The Industrial Pilot is the newest in GBCA's arsenal of green-building tools. The nonprofit organization was founded by industry and government sources in 2002 to encourage development of sustainable properties through the adoption of market-based green building practices. It previously released similar programs for commercial offices, shopping centers, healthcare facilities, schools and universities. Developers who volunteer to use the tools receive various tax credits and regulatory incentives that help reduce the cost of environmental measures.
The Industrial Pilot includes a number of credits unique to the industrial sector for such measures as addressing indoor environment issues for workers in factories and other industrial facilities. Projects are awarded credits for every breakout area shown to be free of emissions. According to GBCA chief executive Romilly Madew, the release of the industrial tool is especially significant because it takes into account not just construction and operation but also location. The program awards credits for reduction of transport emissions through proximity of projects to airports, train stations, ports and other cargo facilities.
It is also significant, she says, because the industrial property sector tends to lag behind other commercial sectors in regard to green building, not just in Australia but throughout the world. According to US Green Building Council, of the 14,911 projects registered with its LEED green building rating program, only 155, or 1%, fall into the industrial building category.
But as Madew points out, industrial facilities typically contribute more than their share of environment harm because they often operate around the clock and house hundreds, sometimes thousands, of employees. The equipment in the facilities, particularly manufacturing and processing plants, often consumes huge amounts of water and energy, while generating tons of greenhouse gas emissions and other noxious fumes. Some also present major safety hazards from potential for fire, explosion and release of toxic gases.
Though many environmentalists worry the worldwide economic crisis will slow adoption of green-building practices, Madew believes the long-term outlook demands increased use of tools such as GBCA's industrial pilot. "We all recognize that this is a time of economic change, even facing a slowdown, but we cannot stop including environmentally sustainable initiatives in all of our buildings," she asserts. "In the past 12 months, more projects have registered for, and achieved, a Green Star rating than the previous four years combined. Now with the release of the new Green Star Industrial Pilot rating tool, we are taking another step towards the creation of a truly sustainable future."
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