Built Environment

The construction industry has a significant impact on the environment, accounting for almost half of global energy use, about a third of greenhouse gas emissions and about a tenth of our water use. Embodied carbon emissions in the construction sector account for over 23 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. With a growing and increasingly urbanised population, there are significant opportunities to innovate in this sector. 

Exciting innovations in the built environment include designing with materials with lower embodied energy or better yet, building with sustainable wood materials that sequester carbon, designing for disassembly and drastically reducing the energy and water usage through the life of buildings.