Determining the Effectiveness of Green Building Certifications in Terms of Impacts on Sustainability: a Case Study from Australia

Abstract

Green building is a process of designing a structure in a way that its lifecycle, use, construction, and demolition are all
included in the project, so that all areas of sustainability are balanced and maintained. This research on Green Building
Certifications focuses on assessing the impact of green buildings over non-green buildings and thus to understand its effectiveness on overall sustainability. The research uses data from two selected States in Australia, namely Victoria and New South Wales (NSW). Both primary and secondary data were used to understand the impact of green building certifications through comparative, descriptive and inferential analysis.These results demonstrated a 54% increase in meeting environmental standards; 57% and 66% in saving of water per m2 of the floor area of the buildings in NSW and Victoria, respectively; as well as up to 85% decrease in energy use between green buildings compared to non-green buildings over a 12-year span.