Sustainability

Consulting firms have a profound effect on the natural environment and society; through their actions and designs the built environment is formed, and our natural environment preserved. Consult Australia's members provide design solutions that seek to either repair environmental damage, or plan adequately for a sustainable future. As sustainable design, innovation and practice become key drivers of domestic and international business, the consulting industry will play a key role in driving, promoting and delivering sustainable outcomes for clients and the broader community.

Mitigating the risks associated with climate change is a key component of achieving a sustainable future. In 2008 Consult Australia published our Climate Change Policy Position.

Thought Leadership

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Tomorrow's Cities Today
Consult Australia has launched its new policy report, Tomorrow's Cities Today, which puts the spotlight firmly back on the major cities that drive our nation, calling for ambitious reform and providing a series of practical recommendations that would position cities-planning as a national priority.

Launched in Sydney, by a panel of guests including Lucy Hughes Turnbull AO, City of Sydney Chief Executive Monica Barone and Major Cities Unit Executive Director Dorte Ekelund, the launch of Tomorrow's Cities Today has started up an important conversation focusing on the future of Australian cities.

Tomorrow's Cities Today makes practical recommendations under the themes set through the National Urban Policy:
- productivity;
- sustainability;
- liveability; and
- good governance.
Download the reports comprising Tomorrow's Cities Today:

Tomorrow's Cities Today report | Download

Tomorrow's Cities Today short form | Download
Seizing the Sustainability Advantage

Consult Australia has launched an innovative report, Seizing the Sustainability Advantage. Seizing the Sustainability Advantage proposes ambitious governance reform, including the integration of existing sustainability policies and programs currently fragmented across different areas of government, portfolios and agencies.

The report will be used to drive practical action by governments to mitigate the risks of climate change and help ensure Australia's ongoing economic competitiveness.

Download the reports comprising Seizing the Sustainability Advantage:

Seizing the Sustainability Advantage report | Download

Seizing the Sustainability Advantage short form | Download

Consult Australia Sustainability Submissions

National Building Energy Standard-Setting Assessment and Rating Framework May 2010

Prime Minister's Taskforce on Energy Efficiency May 2010

National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Amendment Regulations August 2009

DRET Energy White Paper Consultation May 2009

NGERS Auditor Framework - Outcomes from Consultation Workshop February 2009

Mandatory Energy Efficiency Disclosure for Commercial Buildings February 2009

External Audit Consultation Paper (NGERS) November 2008

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Green Paper September 2008

Sustainability Charter July 2006

Emissions Trading March 2007

Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC)

Consult Australia is pleased to be a member of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC). ASBEC is the peak body of key organisations committed to a sustainable built environment in Australia. Consult Australia is a member alongside a range of industry and professional associations, non-government organisations and government observers who are involved in the planning, design, delivery and operation of our built environment, and are concerned with the social and environmental impacts of this sector. ASBEC provides an important forum for diverse groups involved in the built environment to gather, find common ground and intelligently discuss contentious issues as well as advocate their own sustainability products, policies and initiatives.

ASBEC research of interest:

Second Plank Update Report - June 2010
This report updates the findings from the ASBEC Climate Change Task Group's original: The Second Plank Report: Building a Low Carbon Economy with Energy Efficient Buildings, which was released in September 2008. The update report provides an economic analysis of the potential role the building sector can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) through additional energy efficiency measures.
Cities of the Future - February 2010
The report hypothesises a bleak future where transport-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) increase by almost 50 percent and travel times increase by 25 percent. Cities for the Future is the first of a four-stage project to measure the links between GHG from urban transport and land use within Australian cities. Stage two of ASBEC's study will bring together key experts and stakeholders in Australia to discuss the initial findings and develop alternative frameworks for land use, transport, environmental outcomes and community planning.
Building Sector Potential
This study commissioned by the ASBEC Climate Change Task Group extended the Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change (BRCC) analysis to include a more detailed analysis of the significant energy efficiency potential of the building sector

Consult Australia Sustainability Roundtable

Click here to access the members area for the Sustainability Roundtable. (If you require a user ID and password, please send an e-mail toinfo@consultaustralia.com.au).

Member Area