The International Energy Agency recommends advanced economies such as Australia have a ‘zero-carbon-ready building code’ in place by the end of the 2020s. This would ensure all new buildings, and existing buildings undergoing major renovations, in the 2030s will be zero or near-zero carbon.

The majority of Australia’s existing homes were built before construction standards were introduced in the early 2000s. These homes are inefficient in terms of energy consumption and thermal comfort, meaning a large number of householders live in energy poverty and are vulnerable to extreme temperatures in their own homes.

Achieving a zero carbon, healthy future for Australians will therefore require transforming the country’s building code and housing stock to ensure that new homes and existing homes become highly efficient and zero carbon.

This requires defining what a zero carbon building looks like in practice.

A recent release from Climateworks Centre defines zero carbon buildings and applies this definition to homes.

Zero carbon buildings produce no net emissions over their entire lifecycle. To achieve this, all decisions made at each design phase reduce energy demand and carbon emissions. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Zero carbon homes are the product of many choices based on local climate conditions.

Read the definition or more about the Renovations Pathways project

CHIA is part of the expert advisory group for this work