded by AIC
and aim to promote collaboration between Australian and Indian organisations in the built environment. As part of the
commitment of countries to work towards achieving benchmarks to achieve a net zero emission construction strategy,
Australia and India have taken a step in the right direction to not only foster bilateral ties in terms of trade and investment
across key sectors, but also by opting to engage in a collaborative project that would facilitate a legacy of collaboration
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between both nations to achieve net-zero emission outcomes. The collaboration is underpinned by research and
collaborative engagement considering key stakeholders – the industry, policy makers and educators in India and
Australia. This will work by mapping the industry’s readiness, trade and supply networks, behavioural and cultural
influences, and educational integration, amongst others, to assist in achieving a zero-carbon construction agenda.
This report therefore identifies the approaches of both Australia and India in making climate action a central subject
across government, industry and non-profit sectors to reflect the built environment as an integral component of the
environment which largely influences economic, social and cultural aspects of societies. This report is based on three
in-depth dialogues
1
which are underpinned by five strategic focus areas, including: (i) construction market, technology,
and industry readiness; (ii) trade and supply network challenges; (iii) behavioural and cultural issues; (iv) policy
challenges/opportunities and (v) educational capacity-awareness, capacity and skills. The project thus aligned with the
2021-22 Australia-India grant objectives in terms of (i) raising awareness of Australia in India and India in Australia in a
manner that encouraged further growth in relations between the two countries, including trade and investment
relationships; and (ii) promoting exchange and collaboration between Australian and Indian organisations in the fields of
relevance to the bilateral economic relations.
1
Some event highlights and insights, collaboration priorities and proposed actions have been published on a digital platform (www.aibcnzero.com) to facilitate
knowledge sharing with the broader community.
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ZERO-CARBON CONSTRUCTION STRATEGIC
FOCUS AREAS: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.
ZERO-
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2. ZERO-CARBON CONSTRUCTION STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 CONSTRUCTION MARKET, TECHNOLOGY, AND INDUSTRY READINESS
The buildings and construction sector is one of the largest energy-utilising sectors accounting for one-third of the world’s
final energy use contributing to high environmental impact not only with regards to energy consumption and GHG
emissions, but also in terms of wastes extracted and generated (IEA 2021a; Economidou et al., 2020). This is despite the
40% contribution to energy consumption and 36% contribution to energy-related GHG emissions in European Union (EU)
countries indicating a large untapped potential to adopt energy efficiency models in response to global climate and
environmental challenges (Tsemekidi-Tzeiranaki et al, 2019; Economidou et al., 2020; Maduta, Giulia & Paolo 2022). Due
to the rising demand for a thriving economy, there is now a clarion call for the building and construction industry to
deliver on efficient and cost-effective GHG emission-mitigation strategies. The integration of climate change policies and
strategies into the construction industry’s operations have therefore been regarded as a viable option given the
anticipated increase in housing stock which is set to be doubled by 2050 (Abergel et al., 2019; WGBC 2019; Bruyère et al.,
2020). With this in view, assessing the state of readiness of the construction industry to drive the process of achieving
net-zero buildings will require an assessment of how prepared people, systems and organisations are to adopt or adapt
to the ever-evolving ‘green’ market and technology trends (Mansour et al., 2023).
Assessing markets, technology and industry readiness would involve reviewing current state-of-the-art net-zero
adoption trends as well as net-zero research and development (R&D) outcomes globally and in the context of Australia
and India. For instance, using a building computer-simulation technique, modelling can be done on a 5-star energy rated
house to validate its energy performance. According to the same study, maximising the thermal performance of a building
envelope, minimising the energy requirement, and incorporating solar energy technologies is financially and technology
feasible to achieve annual performance (Kwan & Guan, 2015).
Tam et al. (2018) studied biologically inspired algorithms in different fields of sustainable building design. The study
identified two major software tools, GaBi and SimaPro, that were widely used by sustainable project practitioners to
develop models for assessing lifecycle energy consumption and GHG emissions of buildings. In the context of Mumbai in
India, the biomimicry design concept has been analysed and evaluated. This approach model for biomimetic architecture
is utilised for assessing the possibility of providing a more sustainable built environment. The findings also suggest that
biomimicry is a successful approach for building design and operation (Cuce et al., 2019). Through the National Solar
Mission commitment in India, photovoltaic systems are gradually replacing the traditional fossil-fuel power generating
systems to generate benevolent electricity. Such systems have been recommended as a possible solution for reducing
the heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) and air conditioning loads in buildings (Reddy et al., 2020). The adoption of
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Hybrid Optimization Models for Electric Renewables (HOMER) in residential buildings in the Coimbatore region of
Tamilnadu, India, has also been identified as an appropriate solution in smart cities (Alagar & Thirumal, 2021).
Given the need to address the limitations involved in adopting net-zero emissions strategies for buildings, Green Building
Sustainability Models (GBSM) have been developed and empirically tested in India with the intention of maintaining green
performance levels and adoption of green practices in commercial and residential buildings (Sharma, 2018). Khandelwal,
Jain and Gupta (2020) provide further examples of net-zero emissions (NZE) adoption by architects, design professionals,
builders, etc., utilising new design concepts for green buildings and citing the iconic Paryavaran Bhawan building in New
Delhi, India. In Australia, the building and construction sector has developed several initiatives indicating readiness to
implement net-zero emissions strategies across states and territories (see Table 1).
Table 1: Industry-based climate change strategies across Australian states and territories
States/Territory
Strategies
New South Wales
▪ Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program
Northern Territory
▪ Large Emitters Policy
Queensland
▪ Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund
Tasmania
▪ Energy Saver Loan Scheme
Victoria
▪ Business Recovery Energy Efficiency Fund
Western Australia
▪ Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy for Major Projects
Source: Adapted from Prasad et al., (2021)
Novel analytic techniques that align spatial characteristics of the built environment with information on building
materials, and GHG embodiment informing planning and investment decisions at the district, suburb and city scale have
been employed using three-dimensional models to inform environmentally sustainable urban planning and design
(Schandl et al., 2020). Lu et al. (2021) modelled a fully decarbonised electricity system with complete electrification of
heating, transport and industry in Australia and found an 80% reduction in GHG emissions. According to the study, high
levels of reliability and affordability can be achieved through a synergy of flexible energy sources, interconnection of
electricity grids, mass energy storage, and responses from demand-side participation.
Other studies that have examined the possibility of achieving net zero are exemplified by academic and industry-based
research in the area of value engineering for the reduction of embodied carbon (Robati et al, 2021); green steel
technologies through the deployment of sophisticated and highly optimised blast furnace technologies (Venkataraman et
al., 2022); state-of-the-art concrete technology operations considering microstructures of sustainable concrete (Wasim
et al., 2022); lifecycle energy of residential buildings (Li et al., 2021); lifetime impact of building materials (Robati et al.,
2021); engineering wood products such as Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) as alternatives for concrete and steel in
construction (Jayalath et al., 2020); and mass timber and conventional concrete and steel for construction of mid-rise
buildings (Himes & Busby, 2020; Heffernan et al., 2017; Robati & Oldfield, 2022).
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Strategies for delivering high performance NZE for high-rise residential buildings have been investigated using building
simulation. Findings indicate that NZE performance for high rise buildings can be realised in Australia (Alawode &
Rajagopalan, 2022). In addition, the latest ideas for net-zero building design projects and building performance, including
combined systems in hot and humid climate regions, are being investigated in India (Sudhakar et al., 2019). Having
explored NZE strategies for natural ventilation systems, cooling and humidification design, and ventilated attic building
designs, the research proposed wind tower dehumidification design and attic building designs for hot and humid regions.
The application of cool roof-top technology systems on warehouse type buildings were found to be energy efficient in a
sub-tropical environment. Similar technologies applied to Australian buildings have also indicated energy savings can be
achieved in all broad Australian climatic zones (Seifhashemi et al., 2018). Photovoltaic (PV) panels have been applauded
as a useful medium for achieving net zero emission buildings (NZEB) given their cost-effectiveness and ease of availability
(Chandel Sharma, & Marwaha, 2016). For colder climatic regions, wind energy has been identified as a better energy
generation source (Mahdavi Adeli et al, 2020). In the event of the construction industry’s market and technology
readiness to apply net-zero strategies, supply chain networks and trade facilitation becomes crucial. The following
section will briefly identify some trade and supply network challenges and opportunities for enabling various stakeholders
to address common issues while deploying available, new and emerging technologies to meet market demand and supply
requirements.
2.2 TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORKS
In spite of the enormous benefits of adopting NZE practices and the prevailing high standards of environmental and social
performance in approaching sustainability, developers are still faced with the challenge of elevated costs associated
with transitioning to low carbon homes (Osmani & O’Reilly, 2009). Technology challenges have however led to barriers
in the advancement of manufacturing and supply chains, which result in difficulties associated with investing in new
technologies to produce innovative products and systems that facilitate uptake.
As developed and developing countries race towards net zero, exploring sustainable renewable energy supply networks
becomes increasingly crucial. Potrč et al., (2021) opines that to achieve the goal of a carbon neutral European Union (EU),
meeting the climate targets of the Paris Agreement will require sustainable, efficient, competitive and secure energy
systems to be developed. With more than 1.5 million new job opportunities to be created across the EU over the next 30
years, current energy transitions are set to have a significantly positive impact on environmental, social and economic
aspects of sustainability (Potrč et al. 2021).
Macro-level supply chain analysis focusing on the construction industry’s carbon footprint between 2009 and 2020
suggests that carbon reduction policies should consider the role of indirect, complex and interconnected global supply
chains (Onat & Kucukvar, 2020). The authors developed a multi-period mixed-integer programming model with the
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objective of maximising sustainability net present value considering different biomass and waste resources to produce
biofuels, renewable electricity, hydrogen, etc.
Australia’s economy is projected to experience exponential growth over the next 40 years. This puts Australia in a position
to respond to future challenges and seize limitless opportunities that could arise from climate change trade and
investment policy directions (ClimateWorks Australia, 2021). According to the State and Territory Leading Policy and
Programs Report 2021, policy implementation plays a crucial role in fostering the adoption of net-zero carbon regulation
goals (ClimateWorks Australia, 2021). This is because policies provide an enabling environment for implementation,
especially in land-use, spatial planning, procurement and finance. Also identified in the report are the strides made by
the Australian Government in integrating climate actions into policies to include social carbon integration; project
guidelines that incorporate specific requirements for projects to indicate support for net-zero emissions by 2050; better
procurement practice guidelines that provide clear pathways for aligning government procurement strategies to meet
climate change objectives; and environmentally sustainable roadmaps and planning systems that provide renewable
energy and support for low emissions activities in line with emissions reductions targets, amongst others.
According to the Australian Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy (2021-2025) report, increasing industry and
cross sectoral resilience is vital for the built environment (DAWE 2021). This will ensure Australia remains competitive in
global markets, while providing the right skill sets around sustainability and potentially increasing employment and
attracting investment. The role of the financial sector in considering financial markets and corporate governance when
implementing net-zero emissions strategies for the built environment is also significant. This could include incentives
for efficient supply chain processes, insurance reviews for residential and commercial upgrades to renewable energy
and policies for affordability and accessibility for uptake.
2.3 BEHAVIOURAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES
Behavioural and cultural issues that lead to limitations in the uptake of NZE mitigation policies and strategies have been
related to several causative factors which may include technical and design barriers. Osman and O’Reilly (2009) argue
that such barriers could emanate from the perceived unreliability of existing technologies to integrate renewables into
small-scale developments, beliefs that installations could be detrimental to profits, and builders' reluctance to adopt
policies that require changes to traditional designs, amongst others. The study found that at an industry level, renewable
features are technically feasible while legislative, financial and cultural issues may be substantially difficult to overcome.
Hence, achieving climate change policy targets will require the promotion of climate-friendly behaviour (Jakučionytė-
Skodienė & Liobikienė, 2021).
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Considering that actions relating to climate change mitigation have different costs and benefits, Jakučionytė-Skodienė
& Liobikienė, (2021) sought to examine the influence of climate change concerns and personal responsibility on climate
change mitigation. The findings indicated that climate change mitigation performance varied across countries. Individuals
were more likely to reduce waste and regularly separate it for recycling. Others noted that they performed actions such
as purchasing low-energy homes and electric vehicles. On the other hand, individual cognitive practices were identified
as contributing to contractual limitations in traditional procurement methods, which hinder effective implementation of
a performance-based system in the context of whole-life-cycle assessment in project design and delivery (Georgiadou,
2019).
The intersection of established knowledge with the experiences and behaviours of individuals and organisations during
adoption of novel concepts requires changes in mindsets and practices (Rostami et al., 2015). This paper summarised
the evidence into five categories of benefits, which include: (i) cost efficiency; (ii) quality assurance and on-time delivery;
(iii) collaboration and communication improvement; (iv) design optimisation; and (v) life-cycle thinking and sustainability.
Balvedi et al. (2018) also suggest occupant behaviours have a direct impact on energy consumption. Bastida et al. (2019)
explored the potential of ICT-based interventions in households to decrease electricity usage, improve energy efficiency
and thus contribute to reducing GHG emissions. Findings suggest that ICT-based interventions in household energy use
could potentially contribute between 0.23% and 3.3% of the EU CO2 reduction target.
The AIC project emphasised the need to initiate the right policy signals across the concerned sectors with a view to
understanding the cultural and behavioural issues that could hinder the adoption of net-zero emissions strategies in both
countries (i.e. Australia and India). The rationale behind this was to provide an enabling environment for cross-
disciplinary and cross-institutional knowledge sharing that would build on cross-boundary experiences from Australia
and India to create opportunities for providing solutions to the identified issues. Integrating such perspectives in the
short, medium or long term would require continuous educational capacity building through raising awareness and
building the right skill set and capabilities to adopt and adapt to new technologies that would facilitate NZE strategies for
the built environment.
2.4 EDUCATIONAL CAPACITY – AWARENESS, CAPABILITIES AND SKILLS
Global calls for the adoption of sustainable and resilient construction processes and practices have necessitated
increased consideration of investing in the built environment. Achieving this would require renewed focus on absorptive,
adaptive and restorative capabilities, emerging technologies (ETs) in the form of smart materials, and advanced
technologies in the form of smart materials, advanced construction and sensing technologies. Kibria et al. (2018)
identifies multiple concepts for low carbon development (LCD) in different countries, highlighting the improvements made
in energy efficiency and conservation, increased use of low carbon green energy, renewable energy, reduction of carbon
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footprint, etc. The study observes that countries such as Australia, China, India and Bangladesh are working together to
raise awareness and to build their capacities to address the behavioural changes of communities toward LCD. Shahbaz
et al. (2020) emphasise the fact that individuals with better environmental educations and incomes will demand high
standards of environmental quality based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). In addition, it is expected that the
higher the economic growth, the better the environmental quality and ultimately quality of human life (see Figure 3).
Figure 3: The Environmental Kuznets Curve (LHS); Change in North Carolina’s electricity generation between
2000-2014 (RHS). Source: Sanders (2017); Ansari (2022)
According to Sanders (2017), developing economies are more likely to produce greater pollution than the pre-existing
state of nature. Pollution grows as an economy develops; however, there is a turning point where pollution could decline
due to industry shifts, technological advancements and the changing preferences of consumers. It is also inferred that
when societal wealth, life expectancy and productivity reaches a certain point, people begin to value a cleaner
environment.
Utilising new technologies would require education and training to facilitate institutional, industry and organisational
responses (Stevenson & Kwok, 2020). The essence of the Australia-India Zero-Carbon Building Construction Network
(AIBCN) is therefore to understand how education and training could be rapidly or incrementally changed to reflect a
culture of adopting net-zero strategies for the built environment. This will in turn facilitate transitions to and
implementation of NZE policies successfully. Finally, developing capabilities would also entail drawing from positive
examples and models often actualised through changes in pedagogy, theory, policy and practice. In view of ground-
breaking technologies that advance the discourse on NZE practices within the construction industry, it has been deduced
that comprehensive technical or policy frameworks can drive the uptake of smart energy for varying building types
(Kourgiozou et al., 2021). The following section will further discuss some challenges and opportunities for future policy
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directions that the collaborating countries (i.e. India and Australia) can adopt to further strengthen the pathways towards
achieving NZE outcomes.
2.5 NET ZERO POLICY DIRECTIONS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The building sector plays a crucial role in reducing the effect of global warming and keeping temperatures well below
1.5°C. This is because building and construction are responsible for about 38% of global energy-related GHG emissions
(Prasad et al., 2021; GlobalABC, 2019). The AIBCN roadmap provides a pathway towards achieving a net-zero-emissions-
based construction industry that aligns with the commitment of both countries (i.e., India and Australia). In a bid to
achieve their pledges at the Conference of Parties (COP), India and Australia have set targets and benchmarks which
could radically or incrementally change the manner in which the construction industry designs, constructs and utilises
buildings.
Ranking fourth in carbon emissions globally, India’s power generation sector generates half of the total carbon emissions
in the country (Chandel et al., 2016; Chateau et al. 2023). The industrial sector in India consumes approximately 42% of
the total energy (Saini et al. 2021). According to Saini et al. (2021), the energy consumption for the domestic sector in
India has also increased at a higher rate (Chandel, Sharma and Marwaha 2016) leading to an annual growth rate of 7.58%
from the year 2008-2019. Conversely, in Australia residential energy consumption accounts for 24% with about 10% of
total carbon emission. Between 2018-2019 the industrial sector recorded higher energy consumption compared to the
building sector (Saini et al. 2021). This increase in energy consumption led to the introduction of the Energy Conservation
Act (ECA) and other initiatives to drive the sustainability discourse within the energy and construction sector. Figure 4
illustrates the year-wise consumption growth for India across key sectors including the building sector.
Figure 4: Year-wise energy consumption growth for India.
Source: Saini et al. (2021)
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While developing initiatives and NZE strategies may take a multisectoral or multidisciplinary effort to actualise, given the
fragmented nature of the construction industry, Australia and India have set targets based on capabilities, resources
available and development trajectories. For instance, considering the energy consumption growth in India, the Indian
government introduced the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) to provide standards for energy performance to
aid designers and architects to integrate energy-efficient passive design components into buildings alongside renewable
energy (IEA, 2020; Nandi & Basu, 2008). Through execution of and compliance with the ECBC, India also aims to achieve
a 50% reduction in energy consumption in the commercial buildings sector by 2030 and through its Building Energy
Efficiency Programme (BEEP) of 2007, the target set was about 10,000 retrofits for commercial buildings by 2020 (Saini
et al., 2021).
India possesses a unique opportunity in the building sector to reduce future energy demand and build market and
business opportunities for energy efficient and affordable building components, as over 70% of building stock estimated
for 2030 is yet to be constructed (cited in Saini et al., 2021). India also aims to achieve 40% of total electricity through
non-fossil fuel energy and 35% carbon energy reduction by 2030 from 2005 levels through its variety of energy
resources (IEA 2020). Prasad et al. (2021) provide some examples of strategies to achieve net-zero whole life carbon
buildings. This is bearing in mind that the net zero status is achieved by offsetting unavoidable carbon emissions through
renewable energy generation or other carbon offsets that can be approved under the Climate Active Carbon Neutral
Standard for Buildings which provides best-practice guidance on how to measure, reduce and report emissions data for
buildings. Figure 5 illustrates some strategies for achieving net-zero whole life carbon buildings.
Figure 5: Strategies for achieving net-zero whole life carbon buildings.
Source: Prasad et al. (2021)
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With constant calls for a climate emergency guide for the built environment, public policies are now emerging to minimise
the contribution of the built environment to climate change through a shift to low energy buildings that can be powered
by utilising renewable energy sources (Kibert & Fard, 2012; Prasad et al., 2021). This is reflective of the strong institutional
frameworks applied by countries globally, of which the United Kingdom and Australia are exemplary leaders, in
formulating and adopting climate policies and strategic directions (Pareliussen et al., 2022). The United Kingdom is also
pioneering work to embed climate considerations in the financial sector. According to Pareliussen et al. (2022), achieving
carbon neutrality will require policies to match ambitions. Such ambitions will require well-designed sectoral regulations
and cost-efficient renewable subsidy schemes. Table 2 identifies some net-zero government policy initiatives across
some states and territories in Australia.
Table 2: Australia’s net-zero policy initiatives across some states and territories
State/Territory
Initiative
Australian Capital Territory
▪ Minimum efficiency standards for rental homes
▪ Energy Efficiency Improvement Scheme
New South Wales
▪ Energy Savings Scheme
▪ LED Lighting Upgrade Program
South Australia
▪ Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme
▪ Energy Efficient Government Buildings Commitment
Tasmania
▪ Public Housing Heating and Energy Efficiency Initiative
Victoria
▪ Victorian Energy Upgrades Program
▪ Greener Government Buildings Program
▪ Solar Homes Program
▪ Household Energy Savings Package
Source: Adapted from Prasad et al., (2021)
The transition to low and net-zero energy buildings brings about numerous challenges for the built environment. These
challenges may be because of the costs, technologies available to aid transition, cultural and behavioural aspects that
influence uptake, awareness of the benefits of transition, or upstream and downstream power sector policies which are
critical for providing an enabling environment to facilitate transition. Figure 6 illustrates Australia’s 2030 emissions
reduction targets and initiatives.
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Figure 6: Australia’s 2030 emissions reduction targets and initiatives
Adapted from Climate Works Australia (2021); Image credit: Pixabay.com ©
As part of Australia’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions through low-energy building strategies, the Trajectory for
Low Energy Building provides a national plan which sets a trajectory towards zero energy and carbon ready buildings.
Due to this initiative, the National Construction Code (NCC) undertook revisions that were geared towards increasing
energy-efficiency provisions for residential and commercial buildings. Other initiatives for driving net-zero carbon are
itemised in Table 3.
2030 Target:
30% reduction on 2005 levels
2030 Target:
50% reduction on 2005 levels
2030 Target:
45-50% reduction on 2005 levels
2030 Target:
Net zero emissions targets achieved in 2015
2050 Target:
Net zero emissions
2050 Target:
Net zero emissions
2030 Target:
50% reduction on 2005 levels
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Table 3: Australian net-zero emissions initiatives
Initiative
Focus/Outcome
Green Building Council of
Australia
▪ Developed and released a carbon positive roadmap for the built
environment. This roadmap noted clearly the targets for building
decarbonisation for new and existing buildings, focusing on 2030 and 2050
emissions targets.
Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE)
▪ Developed as part of the Zero Carbon Australia project which led to the
production of a building plan that revolutionised the building sector’s race
towards attaining zero energy and emission buildings.
ASBEC & ClimateWorks
Australia
▪ This was a collaborative initiative to develop a “built to perform” industry-
led pathway towards a zero-carbon ready building code.
Climate Council
▪ An initiative stimulating Australian government’s response to commit to at
least 75% reduction of emissions below 2005 levels by 2030.
Based on coordinated action in four key areas, the Australian Government has developed a whole-of-economy plan to
achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 (see Figure 7).
Figure 7: Australia’s whole-of-economy plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Adapted from Australian Government (2021).
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2.6 NET ZERO OPERATIONAL AND EMBODIED CARBON STRATEGIES
Operational carbon arises from daily operational activities when buildings are in use. Emissions could also come from
building maintenance and other activities, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) as well as lighting.
According to International Energy Agency (IEA) (IEA, 2021b), operational energy is the total direct and indirect GHG
emissions from all energy consumed during the use stage of a building’s lifecycle. It includes regulated load (i.e., heating,
cooling, ventilation and lighting) unregulated loads (ICT equipment, cooking and refrigeration appliances). Table 4 provides
some categories of greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. See also Table 5 for strategies for achieving net-zero
operational carbon performance.
Table 4: Categories of greenhouse gas emissions in buildings
Emission types
Examples
Direct emissions
▪ Fossil fuel consumption in buildings (gas boilers, cooking equipment, etc.)
▪ Natural and synthetic refrigerants
Indirect emissions
(building energy
consumption)
▪ Electricity consumption by heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems;
refrigeration equipment; lighting and other building services (pumps, lifts etc.);
equipment and plug loads (computers, appliances, etc.)
Indirect emissions from
other sources
▪ Embodied carbon from materials in a building
▪ Emissions from water use and sewage treatment; waste sent to landfill
Figures 8 and 9 illustrate key strategies aimed at reducing operational carbon, which can be categorised into three broad
priorities: (i) Energy-efficient design strategies (ii) On-site energy generation (iii) Off-site energy generation
Table 5: Strategies for achieving net-zero operational carbon performance
Priorities
(commercial and residential buildings)
Strategies
New Buildings
▪ Designing in response climate and site: climate responsiveness;
appropriate external surface colour and surrounding vegetation
▪ Building size, form and orientation: optimum building size; appropriate
orientation and efficient form
▪ Efficient building fabric and openings: efficient and appropriate glazing and
shading; appropriate insulation; appropriate airtightness.
▪ Efficient HVAC and lighting: efficient ventilation, heating and cooling;
efficient hot water heating; efficient appliances etc.
Retrofits
▪ Building fabrics and opening upgrades: Improving or adding insulation;
implementing cool and green roofs; using advanced glazing.
▪ HVAC and lighting upgrades: HVAC upgrades; combined heat and power
plants; high efficiency lighting; ceiling fans; high efficiency lighting
New buildings and retrofits
▪ Generating energy from on-site renewables: Photovoltaic systems;
building integrated wind turbines
▪ Generating energy from off-site renewables: precinct-level energy
generation; power purchase agreements; green power
▪ Energy storage: electric storage hot water systems; distributed energy
storage systems
Adapted from Prasad et al. (2021)
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Figures 8 and 9 illustrate some practical examples of strategies to achieve net-zero operational carbon for commercial
and residential buildings.
Figure 8: Commercial building strategies to achieve net-zero operational carbon.
Source: Beyond Zero Emissions (2014); Prasad (2021)
Figure 9: Residential building strategies to achieve net-zero operational carbon.
Source: Beyond Zero Emissions (2014); Prasad (2021).
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The embodied carbon emissions refer to the total of all direct and indirect GHG emissions that may arise from the
production of and processing activities for materials and for construction of a building (Prasad et al., 2021). It includes
procurement and installation of building components and materials as well as production processes. While operational
carbon emissions can be reduced through updated policies, regulations and improvement in energy efficiency, embodied
carbon emissions represent a critical and growing proportion of whole life carbon emissions of buildings. According to
Prasad et al. (2022), there are still significant gaps in policy measures to reduce the embodied carbon emissions of
buildings. Figure 10 therefore provides a four-path guided strategy for reducing embodied carbon emissions in buildings.
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Note
: EIO refers to the Economic-Input-Output (a whole economy computation method for establishing embodied energy).
Figure 10: Strategies for reducing embodied carbon at various stages of the design process.
Adapted from Prasad et al. (2022)
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AUSTRALIA–INDIA ENGAGEMENT AND DIALOGUES
3.
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3. AUSTRALIA–INDIA ENGAGEMENT AND DIALOGUES
3.1 EVENTS DESIGN, MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION
As outlined in Table 6, the project was structured in three phases. The events were conducted via virtual and face-to-face
engagement and collaborative mediums held simultaneously in Australia and India using a hybrid approach. Each phase
comprised of joint dialogue sessions to highlight the thematic focus areas of the project. The events were characterised
by joint dialogue sessions, question and answer (Q&A) sessions, discussions, side-event meetings, etc. The three events,
Driving the Zero Carbon Construction Strategy: Key Drivers and Opportunities; Industry partnerships for mapping and
operationalising zero-carbon construction networks; and Educational Partnerships for Curriculum Design, featured key
stakeholders from industry, the public sector and academia from Australia and India.
Table 6: Engagement and Dialogues
Planned activity
Development of zero-carbon building position paper focus on the following aspects in relation to zero-carbon buildings:
(1) Construction Market, Technology, and Industry Readiness
(2) Trade and Supply Network Challenges and Opportunities
(3) Behavioural and Cultural Issues
(4) Policy Challenges and Opportunities
(5) Educational Capacity – Awareness, Capabilities and Skills.
The position paper reviews global literature on the focus areas and identifies zero-carbon engagement priorities for
Australia and India. The paper also informs and facilitates the three dialogues with key stakeholders.
Event 1: Joint Dialogue – Driving the Zero-Carbon Construction Strategy: Key Drivers and Opportunities
The University of Newcastle, Amity University and Colliers co-chaired the event, inviting representatives from Australia,
India and other parts of the world. The event was hosted and synchronized face-to-face in Sydney and Mumbai via Zoom.
Panel members comprised academic, government and private sector individuals situated in Sydney and Mumbai (maximum
of five from each country). Panellists were asked to speak for about five minutes each. This was followed by plenary
discussions and Q&A with participants. The event lasted for about three hours. One invited speaker from India delivered a
presentation at the Sydney venue, while one team member from Australia presented at the Mumbai venue.
It was expected that 30 to 50 participants from Australia and India would participate in the face-to-face event. However,
for Australia, a total of 82 registrations (21 in-person; 61 online) were recorded, while for India, 130 registrations (70 in-
person; 60 online) were recorded. Moreover, participants from Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and
the United Kingdom participated in the event via Zoom.
Announcement of a cross-country zero-carbon student project
As part of Event 1, a student competition aimed at fostering cross-country collaboration and innovation in education in
relation to a zero-carbon building brief was launched. Students from UoN and Amity University formed cross-university
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teams, working together virtually and face-to-face to achieve the project brief. The outputs of the students were exhibited
at Event 3.
Event 2: Joint Dialogue: Industry Partnerships for Mapping and Operationalizing Zero-Carbon Construction
Networks
The University of Newcastle, Amity University and Colliers co-chaired the event. Representatives from Australia and India
were primarily invited for the event. The event was hosted and synchronized face-to-face in Sydney and Bangalore via
Zoom.
Participants from the academic, government and private sector, were invited to be part of the event. Following the initial
framing of the key discussion topics for the event, participants were added to groups to identify opportunities and
strategies for collaboration/partnerships between India and Australia. One invited speaker from India delivered a
presentation at the Sydney venue, while one team member from Australia presented at the Mumbai venue.
It was expected that 25 participants each from Australia and India would take part in the face-to-face event. However, for
Australia, a total of 59 registrations (19 in-person; 40 online) were recorded, while for India, 183 registrations (90 in-
person; 93 online) were recorded. Meetings were held to discuss the progress of the cross-country zero-carbon student
project.
A side-meeting with relevant stakeholders was held to evaluate the progress of the project.
Event 3: Joint Virtual Dialogue: Educational Partnerships for Curriculum Design, Expert Knowledge Sharing and
Work Integrated Learning
The University of Newcastle, Amity University and Colliers co-chaired this event, inviting representatives from Australia,
India and worldwide. The event was synchronized, hosting face-to-face and online participants in Newcastle and New Delhi
via Zoom. Participants from academic, industry and government sectors were invited to the event. This was followed by
framing of the key discussion topics and participants were added into groups to identify skill and curriculum gaps in
developing zero-carbon construction management education and strategies for developing collaboration. The event lasted
for about three hours. It was expected that a total of 30 participants would attend the event from each country. However,
82 (37 in-person; 45 online) registrations were recorded from Australia while approximately 317 registrations (approx.
250 in-person; 67 online) were recorded for India.
Exhibition of the cross-country student projects
Event 3 displayed the completed work of students from the competition. Prize winners were announced at this event. The
purpose was to enhance the international exchange of ideas and provide a framework for future student exchange
collaborations.
Development of a final (project outcomes) report
This report comprises discussions from the dialogues. It involves analysed and synthesised documentation of critical
insights, collaboration priorities and action maps. The policy directions also identify strategies for developing and engaging
in education and trade-based collaboration networks on zero-carbon building construction between India and Australia.
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Specifically, these individuals comprised experts drawn from design, construction, real estate, government, green building
accreditation bodies, etc., to share their knowledge on a range of issues that cut across current industry trends, priorities,
policy directions, challenges and opportunities. The knowledge-sharing technique was applied in a manner that focused on
promoting cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional, and transboundary dialogue between stakeholders to address challenges
in both countries. Other highlights of the three-phase project featured a design competition involving students working in
teams to design a net-zero carbon strategy considering several factors, including how sustainable designs, construction
and operations influence the zero-carbon performance of buildings, amongst others. As part of the third event, Australian
students and their counterparts were provided with the opportunity of engaging with sustainability experts and students
from India and Australia.
3.2 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION
Through a collaborative knowledge-sharing approach, internal and external correspondence with project team members
and partners took place using online and face-to-face file-sharing platforms such as email, Zoom sessions, phone calls,
etc. Details of information regarding correspondence were culminated in documents via digital online and printed formats.
These included the project briefing and debriefing sessions vis-à-vis event planning for logistics and other issues of project
implementation. On a broader scale, the project was advertised on various platforms to attract participants to take part
in the event. Participants were also draw from other countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand
and the United Kingdom.
3.3 CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS DURING IMPLEMENTATION
As part of an evaluative process to obtain the outcome of the project, some challenges that occurred during the event
were found to be technology and logistics based. Synchronising the event across the two countries and other participating
countries across the globe resulted in minor technical glitches during live streaming. However, these issues were resolved
using available technical capabilities, leading to the successful completion of the events. Secondly, the exhibitors preferred
a virtual form of exhibition rather than a face-to-face mode. As a way of compensating for the logistics challenge regarding
the Indian project participants who could not attend the event physically, and vice versa (i.e., Australia to India), the online
platforms were made available to enable cross-country participation in the three events.
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AUSTRALIA–INDIA ENGAGEMENT AND DIALOGUES
4.
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4. THE OUTCOMES – RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Having jointly dialogued on critical issues cutting across research, policy and practice for adopting net-zero carbon
construction initiatives, several themes emerged that served as a starting point for mapping a successful pathway towards
developing a holistic framework/roadmap. The key issues deliberated upon include the following:
a) Barriers and enablers for zero-carbon practices
b) Policy initiatives to drive zero-carbon practices
c) Strategies for enhancing educational capacity.
4.1 BARRIERS AND ENABLERS FOR ZERO-CARBON PRACTICES
During the joint dialogue sessions for identifying barriers and enablers for zero-carbon practices, two key issues emerged:
(i) designing and delivering zero-carbon building education, and (ii) designing, constructing and operating zero-carbon
buildings. As a strategic step towards developing a holistic framework that considers expert views from Australia and
India, Tables 7, 8 and 9 provides further details on the key issues and identified gaps discussed that could provide
opportunities for future engagement and collaboration between the two countries and respective project partners.
Table 7: Key issues and identified gaps for zero-carbon practices
Key issues
Identified gaps
Design and delivery of zero-carbon
building education
▪ Design and delivery of zero-carbon education
▪ Transforming mental models of professionals in practice
▪ Awareness of industry dynamics
▪ Facilitating multisectoral engagements
▪ Reviewing education and training models
Design, construction and operation
of zero-carbon buildings
▪ Methodologies for measuring carbon
▪ Integrating sustainability components at early stages of building design
▪ Perceived cost implications
4.1.1 Design and delivery of zero-carbon building education
Participants emphasised the need to identify the right skill sets and to work in synergy across academia, industry and
government to facilitate training, especially through apprenticeships and other trades-based programs. The rationale
behind identifying these cadres was to ensure a renewed focus on intensifying and diversifying capacity and capability-
building platforms for the implementation of net-zero carbon initiatives through knowledge acquisition across various
disciplines and levels. According to expert views, this will require assessment of the trajectory of education and training
in key capability areas, including technical and design capabilities. While acknowledging the multidisciplinary nature of the
built environment, experts called for the need to review the existing mental models of professional practice. This was
deemed necessary because of the need to synergise the sustainability discourse given the variances in disciplinary
cultures and professional codes of practice. The construction industry is a fragmented one, hence the need for radical
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cooperation utilising a multifaceted and holistic approach for developing effective strategies to influence uptake of net-
zero carbon building construction initiatives.
Through increased awareness of industry dynamics, professionals can also assess the impact of their business operations
on climate change. According to participants, raising awareness of the current barriers in the industry can act as a driving
force for quickly identifying and proffering solutions. This can be achieved by also providing industry updates to identify
multisectoral trends. On further analysis, it was found that continuous multisectoral engagement with industry was crucial,
as participants identified workshops, seminars and conferences as channels for collaborative engagements. Such mediums
expand the horizons of students, academics and professionals by enhancing their understanding of changing trends and
leading to incorporation of various aspects of change in curriculum delivery. As a pathway for design and delivery of zero-
carbon building education, promoting sustainable design and construction practices can be achieved through shifts in
pedagogies, curriculum design and content delivery to reflect sustainability.
The shifts in pedagogies, curriculum design and content delivery will entail reviewing and transforming existing models of
education and training, and this process should focus on guiding students and trainees by helping them identify sources of
information and learning resources. Participants also emphasised the need to include the cost benefit analysis for adopting
net-zero emissions strategies in design and construction. A knowledge of cost implications will largely influence transitions
while technical and technology-driven options are identified to prepare the present and future workforce to be a part of
the transition to future energy systems, including further uptake of renewables.
4.1.2 Design, Construction and Operation of Zero-carbon Buildings
Among key issues identified in the joint sessions were market challenges associated with the design, construction and
operation of zero-carbon buildings. Facilitating strategies for consistency in the measurement of carbon will also involve
providing tools that can enable professionals and businesses to measure and control emissions. For example, encouraging
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for business operations and identifying other methods for measurement can be
good starting points. Integrating carbon reduction considerations into the early stages of building design was also identified
as an area that required consideration. This approach, however, calls for continuous knowledge sharing to raise awareness
and to create an enabling environment in which industry professionals can share best practice guides for implementing
net-zero strategies. Participants also expressed concerns about the issue of perceived high-cost implications associated
with implementing net-zero building strategies.
4.2 POLICY INITIATIVES TO DRIVE ZERO-CARBON PRACTICES
In terms of policy initiatives, issues that emerged were related to policy, technological skills and funding landscapes for
fostering innovation in the design and delivery of zero-carbon building education. Emerging areas included government
funding and grants; mainstreaming innovations through EPDs and green financing; tools, data and information relevant for
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benchmarking and comparing building performance; creating awareness; developing tools for measuring embodied
emissions consistently and working with industry and governments (see table 8).
Table 8: Key issues for policies to drive zero-carbon practices
Key issues
Identified gaps
Mainstreaming innovations
▪ Government funding and grants
▪ Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
▪ Green finance
▪
Tools, data and information
▪ Benchmarking and comparing building performance
▪ Creating awareness
▪ Working with industry and government
▪ Developing tools for measuring embodied emissions consistently
The need to mainstream innovation within the construction sector was identified as a significant requirement for driving
positive net-zero outcomes. Experts suggested the need for a renewed focus on government intervention through
government funding and grants. Major innovation shifts could also take the form of housing bonds and frameworks which
would assist developers and clients determine housing suitability, structures and projects involving green procurement
strategies. It was also suggested that manufacturers consider EPDs in situations where the environmental impact of
materials such as steel and cement can be assessed. This could greatly assist by rewarding projects that use materials
with EPDs and encourage supply chain stakeholders to discuss issues with manufacturers.
The use of frameworks or tools to encourage EPDs is therefore crucial for the construction industry to meet targets for
carbon emissions reductions in both Australian and Indian contexts. These processes also need to involve certification by
reputable groups, while green funding provides an enabling environment. Providing sufficient information on the
construction industry’s products and contribution to GHG emissions is important. This will enable manufacturers and those
in the supply chain to identify product impacts and declare them. Some available green funding schemes include
government rebates and government-funded schemes such as the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and the
Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) in Australia. The SRES provides financial incentives for individuals and
businesses to install small-scale renewable energy systems such as rooftop solar, solar water heaters and heat pumps.
These are made available via Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), while the LRET is run by the Federal Government
and intended for large-scale renewable energy generation in the form of power stations. Other examples include the Next
Generation Energy Storage Grants in the Australian Capital Territory and the Victorian Solar Rebates program.
Participants suggested that renewable electrification was the fastest way to reduce operational emissions. Steps towards
attaining this would be through considering household decisions which largely affect supply chains and ensuring that low-
income earners are not left behind. This could take the shape of incentives and credit schemes for the adoption of new
technologies, as well as government and financial institution policies.
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From an Indian perspective, the Indian government’s push for decarbonisation is being strengthened through the revision
of policies to facilitate the transition from fossil fuel to green hydrogen across sectors to bolster energy security through
a green hydrogen economy (Shankar, Saxena and Idnani 2022). The policy also provides incentives for setting up green
hydrogen facilities. The Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme for industries and the Energy Conservation Building Code
(ECBC) for commercial buildings have also been forecasted to receive significant upgrades. On the other hand, the
government of India is working towards reducing emissions through clean transportation to reduce dependency on fossil
fuels. The Indian government also launched the largest floating solar project in July 2022 in Kayamkulam, following the
100MW Floating Solar Project at Ramagundam in Telangana, as part of the country’s National Solar Mission initiative.
4.3 STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING EDUCATIONAL CAPACITY
Strategies for enhancing educational capacity would involve raising awareness of career opportunities available for
sustainability related disciplines. Key knowledge and skill areas for preparing construction industry professionals for zero-
carbon building design, construction and operations include capacity building; digitalisation; improved expert discussions
with stakeholders; enhanced policy directions to drive the process of adopting green building practices, amongst others
(see table 9).
Table 9: Emerging issues for enhancing educational capacity
Emerging issues
Identified gaps
Key knowledge and skill areas for
preparing construction industry
professionals for zero-carbon building
design, construction, and operations
▪ Capacity building
▪ Mindset shifts and behavioural adjustments
▪ Design thinking
▪ Technology advancements
▪ Expert consultations/discussions
▪ Transition pathways
▪ Setting key performance indicators
▪ Policy understanding
Encouraging students to consider career opportunities in sustainability can include providing students with information
about options available within sectors they may wish to be a part of. This could be made possible through expert
consultations and inviting guest speakers from industry and government to engage in symposiums, seminars, workshops,
etc. The three events held as part of the AIC project are examples of such forums, enabling knowledge sharing between
academia, industry and government. Such events can provide knowledge on technical options and technology-driven
solutions while preparing students for the present and future workforce as well as implications for uptake of renewables.
Through a regenerative approach to design and to the design-thinking processes of problem solving, the built environment
disciplines can focus on not just reducing embodied carbon in buildings and reworking existing buildings, but also
harnessing skills and talents to optimally utilise the built environment. Such efforts will therefore require emerging skill
sets to match the industry’s sustainability targets and energy transitions. Practical implications would involve considering
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the future of heating systems as well as skill sets suitable for constructing buildings and converting existing retrofitted
buildings to meet new standards, including understanding of policy directions and key performance indicators.
Additionally, future sustainability leaders in the built environment will need to be appropriately skilled not only in the
technical domains of sustainability but also in critical enabling skills, including leadership and other soft skills, in order to
drive radical transformations to urgently improve net-zero carbon performance in the built environment. Towards this
end, the AIC project delivered three elective courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students to facilitate cross
country and cross-institutional collaborative engagements between India and Australia. As part of the electives,
participating students undertook real-world projects in the built environment through an immersive experience while
developing their abilities, research and communication skills within diverse cultural contexts. The electives required
students to work in groups tasked with the responsibility of designing a sustainability strategy for a case study project.
Students were also provided the opportunity to participate in an international design competition to design a zero-carbon
strategy and their submissions were showcased at a public exhibition and live-streamed worldwide.
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CONCLUSION & OUTCOMES
5.
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5. CONCLUSION & OUTCOMES
As identified in the summary roadmap report by project partners Colliers International, this report provides a synergetic
view of the outcomes of the joint dialogue sessions, summarised into three broad areas identifying points of action and
responsibilities across three categories: developers, occupiers and governments. On the part of developers,
responsibilities would involve adopting design-led approaches wherein measures for decarbonisation can commence from
the planning stages of projects. Adopting sustainable building/development practices through the utilisation of local
materials and low carbon materials for construction, such as recycled asphalt fly ash, blast furnace slag in concrete mix
and other forms of sustainable materials, was identified as a useful practice to be integrated in the built environment.
These approaches would further require developers to aim for green certification at the early stages of construction.
Secondly, occupiers can be part of net-zero carbon initiatives by reducing their operational emissions through efficient
space management; using renewable energy for building operations; deploying efficient waste management and disposal
systems; mandatory sustainability reporting and climate impact disclosures; and selecting Environmental Product
Declaration (EPD) verified products for buildings. Governments can therefore play a role by increasing investment in
research and development (R&D), creating standardised building codes, providing incentives for green building, retrofitting
and developing high performance buildings, and driving education and awareness to incorporate sustainable practices.
5.1 SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT’S OBJECTIVES, IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOMES
(i) Facilitate relationships for addressing long-term climate change impacts: The project sought to
facilitate the existing partnerships between Australia, India and other participating countries. This was
achieved by utilising a three-event approach comprising joint dialogues, exhibitions, side event discussions,
design competition, etc., to establish viable collaborative networks to address the long-term impacts of
climate change. The project featured stakeholders drawn from academia, industry and government as well
as stakeholders from Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The
activities focused on increasing awareness to stimulate debates relating to zero-carbon building.
(ii) Create a platform for developing ongoing business–trade connections and knowledge sharing: In
terms of creating platforms for developing business–trade connections and knowledge sharing, new areas
of engagement such as the digital networking platform will facilitate the broader promotion of the zero-
carbon construction network. The project platform (www.aibcnzero.com) will act as a repository for all
project information, including non-confidential project reports, action maps and other forms of output
focused on raising awareness of the importance of zero-carbon initiatives.
(iii) Propose a guide for the appropriate level of zero-carbon exposure to raise awareness and build
capabilities and skills: Proposing a guide to the appropriate levels of zero-carbon exposure will involve
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the formulation of additional modules and extra-curricular or work integrated learning opportunities. This
has the potential to empower university students to be catalysts for change in the industry as it involves
training them to facilitate the zero-carbon building transformation. In addition, the cross-university zero-
carbon student competition presented an opportunity to foster knowledge sharing and the potential for
future international student exchange programs.
(iv) Produce an action road map outlining strategies for developing and engaging in educational
trade/business collaborations: This is the final stage of the project, which is the outcomes process of this
report reflecting on barriers and enablers for zero-carbon practices that will further improve the knowledge
transfer gaps that may exist between India and Australia. This report will also provide details of the policy
initiatives required to drive zero-carbon building to address climate change – a pathway that will further
stimulate the implementation of a climate change guide to mitigate climate-related risks by increasing the
adoption of zero-carbon practices in the construction industry.
Key outcomes of the three events can be summed up as pathways for implementing net-zero strategies for the built
environment in education, building design, construction and operation. Table 10 presents a summary of solutions to gaps
identified in the joint dialogue sessions.
Table 10: Key outcomes for fostering net-zero practices
Key areas
Solutions
Education
▪ Education about zero-carbon buildings
▪ Facilitate academia–industry–government collaborative engagement
▪ Integrating traditional knowledge into the curriculum
▪ Interdisciplinary teaching and engagement
▪ Research and development
Design, Construction and
Operation
▪ Multidisciplinary cooperation
▪ Knowledge sharing and collaboration
▪ Voluntary programmes
▪ Reducing cost through efficient design
5.1.1 Education
Utilising education to drive awareness and sustainability across professions through engagement with industry was
identified as an area of priority. According to participants, this could be achieved by diversifying face-to-face and online
mediums to facilitate learning. An example of this is integrating theoretical classroom-based learning with industry-
focused practicals to enable students to better understand the real-world applications of teaching and learning activities.
A mixed model of teaching can provide a solid basis for improving the existing curriculum structure. Offering students and
trainees the opportunity of participating in industry-led design studio activities and workshops can also assist students to
understand new and emerging trends as well as best practice in industry.
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Facilitating learning through immersive exploratory techniques has proven to be a significant approach for enhancing
bilateral trade and investment opportunities. International study tours and design competitions can act as a conduit for
developing and/or strengthening academia, industry and government partnerships between countries. Such initiatives can
foster knowledge sharing through collaborative engagements with a focus on strengthening bilateral ties in education,
industry and government related to sustainable built environment practices. Education initiatives should therefore include
not just knowledge creation and sharing but a variety of inclusive, real-world imaginative and practical modes of learning,
such as study tours and design competitions.
Industry-focused training can also facilitate transnational and multidisciplinary collaborations to solve complex built
environment design problems. Students from various parts of the world are also encouraged to engage in providing
solutions to common design problems using various methodologies. This will aid the shift towards the adoption of other
forms of formal/informal training programmes, such as seminars that involve participants drawn from government
institutions to educate people on key issues in the built environment, including indigenous knowledge on climate and ecology.
Another example is the Design for Greater Efficiencies (DfGEs) created for universities and colleges. It focuses on the
practical implications of building designs and choices in terms of selection of materials and equipment.
5.1.2 Design, construction and operations
This can be achieved through improving knowledge about zero carbon in buildings, providing solutions to enable
consistencies in the measurement of carbon, sharing knowledge and facilitating collaborations, radical cooperation,
reducing cost through efficient designs, resolving designs to integrate and address energy efficiency issues at early
stages, and voluntary programmes. Another aspect is linking solutions to regulatory bodies, which can help to assess the
operational side. An example of this is green star labelling on appliances and building electrical products.
Clients should also be advised of the immense benefits of understanding energy efficiency issues to save costs. From a
professional viewpoint, developing tools for measuring embodied carbon could assist in providing avenues for structural
solutions. In terms of communications technology, an integrated communication network can assist in producing more
efficient design. Finally, voluntary programmes can act as fulcrum for reviewing and reflecting on the significance of
government policies and especially with a focus on how policy is addressing market levers and feedback into regulations.
5.1.3 Industry-focused approach for achieving a net-zero carbon-built environment
As identified in the report from project partners Colliers International, there are several challenges facing the industry as
firms race towards achieving net zero. Some of these challenges have been categorised into 5 key areas and include: (i)
building design and development, (ii) sustainability benchmarking and reporting, (iii) building operations and demolition,
(iv) sustainability benchmarking and reporting, and (v) legal enforcement (see table 11).
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Table 11: Industry challenges for enabling net-zero strategy
Focus Areas
Gaps
Building design and
development
▪ Availability of low carbon construction materials
▪ Sustainable alternatives for transportation of construction materials
▪ Costing and durability of construction materials
Sustainability benchmarking and
reporting
▪ Data and tools for measuring embodied carbon in buildings for impact
assessment
▪ Adequacies in sustainability reporting
Building operations and
demolition
▪ Tools for optimising energy efficiency in buildings
▪ Sourcing renewable energy
▪ Systems for recycling and disposing of construction waste
Awareness and expertise
▪ Technical expertise to implement sustainable design and construction methods
▪ Awareness and acceptability
▪ Sustainable alternatives for key construction materials
▪ Greenwashing
Legal enforcement
▪ Standardised building codes and consistent specification requirements
▪ Incentives from government for green retrofitting
▪ Laws for enforcing sustainable practices
▪ Consideration of rating systems focusing on supply chain, construction
materials and waste disposal
A holistic approach considering both embodied carbon and operational carbon is required to address GHG emissions in the
building sector. This can be approached using four key strategies (as illustrated in Figure 11): (i) minimising embodied and
operational carbon by design optimisation and adoption of technologies, materials and practices to minimise emissions;
(ii) reducing material and fossil energy demand through consideration of alternative strategies that meet desired activities;
(iii) incorporating circular economy principles by reducing and repurposing existing materials or products as well as
choosing durable and sustainable products; (iv) using offsets for residual emissions such as producing equivalent
renewable energy.
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Figure 11: Strategies for decarbonising energy intensive buildings.
Source: Colliers International (2023)
While the industry’s input is significant for achieving positive net-zero carbon building outcomes, considering concerted
efforts from peak bodies, industry associations and governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is crucial.
This approach also requires specific energy and carbon reduction targets as well as roadmaps for the built environment.
Although gaps still exist in fostering integrated education and training models focused on achieving a net-zero built
environment, the development of methodologies, policy frameworks, tools, etc., is required to bridge these gaps through
intensified collaborative engagement efforts. Such approaches will require students’ current education to prepare them
for a future climate-challenged profession. On the other side of the spectrum, industry professionals also require
continuous training and retraining as well as platforms that facilitate knowledge sharing and networking across disciplines.
Figure 11 provides a framework for the pathway towards achieving a net-zero carbon built environment.
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Figure 12: Pathway framework towards achieving a net-zero carbon built environment.
Source: The Commonwealth of Australia (2022)
In a recent study involving 637 architecture staff and students, it was found that 95% of them wanted to see more teaching
on climate change and sustainability (Brogden et al., 2022). Another survey by RIBA in 2021 of their members found only
5% of organisations always undertake industry standard whole-life-cycle carbon assessment, with 57% of organisations
not being part of this process (RIBA, 2021). Conversely, in North America, the availability of skilled trades has been
identified as a barrier, together with the need for new and innovative training models to overcome this challenge (C40 &
Delphi Group, 2022). Table 12 shows the trajectory for low energy buildings in Australia is categorised as follows: (i)
enabling mechanisms, (ii) targeted building policies, and (iii) supporting measures.
Table 12: Components of unified built environment pathway framework (residential/commercial)
Components
Strategy
Enabling Mechanisms
▪ Practical guidance for household/business consumers
▪ Supply chain development
▪ Energy ratings and tools
Targeted Building Policies
▪ Energy efficiency disclosure/Commercial Building Disclosure Program
▪ Minimum rental requirements/improving HVAC
▪ Energy efficiency requirements for renovations/improve energy productivity in
government operations
Supporting Measures
▪ Financial incentives
▪ Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards
▪ Supporting vulnerable business/households
Adapted from Commonwealth of Australia (2022)
Enabling Mechanisms
Practical guidance; supply chain development; energy rating and tools
Supporting Measures
Assisting with the most cost-effective transitions
Targeted Building Policies
Overcoming specific market barriers
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It is also significant to note that other forms of education such as post-professional education, Continuing Practice
Development (CPD) and Vocational Training programmes will be required to meet the climate goals (Prasad et al., 2022) of
both Australia and India. Such measures have the ability to improve uptake of academic, professional and trades-related
opportunities aimed at contributing to national commitments towards a low-carbon built environment. Figure 13 provides
a unified framework for fostering an Australia-India Zero-Carbon Building Construction Network based on analysis of the
joint dialogue sessions.
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Project Scope
▪ Barriers and enablers for zero-carbon practice
▪ Policy initiatives to drive zero-carbon practice
▪ Strategies for educational/trade and business collaboration
Academia–industry–
government Joint Dialogue
▪ Academia-industry-government engagement
▪ Integrate traditional knowledge in curriculum
▪ Interdisciplinary teaching models
▪ Research and Development
▪ Sustainable design, construction, and operation
▪ Multidisciplinary cooperation
▪ Knowledge sharing and collaboration
▪ Voluntary Programmes
▪ Reduce cost through efficient design
Education
Practice
▪ Enabling mechanisms
▪ Targeted policies
▪ Supporting measures
Joint Dialogue
outcomes
Review and identify built environment
challenges and trends in net zero carbon
building uptake strategies
Facilitate relationships
for addressing long-
term climate change
impact
Create a platform for developing on-going
business–trade connections and knowledge-sharing
Propose a guide for the
appropriate level of zero-carbon
exposure to raise awareness and
build capabilities and skills
Action road map outlining strategies for
developing and engaging in educational
trade/business collaboration
Action road map outlining industry
strategies for developers, occupiers
and government
Figure 13: A unified framework for fostering an Australia-India Zero Carbon Building Construction Network.
Source: Authors
▪ Construction, markets, technology
▪ Trade and supply network
▪ Behavioural and cultural issues
▪ Educational capacity-awareness, capabilities and skills
▪ Net zero policy directions
Bridging mechanisms
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5.2 Future Plans and Recommendations
The increasing impact of climate change has necessitated renewed focus on how buildings (i.e. residential, commercial,
public etc.) are being designed, built and operated. The built environment disciplines are therefore constantly working
towards addressing what is now termed a ‘climate emergency’ as countries intensify efforts to find energy and building
performance solutions (Prasad et al. 2022). The 26th and 27th editions of the Conference of Parties (COPs) have also
indicated the growing political interest in taking significant measures to ameliorate the impact of climate change using
various whole-of-economy approaches as identified in this report. In addition, these efforts are reflected in the setting of
significant measures to reduce the building sector’s contribution to GHGs and deliver a net-zero, whole-of-life carbon built
environment that follows a meaningful, measurable and unified pathway (WGBC, 2021). The built environment has also
demonstrated its potential to be the pathfinder of change as building industry professionals, institutions, government and
other organisations integrate net-zero goals into programmes, work and accreditation processes. This report utilises a
two-way approach which unifies academic and industry-based inputs to chart a pathway for fostering a net-zero carbon
building construction network by identifying knowledge gaps and proffering unified best practice strategies that are viable
for a wide range of stakeholders, including academia, industry and government.
Good performance in building designs requires measurements that utilise a unified rating system that is recognised
globally to enable comparative analysis using tools such as the Green Star and Passive House systems and rating schemes
such as the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) (GBCA 2021; NABERS 2022). The feasibility of
reducing embodied operational carbon emissions is achievable through an extensive range of building systems and designs.
Renewable energy generating systems and energy efficient system costs are also reducing at a faster pace across
Australia (Clean Energy Council, 2021) and India. More strategies and initiatives to drive the process of implementation
through collaborative engagements now and in the future are also encouraged. These may involve knowledge of energy
generation technologies, storage technologies, hydrogen technologies as well as consumer-scale technologies (i.e., rooftop
solar panels/batteries). Through integrated thinking and strategy (involving building products, materials, technologies,
designs and processes), multisectoral and multidisciplinary collaboration and consistent regulatory policy initiatives, it is
envisaged that positive net-zero carbon building outcomes can also be fostered.
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