Tackling the next frontier for buildings with the new NABERS Embodied Carbon Rating Tool

We’re proud to share that three members of the Perspektiv team – Chloe Burgan, Callum Burgess and Patrick Jeannerat- have successfully passed the NABERS Embodied Carbon exam as part of the first national cohort of trainees in this groundbreaking new rating tool. 

These new professional accreditations expand our in-house capability to support clients in delivering certified upfront carbon assessments under the new NABERS Embodied Carbon Rating Tool which will cover virtually all types of buildings in Australia except Class 1 residential detached housing.  

NABERS now offers the first of its kind, reliable benchmarking method for an increasingly important aspect of greenhouse gas emissions embodied in the construction phase of new buildings and major refurbishments. 

Embodied carbon refers to the emissions associated with the sourcing, manufacture and transport of materials and construction activities. It contributes a significant amount of emissions to a building before it even opens for occupancy.  

The NABERS Embodied Carbon Tool and Rules help developers, project teams and suppliers understand the assessment boundaries, calculation methods and opportunities to only assess a building’s upfront carbon emissions and compare the carbon intensity with other similar buildings. If applied early on, it can also be used to identify hotspots, inform the design process with improvement opportunities and influence better outcomes while changes can still be made. Whilst the rating focusses on verifying upfront carbon emissions in the construction, it also contains functionality to estimate the whole of life embodied carbon emissions from scheduled upgrades of components as they reach the end of their designated design life.  

NABERS sets clear rules on what is deemed acceptable evidence to claim carbon credentials. Most notably, construction contractors and suppliers will need to collaborate to prepare complete delivery records for key materials including low-carbon alternatives, so it is important to understand these requirements as part of contract definitions ahead of start of construction otherwise a project may fall short of being able to obtain a rating. 

What our NABERS Embodied Carbon accreditations mean for our clients: 

• If you are planning a new construction project, get in touch early to ensure your contracts are set up properly and that your teams are empowered with the right advice to tackle embodied carbon where still possible. 

• If you have completed a new building or major refurbishment in the last 2 years, your building may still be eligible to obtain a NABERS Upfront Carbon rating.  

• The new tool will help boost confidence in achieving credible carbon assessments and claiming higher-performing, low-carbon design outcomes that meet independent, third-party-verified standards. 

• Experienced professionals trained in using the new NABERS tool will support efficiency in project delivery, understanding the challenges, opportunities and requirements from concept to certification. 

• Earliest possible involvement will produce valuable insight to help teams interrogate materials and design choices that lower environmental impact while balancing cost and performance. 

• Building developers, owners and investors now have access to a robust tool that allows them to obtain verified Scope 3 emissions data for construction projects, allowing them to close a critical gap in their corporate emissions reporting and assurance 

• These same stakeholders can now also start to set clear targets and influence their supply chain for meaningful decarbonisation of embodied carbon aspects also. 

• The NABERS Embodied Carbon pathway offers a simple, actionable, verifiable and cost-effective solution that will also integrate into broader sustainability certification and reporting systems, such as Green Star sustainability ratings for buildings, Climate Active carbon-neutral certifications for building construction projects and annual reporting to GRESB for development portfolios. 

• It is understood that in future there will be the option to obtain a NABERS Embodied Carbon Commitment Agreement verified by a panel of independent specialists which will increase the quality of the design outcomes and provide more confidence prior construction that specific targeted performance outcomes will be achievable. 

  
  

With more than 300 built environment sustainability projects under our belt, our strong track record in whole of life emissions assessment, optimisation and verification across energy and embodied carbon, and our latest addition of professional qualifications with the NABERS Embodied Carbon Accreditation, Perspektiv has reinforced our commitment to finding a better way, for projects, people and the planet. 

Get in touch today to see how we can support your next project.