Built – Green Standard Comprehensive Notes

Green Standard Overview

  • Commitment by Built to embed sustainability in every project, not only those formally pursuing Green Star ratings.
    • Termed the “Green Standard” – a measurable internal benchmark.
    • Applies equally to main contractors, consultants, and all subcontractors working on site.
    • Implementation features:
    • Staff training & continual support.
    • Measurement of project teams against key performance indicators (KPIs).
    • Public-facing promise so clients can be confident of best-practice environmental outcomes at a minimum.
  • Framed around six inter-locking pillars that together address environmental, health, and governance aspects of construction.

Six-Pillar Snapshot

  • RECYCLING
    • Target: 90%90\% construction waste recycled.
    • Extension: re-purpose fit-out waste to keep materials in the circular economy.
  • ESD VALUE ADD
    • Commitment to propose green-building initiatives within tender responses (early-design influence = highest leverage).
  • GREENPOWER
    • Use of 100%100\% certified renewable electricity during construction & operation (where Built controls the load).
  • RESPONSIBLE MATERIALS
    • 60%60\% (by cost) of construction materials must be Green Star compliant.
    • Additional requirement: minimum 30%30\% reduction in Portland cement content across all concrete mixes.
  • HEALTHY SITES
    • 95%95\% of finishes (paints, carpets, sealants, woods, etc.) to meet Green Star “low-VOC / low-toxicity” criteria.
  • LEADERSHIP & ACCOUNTABILITY
    • Sharing best practice and transparent reporting; data publicly communicated to stakeholders.

Pillar Details, Rationale & Goals

Recycling

  • WHY?
    • Construction & demolition (C&D) waste accounts for 40%40\% of Australia’s total landfill stream.
    • Transitioning these "wastes" into circular resources dramatically lowers environmental impact.
  • GOAL
    • All waste to be placed in Built-supplied skip bins.
    • Waste is sorted off-site by specialist facilities to maximise recovery.
    • Company-wide minimum target: 90%90\% diversion from landfill, with a running average > 95%95\%.
  • PRACTICAL EXPECTATIONS FOR SUBCONTRACTORS
    • Respect signage & segregation rules (mixed C&D, metals, plasterboard, timber, plastics, etc.).
    • Report unforeseen waste streams so new recycling channels can be established.

Responsible Materials

  • WHY?
    • Material manufacture is the dominant contributor to embodied carbon in buildings.
    • Responsible sourcing encourages suppliers to adopt ISO-certified environmental management systems, low-carbon processes, and ethical supply chains.
  • TRACKED MATERIALS & COMPLIANCE CRITERIA
    • Steel
    • Must originate from a steelmaker certified to ISO 14001.
    • Require membership to World Steel Association Climate Action Programme.
    • Additional documentation:
      • Reinforcement (Reo): Energy-reduction process certificate.
      • Structural: Australian Steel Institute (ASI) Sustainability/Traceability certificate.
    • Concrete
    • Mandatory ≥30%\ge 30\% reduction of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) – e.g., via fly ash, slag, or calcined clay.
    • PVC Products (pipes, conduits, flooring, etc.)
    • Preference for products with Best Environmental Practice (BEP) certification or non-PVC substitutes.
    • Timber
    • Chain-of-Custody documentation.
    • Certifications: PEFC or FSC, or verified reuse/reclamation.
  • DOCUMENTATION
    • All evidence submitted through Built’s online forms on Lucidity platform.

Healthy Sites (Finishes & Indoor Air Quality)

  • WHY?
    • Low-VOC products protect both construction workers and future occupants.
    • Aligns with Green Star “Indoor Environment Quality” credits, but applied project-wide.
  • GOAL
    • 95%95\% of finishes to meet Green Star compliance thresholds.
    • Tracked categories:
    • Paints
    • Sealants & adhesives
    • Carpets and floor coverings
    • Composite wood & laminates
  • PRACTICAL STEPS
    • Provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and VOC test certificates during procurement stage.
    • Substitute high-solvent products with water-based or low-toxicity alternatives.

Leadership & Accountability

  • WHY?
    • Data transparency underpins credibility, continuous improvement, and stakeholder trust.
  • GOAL
    • Real-time tracking of waste, energy, and material KPIs on every project.
    • Annual corporate reporting aggregates performance; lessons learned fed back into training modules.
    • Subcontractors gain documented sustainability metrics to share with their own clients and supply chains.
  • TOOLS & REPORTS
    • Digital dashboards (Lucidity, PowerBI) update team progress.
    • Toolbox talks circulate best-practice case studies.

ESD Value Add (Design Influence)

  • ROLE IN TENDERS
    • Proactively include alternative green solutions – e.g., high-performance façades, adaptive re-use strategies, all-electric building services.
    • Aligns with the concept of "integrated design" where early decisions yield exponential lifecycle benefits.
  • SIGNIFICANCE
    • Pushes sustainability upstream, moving beyond compliance into innovation.

GreenPower (Renewable Electricity)

  • COMMITMENT
    • All temporary builders’ supplies and (where contractually possible) permanent base-building loads to be procured as 100%100\% GreenPower-accredited renewable electricity.
  • BENEFITS
    • Immediate Scope 2 emissions reduction.
    • Educates project stakeholders on renewable procurement pathways and cost implications.

Bigger-Picture Context & Implications

  • Alignment with industry frameworks: Green Star, NABERS, Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC), and Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
  • Supports national objectives for net-zero emissions and circular economy policies.
  • Ethical dimension: prioritises worker health, responsible supply chains, and climate resilience.
  • Competitive advantage: delivering beyond statutory requirements differentiates Built in tender markets and can lower total cost of ownership for clients (e.g., by reducing operational energy).

Action Checklist for Subcontractors

  • Attend onboarding sessions on the Green Standard.
  • Familiarise yourself with waste-segregation map and skip-bin locations.
  • Source materials that meet stated certifications; gather compliance evidence before delivery to site.
  • Submit all product information and certificates via Lucidity forms.
  • Participate in data-collection activities (weighbridge dockets, delivery dockets, VOC certificates, etc.).
  • Share innovative ideas with Built’s site management to exceed minimum requirements.

Numerical & Statistical References (for quick revision)

  • 40%40\% – share of Australia’s landfill attributed to construction & demolition waste.
  • 90%90\% – minimum waste-recycling diversion rate (company-wide average >95\%).
  • 60%60\% – minimum proportion of construction materials that must be Green Star compliant.
  • 30%30\% – mandated Portland cement reduction in concrete mixes.
  • 95%95\% – minimum proportion of finishes that must be Green Star compliant.
  • 100%100\% – certified renewable electricity (GreenPower) usage.

Key Takeaways

  • Built’s Green Standard mainstreams high sustainability performance across all projects.
  • Collaboration from every subcontractor is essential to achieve – and potentially exceed – the outlined KPIs.
  • Robust documentation, transparent reporting, and continuous feedback drive ongoing improvement and industry leadership.