Driving sustainable change in Australian real estate: An Interview with GBCA CEO Davina Rooney

The Australian real estate sector is at a pivotal moment. With global megatrends like climate action, resource efficiency, and health & well-being shaping the industry, the need for sustainable transformation has never been more urgent. The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) plays a key role in accelerating this shift through its Green Star certification, advocacy, and collaboration with industry leaders.

In this interview, Davina Rooney, CEO of GBCA, shares her insights on the biggest challenges and opportunities for sustainability in Australian real estate, the evolving role of financial institutions, and what we can expect from TRANSFORM 2025, Australia’s premier sustainability conference. She also highlights the importance of global partnerships, like the collaboration between CFP Green Buildings and Commonwealth Bank, in driving meaningful change.

What’s next for sustainable real estate in Australia? Read on to find out!

What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for sustainability in the Australian real estate sector over the next five years?
“The biggest challenge our industry has faced for some time is how we respond to the global megatrends, specifically climate action, resource efficiency and health and wellbeing. Not so long ago we were preparing for these challenges and now they’re here with the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025 painting a stark picture. Australia and world are changing and ESG is under pressure. Within Australia’s sector, Green Star will focus on reducing friction and making sustainability the easy and obvious choice. The foundations for this are sturdy, with our report Every Building Counts laying out how better, more efficient buildings are in everyone’s interest, regardless of the colour of government.”

What role does GBCA play in accelerating sustainable transformation within the sector, and which initiatives do you find most promising?
“At Green Building Council of Australia our purpose is to lead the sustainable transformation of the built environment through four key pillars which support our vision of healthy, resilient and positive places. We do this through certification with our sustainability rating system Green Star, advocacy, and education. We also work very closely with industry and it’s through this collaboration where I see an abundance of promising work, research and developments that show we’re up to working through challenges, now and in the future. I’m also excited by the level of engagement we’re seeing in areas like embodied carbon and operational performance – areas that were once “too difficult” are now being faced head on.”

How can international partners like CFP Green Buildings contribute to the sustainability of the Australian real estate sector? Where do you see the biggest opportunities for collaboration?  “Global challenges need a global response, it makes sense to work together. A great example of this is how CFP Green Buildings worked with Commonwealth Bank to develop the Green Buildings Tool. The Green Building Council of Australia recognised that it was great to see banks collaborating with other providers to better understand and finance the property transition. We look forward to hearing Bram Adema, Founder and Managing Director of CFP Green Buildings, talk about the impact of sustainable real estate trends globally and within the Australia market at TRANSFORM in March.”

“Global challenges need a global response, it makes sense to work together. A great example of this is how CFP Green Buildings worked with Commonwealth Bank to develop the Green Buildings Tool.”

– Davina Rooney, CEO Green Building Council of Australia

What can other countries learn from Australia when it comes to sustainable building?
“Australia has a proud history of developing and implementing innovative approaches that reduce environmental impacts and enhance the quality of life for building occupants; each year our GRESB results demonstrate this. Last financial year Green Star certified over 1,000 projects while right now cumulatively there are 5,660-plus Green Star projects covering a massive 64 million square metres of space. But it’s the breadth of our work that inspires me and I think it will inspire the rest of the world too: here, commercial offices are no longer the dominant asset class. Industrial buildings now lead with a remarkable 24% of Green Star Buildings registrations. Residential projects – both multi-unit and student accommodation – account for 22% of registrations, with education buildings just behind at 17%. These achievements show what’s possible and that we can create change in areas that were once considered difficult.”

How can TRANSFORM 2025 help accelerate sustainability ambitions in the sector, and what key takeaways do you hope participants will gain from the event?
“TRANSFORM is our leading, annual conference here in Australia where local and international experts and decision makers within sustainability and the built environment gather to hear from each other and share ideas and shape best practice.

Each year we focus on our key priorities – from decarbonisation to nature and transforming existing assets – and this year we will also explore how we can connect with people and country, take positive steps to a resilient future and share innovative new solutions that can trigger action and transformative change.

While the event is in Sydney, we have attendees join us from around the world through our virtual option. This year guests will take away:

• The experience of nine breakout sessions to dive deep into topics;
• Evidence-based solutions being implemented by industry today;
• Case studies from global practitioners sharing insights and experiences;
• Immersive workshops to deepen collaboration and networking;
• The experience of nine breakout sessions to dive deep into topics.”

In our last interview in the summer of 2023, you highlighted the increasing role of banks in financing sustainable buildings. How has this trend evolved since then?
“When we spoke in 2023, I shared that our finance sector was taking big steps in the crucial area of rate reductions for green retrofits and builds. I’m pleased to share the sector has progressed further, with several institutions – including NAB, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac – now offering green home loans and apartment loans to make sustainable living accessible to more Australians. When we look at global progress, last year GBCA joined a global alliance to launch a new guide – Building Transition: How to Scale and Finance an Inclusive Transition for the Built Environment. This guide aims to bring sustainable finance into the hands of more building owners, empowering them to accelerate change to climate goals. We joined the UK’s Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Alliance HQE-GBC France to do this work that recommends global decarbonisation standards, resilience in finance as the world responds to megatrends, and stronger policies and taxonomies that directs capital toward underperforming buildings. A lot has been achieved in this area since we last spoke and that’s important because sustainable finance will be the key to extending progress across the sector more broadly.”

CFP Green Buildings is a partner of the Green Building Council of Australia. As sustainability becomes increasingly critical in the Australian real estate sector, understanding the frameworks and regulations surrounding energy efficiency and carbon reporting is essential. Would you like to learn more? Get in touch with us.