The Australian Government’s carbon neutral certification is the most rigorous and credible carbon neutral certification available. JLL and the owners of a prominent West Perth office building successfully transformed the energy efficiency of 1 Ord Street, achieving a Climate Active Carbon Neutral certification.

“This is a groundbreaking achievement which exceeds the sustainability standards of other properties in the area and one of only ten base building carbon neutral-rated properties in Western Australia” said Angelo Amara, Managing Director WA.  

The carbon neutral certification has been the latest step in the building's sustainability journey. Over the past 10 years, continual energy efficiency services and upgrades have improved the building, and the recent carbon neutral certification to offset remaining emissions brings the building's scope 1,2 & 3 annual emissions to zero.

“Through continuous efforts to improve energy and water performance since early 2015, significant improvements have been made to the building to achieve a 25%-30% reduction on the base building energy usage” said David Lovell, JLL Manager Sustainability Operations.

Ian Harwood, JLL Engineering & Operations Solutions WA, explained, "through an ongoing monthly energy and water performance tuning program, we have been able to upgrade the building’s energy and efficiency ratings.

“Further improvements included the design and installation of a 60kWp solar system that complied with the City of Perth’s heritage regulations” explained Nichola Hodge, JLL State Manager Project Development Services.

With the introduction of the Federal Government’s sustainability reporting standards coming into effect in 2024, it will be mandatory for large organisations to report annually on their building’s carbon performance and other climate related disclosures.

Katherine Cromie, JLL Director of Property and Asset Management said “In the current Perth market there are limited number of low carbon properties and occupiers are starting to collaborate with landlords to facilitate building retrofits. Tenants will need to initiate any relocation planning well in advance to thoroughly explore their options.

“With an increasing number of tenants putting sustainability at the forefront of leasing decisions, the attainment of the carbon neutral certification of 1 Ord Street is attracting environmentally conscious tenants, including professional services, mining, and government sectors," said Dane Hollingworth, Associate Director, Office Leasing.

The new sustainability regulatory requirements together with tenants who have set net zero carbon targets is likely to drive adoption of sustainability strategies in commercial real estate. This also creates an opportunity for owners and investors to have their assets ready for the increased demand in neutral carbon certified buildings.