I’d like to start this update with one of the most frequent topics raised with me in industry meetings - Net Zero.
The Australian Government is developing a Net Zero 2050 plan to map our transition to a Net Zero economy. Put simply, Net Zero refers to balancing the amount of emissions created or emitted with the amount removed or offset. It’s like trying to keep a seesaw perfectly level, with emissions on one side and reductions on the other, so total emissions balance to zero.
Australia is planning to reach Net Zero by 2050, with a significant cut of 43% by 2030. This is in line with the global agreement to fight climate change and encourage clean energy investments.
The Australian Government is developing 6 sector specific decarbonisation plans to achieve this goal, covering all major components of the economy. One of these sectors is the built environment. The ABCB’s work and the National Construction Code (NCC) have a role to play in supporting the transition to Net Zero, particularly in relation to energy efficiency for commercial and residential buildings.
At our October ABCB Forum, held in Adelaide, we continued the conversation on Net Zero, following the interest seen in this important topic at the first ABCB forum in August. Thank you to the engaged audience for your questions, participation, and feedback.
The ABCB is interested in hearing more of your views about our work, and will have more public events next year. Stay tuned for more details and registration information for our next ABCB Forum in March to continue the discussion.
We recognise that NCC 2022 contained a lot of changes and we are continuing to provide support to industry to understand and apply the NCC.
Our education resources are published in different formats. We publish materials in longer format documents such as handbooks, as well as shorter articles and guidance information, for example our Understanding the NCC series. We also offer resources such as calculators, videos and the climate zone map.
We have recently published our new NCC Tutor educational video series. NCC Tutor is a set of education modules designed mainly for educators and students.
Other new content includes the Sound transmission and insulation in buildings handbook that can be accessed on the ABCB website. This handbook assists in understanding the sound insulation regulatory requirements of the NCC in Volumes One and Two.
We’ll keep preparing and sharing information and education resources to help practitioners understand and implement the NCC.
Regards,
Gary