In August last year the City of Melbourne opened the new Council House 2 (CH2) building, setting a new international standard for ecologically sustainable commercial construction. CH2 is now in full operation, using 70% less water and 85% less energy than conventional office buildings. The building was awarded six green stars by the Green Building Council of Australia, representing world leadership in office building design.

Under sweeping changes to legislation and national building codes, Beyond Zero Emissions is calling for all newly approved commercial office and retail buildings within two years to be of six green star standard or better, leading to ten star, fully autonomous building targets by 2016.

"The City of Melbourne has set the standard with CH2," said Matthew Wright, spokesman for Beyond Zero Emissions. "They have taken the leadership with carbon neutral targets by 2020 and Australia's best environmental building design.

"Now that six star construction has been proven as practical and viable, it should become the bare minimum standard Australia wide. We must set a new benchmark in commercial construction if we are going to bring human induced greenhouse gas emissions under control. By 2016 all commercial buildings should be entirely self-sufficient in heating and cooling, with net on-site energy production."

Former City of Melbourne councillor David Risstrom said he adopted the six star and 2020 carbon neutral targets to set an example for business and all levels of government. "Small strategic decisions at a local government level can create model systems that will be copied and built upon at state, federal and international levels. Employees inside CH2 are much more comfortable healthy and productive due to the innovative changes."

There are numerable groundbreaking sustainable features of the CH2 building. Windows are automatically controlled to open at night to cool the building, a facade of louvres are used to track the movement of the sun on the western side, and a water mining plant in the basement uses a membrane to filter sewer water, reducing the need on mains water supply and associated energy costs to pump water from Eastern Victoria.

"It's about time that the government and all political parties got serious about climate change," said Mr. Wright. "Even Rupert Murdoch is making his organisation carbon neutral by 2010. ANZ Banking Group is following the City of Melbourne's lead and creating their own truly sustainable six star corporate headquarters and going carbon neutral by 2009.

"We don't want to replicate the events in Victoria where the Bracks' government continually give the building industry extensions to comply with the very basic five star standard for domestic dwellings. We need government's to take some leadership and set ten star, truly sustainable and autonomous building standards within 10 years."

Beyond Zero Emissions is proposing that a government funded educational program be introduced, complimented with the commission and purchase of fifty reference designs to go into the public domain and enable the transition to sustainable construction to be as rapid and seamless as possible.

"With the right support from government and the basic design principles available to all builders and architects," said Mr. Wright, "differentiation and innovation will be encouraged within the latitude to conform to zero emission standards."

City of Melbourne's CH2 home page

ABC Catalyst - Council House Two - the eco-office block of the future

CH2's stars shine brighter

Green Building Council of Australia

The Zero Emission Sky Scraper

Citigroup - 50 Billion dollars in green projects

ANZ tower sets green example - ANZ one upped NAB.

Australia's Greenest office block.

40 Albert Road South Melbourne homepage

Herald Sun: Billion people displaced within 40 years from climate change

For comment ring:

Matthew Wright 0421 616 733