Sustainability assessment tools aim to promote high sustainability outcomes in residential buildings, ensuring less consumption of water, energy and less emission of greenhouse gases. However, existing literature often presents variations between the estimated outcomes from the assessment tools and actual outcomes after building occupation. Research suggests that actual energy consumption could be significantly influenced by...

The Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) assessment tool estimates the operational energy consumption and GHG emissions from new residential developments based on information available at the building design stage. However, post-occupancy energy consumption can be different from the estimated figures at the design stage.

This paper presents preliminary findings of a recent research project on the barriers that lower-income households in four Australian cities – Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, and Darwin – face in reducing their carbon consumption, and the impact of programs implemented by federal and state governments and support organisations to assist such reductions.

Estimation of the demand of an urban precinct, related to Electricity, Transport, Waste and Water (ETWW), is a necessary step toward the delivery of quality living environments where daily activities can be conducted in a sustainable manner. A forecasting model that concurrently links demand in all four aforementioned domains to carbon emissions can assist planning...

Based on the final project reports provided by grant recipients, there is clear evidence the programme assisted local councils and community groups to increase their energy efficiency. While the current Australian Government does not plan to introduce an emissions trading scheme (ETS), these projects are expected to continue benefiting the communities in the longer term...