On 20 June 2023, Property Council submitted to the Climate Change Commission on its draft advice to Government which will shape the second emissions reduction plan.
Why this matters to our members
Reducing emissions in the building and construction sector is crucial in reaching New Zealand’s net zero 2050 target. However, we believe this cannot be achieved by the sector alone. Property Council is a strong supporter of Government investment in the sector to investigate ways to lower building emissions across the entire process; (e.g. design, planning, construction, and deconstruction), to help accelerate change.
Our view
Overall, Property Council supported the messaging within the Built Environment chapter but recommended that Government:
- Take a leadership role within the building and construction space to work closely with the sector to develop and provide incentives to shift behavioural changes;
- Establish an educational and information sharing group to create consistency, and allow for a better understanding of the market;
- Create a database to ensure we have an accurate understanding of the performance of New Zealand’s buildings and how we can best build on this. This in turn will help drive behavioural change; and
- Introduce targeted support for retrofitting existing fossil gas infrastructure in residential and non-residential properties.