Green Buildings in Australia: Drivers and Barriers

Abstract This paper examines some of the drivers and barriers to the development of green commercial buildings in Australia based on a series of interviews with key stakeholders in the building industry. The business drivers for building green are described along with some of the barriers including perceived financial risks such as split incentives, initial capital costs and lack of life cycle costing, perceived construction risks including project delivery mechanisms, material procurement and site practices and the current regulatory environment. Finally an agenda for the future with recommendations such as the need to establish integrated design teams at the conceptual design stage and to undertake post-occupancy studies of completed buildings to assist in the development of green commercial buildings are presented.