What gets measured gets managed - Building Performance

The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) provides simple, reliable, and comparable sustainability measurement you can trust across building sectors like hotels, shopping centres, apartments, offices, data centres, and more.
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Over the last 20 years, NABERS has proven that “What gets measured gets managed.” NABERS customers have saved an average of 30-40% on their energy over 10 years.
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NABERS rating system has driven financial growth and solid returns in portfolios across building sectors. It has directed corporate procurement by clearly demonstrating their operational performance and sustainability achievements.
A NABERS rating helps you to accurately measure, understand, and communicate the environmental performance of your building while identifying areas for cost savings and future improvements.
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NABERS is a simple, reliable sustainability rating for the built environment. Like the efficiency star ratings that you get on your fridge or washing machine, NABERS provides a rating from one to six stars for buildings efficiency across:
1. Energy
2. Water
3. Waste and
4. Indoor environment
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This helps building owners to understand their building’s performance versus other similar buildings, providing a benchmark for progress.
Sustainable Finance Criteria

NABERS Sustainable Finance Criteria (the Criteria) provides guidance about how to use NABERS ratings to identify strong environmental performance and to use these achievements to underpin a sustainable finance agreement.  This criteria document sets out consistent NABERS-based targets to assist banks, investors, non-bank lenders and building owners of all sizes and scale to structure sustainable finance transactions that result in Summary real and measurable environmental impacts. It applies to single assets and portfolios that are eligible to obtain a NABERS Energy rating.

The Criteria has also been launched to set consistent NABERS-based targets to help borrowers and lenders demonstrate eligibility. It has been developed and piloted in consultation with the investment community and building owners.

Across Australia, the number of buildings that are certified with a NABERS Energy rating continues to grow each year with over 2000 buildings receiving a NABERS Energy rating in 2022. These ratings cover multiple building types including offices, shopping centres, hotels, apartments, data centres, and public hospitals.

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- Author Paul Sedman, November 2022