Joint media release: NABERS goes to school to rate energy and water performance

Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon Josh Wilson MP

Member for Macnamara, Josh Burns MP

Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Nina Taylor MP

Australian schools are getting smarter on their energy and water performance, meaning more comfortable classrooms for kids and securing savings for schools that can be invested back into their education.

The Albanese Government is expanding Australia’s world-leading National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) to include schools with a $1.5 million investment.

NABERS measures the environmental performance of buildings and will give individual school campuses a rating of 1 to 6 stars based on the efficiency of energy and water services like lighting, ventilation and air conditioning.

For 25 years, benchmarking provided by NABERS has helped the owners of more than 5,000 buildings to bring down their bills with easy-to-use energy performance ratings. It’s good for emissions, too, helping places like hotels, shopping centres, apartments, offices and data centres to better manage their energy and cut climate pollution.

The NABERS for Schools initiative is part of the government’s $6 million commitment to extend the rating system to assist more sectors, including retail, aged care, retirement living, warehouses and cold stores.

NABERS for Schools was created in close partnership with Education Departments from all states and territories, as well as many Catholic and independent schools.

Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Josh Wilson said:

“Energy smart schools make more comfortable classrooms for kids, lower energy bills for principals, and ultimately lower emissions and a more secure future for all of us.

“NABERS benchmarks will help school administrators identify ways to improve and better manage building operations, empowering staff, students and communities to be part of the net zero transition.

“With buildings accounting for 18% of our emissions, Australia’s net zero transition depends upon achieving state of the art energy performance from Australian buildings of every size, shape and purpose.

“NABERS is another cost-of-living measure that’s helping get energy bills lower and secure a more resilient, reliable and affordable energy system for all Australians.”

Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Nina Taylor said:

“Sustainability works best when we work together as a whole community. That’s why the Federal Government has joined forces with our Victorian Government, and councils to deliver the NABERS program that we’re supporting today.”

Member for Macnamara, Josh Burns said:

“Our community cares deeply about sustainability and our environment, and the NABERS for Schools initiative not only allows schools to identify how they can improve their energy and water efficiency, but it inspires the whole school community to identify the role they can play in moving towards a more sustainable future.

“I am very proud to make this announcement at the fantastic Elwood Primary, a school and community who have long been committed to improving their energy efficiency and sustainability education.”

For more information visit: NABERS fact sheet: Schools