Awards 2015

CitySwitch National Signatory of the Year 2015

Western Australian Local Government Association  

Peak bodies have such a strong capacity to be a positive influence, it is tremendous to see WALGA leading by example and really delivering 6 star results. WALGA's efforts have been sustained and comprehensive; addressing both the place that they work, the way that they work and the services they deliver..

CitySwitch National Awards judging panel
WALGA is a peak industry body with 100 staff, which advocates on behalf of 139 WA local governments and negotiates service agreements for the sector. Since joining CitySwitch in 2013 WALGA has been leading by example, moving from a 3 star office into a 5 Star Green Star and 6 Star NABERS Rated building in West Perth in 2014. Since then they have added a 167kW solar array, re-tuned the HVAC and undertaken a Green Star sustainable fitout. They have complemented this leading physical environment with a range of staff engagement activities, through their Green Works team including switch off campaigns which have raised rates by 25% and initiatives which have seen paper wastage reduced tenfold.
On top of this the green team has coordinated lunch time garage sales, made recycled art, created staff transport plans and hosted staff training sessions and CitySwitch events. Their efforts have been diverse and impactful, supporting their local government members to also follow their lead. Further to this, WALGA has been undertaking innovative work to facilitate carbon reduction by assisting various local governments in this area.

Robyn Kemmis, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney and Antoinette Maynard, Manager, Facilities and Administration Services, WALGA (L-R).

CitySwitch Partnership of the Year 2015

Government of Western Australia Housing Authority and Curtin University

The Housing Authority has recognised that they can influence the future and deliver value by engaging with the next generation of building professionals from Curtin University and using technology to reduce waste. Their use of business systems integration to eradicate paper waste demonstrates that sustainability is really about great business sense.

CitySwitch National Awards judging panel
The Government of Western Australia Housing Authority is a major provider of affordable land and housing in WA, making a substantial contribution to the State’s economic and social wellbeing. The Housing Authority has made significant strides by partnering with students from Curtin University’s Architectural Systems Research Class. Together, the students prepared a Sustainability Action Plan, recommending an annual NABERS rating assessment, LED lighting upgrade and recruitment of a green team. They also developed staff engagement projects such as ‘The Biggest Turn Off’ competition, lunch and learn program and waste management initiatives.
The Housing Authority has also been extraordinarily successful in reducing paper waste by integrating their tenancy management system with a document sharing system. In just six months, they were able to save over 620,000 sheets of paper.

Tom Grosskopf, Director Metropolitan Branch, NSW Office of Environment & Heritage and Emmie Maunder, Sustainability Project Officer, Government of Western Australia Housing Authority (L-R).

New Signatory of the Year 2015

Allens  

Allens are raising the bar when it comes to social and environmental stewardship. Allens has made significant cuts to their emissions through a large ICT project and changes to the way they do business across borders. Allens is NCOS certified and uses its carbon neutrality to support traditional fire management projects in indigenous communities.

CitySwitch National Awards judging panel
Allens is an international law firm with offices throughout Australia and Asia. A new signatory in WA and Victoria this year, Allens’ impressive digitisation of services is cutting energy and waste.
This year it undertook a national server virtualisation project which has seen individual server rooms in many Allens locations centralised to one, highly efficient system. Corporate travel was tackled with enhanced tele-conferencing facilities. As a result of projects undertaken, emissions have been reduced by 13.9%. Allens was also the first certified carbon neutral law firm and has maintained NCOS certification though 2015.

Esther Bailey, CitySwitch National Program Manager with Emma Fitzgerald, Community Engagement Manager, Allens, Luke Morey, Acting Chief Information Officer, Allens and Phillip Cornwell, Partner and Chair of the Footprint Committee, Allens (L-R).

Winners under 2000sqm

New South Wales

WT Sustainability

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
0.2 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
IT review, planning and procurement, ongoing monitoring and review and use of embedded metering systems.
WT Sustainability are one of Australia’s most energy efficient offices, with 78% less energy consumption than a typical tenancy and a 6 star plus 50% NABERS tenancy rating. However, this has not stopped them from identifying further savings including using data from the meter system to modify their lighting system and stop energy bleeding. Focusing on improving IT efficiency, WT Sustainability worked to identify more energy efficient equipment and eliminated all IT standby loads. Moving staff to more efficient computers has not only reduced energy consumption and reduced paper usage by 50% but has also increased productivity. These changes have meant that while staff numbers have grown by 45%, there has been only a 0.1% increase to the office’s total energy consumption.

It is astounding that WT Sustainability are still able to identify savings. They continue to push the limits and walk the talk. What more can this organisation identify in the future?

NSW CitySwitch judging panel

Mayor of North Sydney, Jilly Gibson, Steve Hennessy, Director, WT Sustainability and Robyn Kemmis, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney (L-R).

South Australia

Knight Frank

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
12.9 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
Office refurbishment including lighting upgrade, C-bus lighting controls, occupancy detection, IT upgrades (Wi-Fi, AV monitors, laptops, follow-me printing and adjustment to server room temperature), HVAC digital thermostats, and energy efficient appliances in break-out areas.
Knight Frank achieved a 5 Star NABERS Energy Tenancy rating for their office within Westpac House, the tallest building in Adelaide through a comprehensive upgrade to equipment, lighting and temperature controls. An evaluation of the  upgrade identified energy efficiency improvements equivalent to a one star increase in their NABERS Energy rating. The upgrade included lighting, computers, printing and audio-visual equipment, kitchen appliances and HVAC temperature controls. Knight Frank can now share their evaluation and success within their own organisation, with other tenants in their iconic Adelaide building and other tenancies they manage.

Knight Frank demonstrated their commitment to implementing environmental improvements through the practical implementation of actions in their environmental action plan. We look forward to further innovation and partnership approaches in future years

SA CitySwitch judging panel

 Nick Mavropsi, Senior Director, Head of Sustainability, Peter McVann, Managing Director and Bobbette Scott, Senior Director, Head of Division from Knight Frank with Martin Haese, Lord Mayor, Adelaide City Council (L-R)

Victoria

TANK

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
36.5 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
Carbon neutral and flexible working office refit.
Achieving a 6 star NABERS Energy rating by reducing their energy use, TANK also proved their commitment to end-to-end carbon management by once again becoming a carbon neutral office. TANK also completed an office renovation with a focus on flexible workspaces, standing desks, natural light and ventilation and staff comfort, which has already improved staff productivity. Some of TANK’s own clients who have experienced the new workplace were so impressed, they have taken TANK’s lead and implemented similar projects of their own.

TANK demonstrates how energy saving initiatives can deliver holistic outcomes for business. In addition to improving sustainability performance, their latest renovation has also fundamentally influenced the way staff view and make decisions regarding their work environment.

Victoria CitySwitch judging panel

Richard Foster and Michelle Jeavons of TANK with Kate Vinot, Director of City Strategy and Place, The City of Melbourne (L-R)

Western Australia

Western Australian Local Government Association

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
18.1 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
Staff engagement, sustainable integrated fitout, transport management plan for staff and visitors, HVAC re-turning and solar PV.
WALGA relocated from a 3 star office to the 5 star Green Star rated ONE70 building in West Perth in 2014. Identifying opportunities for further improvements, WALGA retuned the air conditioning system to deliver nearly 15,000 kwh in energy savings and added a 167kw solar PV system. A Green Works Program has been implemented using CitySwitch toolkits and resources and is led by a team of staff volunteers who have coordinated education and other initiatives to engage with staff. These include switch off campaigns which have raised rates by 25% and initiatives which have seen paper wastage reduced tenfold, lunchtime garage sales, artworks made from recycled goods and a WALGA Farmers Market, the proceeds from which were donated to charity. A “Recycle Right” staff training program was also implemented to educate staff on recycling best practice. The quantifiable aspects of these projects has showed an energy saving of 23,839 kWh over twelve months and rewarded WALGA with a six star NABERS rating.

WALGA have shown real dedication to a cause and achieved exemplary results, setting a new standard for CitySwitch signatories to aspire to. Let’s hope others give chase.

WA CitySwitch judging panel

The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor, Lisa-M. Scaffidi, City of Perth, Julia Beijeman, Environment Policy Manager and Michelle Brent, Environment Policy Officer, WALGA (L-R)

 

 

 

Winners over 2000sqm

New South Wales

Aurecon

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
201 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
Office refurbishment, staff engagement, flexible working arrangements including working from home, energy monitoring and office inspections.
In April 2011, Aurecon challenged its Buildings Engineering Team to increase the 2 star NABERS tenancy rating for its Sydney office, which it did, scoring an impressive 5 star rating in 2015. This dramatic change was achieved through a refurbishment which included LED lighting upgrades, introduction of controls and IT equipment monitoring. Aurecon also implemented a range of sustainability behaviour change initiatives to engage staff including establishing a green team and sustainability committee. Together with the refurbishment, these initiatives have reduced emissions by 35% and costs by 45% over the past three years.

Aurecon have demonstrated how both a top-down and bottom-up behavioural and culture change program can achieve significant results. They are to be congratulated for their pro-active stakeholder engagement.

NSW CitySwitch judging panel

Hanna Cardeira, Quality, Environment & Sustainability Manager, Aurecon, Jilly Gibson Mayor of North Sydney, Jason Pereira, Associate, Aurecon and Robyn Kemmis, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney (L-R).

South Australia

Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc.


NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
50.8 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
New HVAC system, updated Environmental Policy and Procedure, green team action plan, and staff engagement.
Nunkuwarrin Yunti undertook a comprehensive range of initiatives to achieve a remarkable 5 star NABERS Energy rating and energy savings of nearly 91,000 kWh. The “Green Mob” environment committee established in 2014 continued to champion the implementation of key initiatives across the organisation. These iniatives included an updated Environmental Policy and Procedure endorsed at executive level and embedded across the organisation, a behavioural change “switch off” campaign and a new HVAC system.

Nunkuwarrin Yunti are to be commended for continuing to implement their environmental action plan and refining their environmental policies to deliver a significant reduction in energy use.

SA CitySwitch judging panel

Alicia King, Tyron Power, Carol Varley and Kesha Roesch from Nunkuwarrin Yunti, Martin Haese, Lord Mayor, Adelaide City Council, Barbara Myles and Deanna Nikolettos, from Nunkuwarrin Yunti (L-R)

Victoria

Transport Accident Commission


NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
349 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
LED and sensor light upgrade, 40kw solar installation, furniture recycling and HVAC tuning.
The TAC has taken a holistic approach to managing sustainability in their office and is a good example of what can be achieved through a successful working relationship between a building occupant and landlord. A large LED and sensor lighting upgrade and a 40kw solar installation as well as better HVAC management has seen improvements in both the base building and tenancy NABERS rating to 5.5 stars.

Transport Accident Commission has made impressive progress in reaching their energy efficiency goals through a wide range of innovative measures.

VIC CitySwitch judging panel

Simone Muschalla and Aaron Ruff of TAC with Kate Vinot, Director of City Strategy and Place, The City of Melbourne (L-R)

Western Australia

RAC

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
45.17 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
MAC Curve, solar PV, Building Management System and end-of-trip facilities upgrade
Multiple CitySwitch Award winner RAC has continued to demonstrate commitment, leadership and results over the last year. To thoroughly investigate options to reduce their carbon emissions, RAC engaged specialist firms to develop a Marginal Abatement Cost (MAC) curve to prioritise initiatives based on their cost and abatement potential. As a result, RAC chose to install a substantial and highly visible 100kw solar PV system and upgrade the Building Management System (BMS) to maximise energy efficiencies. Additionally, they have upgraded end-of-trip facilities to entice more staff to engage in active transport to and from work, reducing car use and vehicle emissions. The PV system is expected to produce 168,000 kWh of energy each year and the upgrade BMS saving of 30,535 kWh. The BMS is able to display real time energy data to staff and visitors through screens in the café and reception areas in the building whilst also assisting facility managers to fine tune operations for more energy savings.

The scale of RAC’s efforts is impressive. They are truly deserving of the win.”

WA CitySwitch judging panel

Regina Flugge, Senior Manager Environmental Sustainability, RAC and the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor, Lisa-M. Scaffidi, City of Perth (L-R)


Winners Partnership

New South Wales

59 – 61 Goulburn Street, Sydney
NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and Colliers International

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
33 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
Establishment of a Building Management Committee, development and implementation of an Environmental Management Plan, soft plastics recycling and lighting upgrades throughout the whole building, indoor environment quality testing and BMS upgrade.
The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage has taken a whole-of-building approach to their Goulburn Street head office, influenced by their Green Lease with Government Property NSW. Together, OEH and building manager Colliers International target energy, water, waste, indoor-environment quality, emissions and metering. In October, 2014, a Building Management Committee (BMC) was established to develop and implement an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the building, an initiative that has built a collaborative workplace community. Key projects implemented include soft plastics recycling and lighting upgrades throughout the whole building, servers virtualised and decommissioned in the data centre, sustainable tenancy refurbishment and a BMS upgrade to improve cooling plant and pump efficiency. Projected annual savings are over 33,000 kWh and $6,000.

Utilising its Green Lease and collaborating with the building manager, Colliers, OEH NSW has introduced a range of sustainability initiatives across the whole building which are benefitting all tenants.

NSW CitySwitch judging panel

Councillor Lynne Saville, Willoughby City Council, Clare Donovan, Sustainability Coordinator NSW Office of Environment & Heritage and Jamie O’Reilly, Building Services Engineer, Colliers International (L-R).

Victoria

NAB and The GPT Group

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
870 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
Green Lease implemented, Building Environmental Management Plan and Committee established, HVAC tuning and VSD installation and extensive LED retrofit.
NAB has worked closely with GPT on embedding energy and water performance targets into their lease and establishing a Building Environmental Management Plan and Committee with outstanding success. Their collaboration has achieved a base building NABERS energy rating of 5 stars two years ahead of schedule. Variable speed drives were installed in the building’s HVAC and set-points were lifted to save significant energy. NAB also installed almost 4000 LED lights in one of Australia’s largest commercial building LED upgrades, bringing their tenancy rating up to an impressive 5.5 stars. NAB’s 800-808 Bourke Street property was the first building to be rated under the pilot Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star Performance tool, successfully achieving a 4 star rating.

In the case of GPT and NAB, the collaborative efforts of both the tenant and landlord was responsible for the continued leadership of one of Australia’s first and most iconic green buildings.

VIC CitySwitch judging panel

Tyrone Sheehan and Paul Sweeny of the GPT Group with Alison Read of NAB and Kate Vinot, Director of City Strategy and Place, The City of Melbourne (L-R)

Western Australia

Government of Western Australia Housing Authority and Curtin University

NABERS Energy rating:

Emission savings:
73.6 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
Collaboration with Curtin University students to develop and implement an updated Sustainability Action Plan
One of the Housing Authority’s goals when joining CitySwitch in 2009 was to raise awareness of energy efficiency in the business community, and to help achieve this they partnered with students from Curtin University’s Architectural Systems Research class to prepare an updated Sustainability Action Plan. The plan recommended the continuation of an annual NABERS rating assessment, LED lighting upgrade and recruitment of a green team. The lighting upgrade has since been completed and the new LEDs have reduced lighting costs by 20%, making the payback period less than two years. A switch off campaign decreased energy use by 5%, a saving of $9,000 over three months and staff were also engaged through a lunch and learn program and waste management initiatives. Other significant savings have also been achieved through actions from the plan, including digitising processes to save over have saved over 620,000 pieces of paper, follow-me printing and turning air conditioning off at 5pm.

The Housing Authority has recognised that they can change the future by engaging with the next generation of building professionals. Providing students with real-world green building projects creates systemic change in the industry. Highly commendable.

WA CitySwitch judging panel

Stephen Chin, Manager Corporate Operations and Support and Jeremy Hubble, Executive Director Business Operations and Managing Associate from WA Housing Authority, the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor, Lisa-M. Scaffidi, City of Perth and Emmie Maunder, Sustainability Project Officer, WA (L-R)


Winners New Signatories

New South Wales

BUPA Australia


Emission savings:
206 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
Activity-based working fitout, lighting and HVAC, ICT equipment upgrades including laptops and follow-me printing and an internal staircase to reduce elevator usage and promote fitness.
In 2014, Bupa developed a project plan to locate an energy efficient building that could merge two separate offices into one new space. Their key objectives were to achieve better collaboration in the business and a healthier workplace as well as cost savings and improved energy efficiency. As part of the relocation, a range of energy saving initiatives were implemented including activity-based working, a move from desktops to laptops, follow me printing, inclusion of an internal staircase between floors to reduce the use of the elevators and the introduction of employee engagement program – Healthy Planet. Eight months after the relocation of the offices into one, energy savings have already surpassed 206,000 kWh.

BUPA has achieved impressive energy savings by merging two offices into one with a workspace design that has also created a connected and healthier work environment.

NSW CitySwitch judging panel

Robyn Kemmis, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney and Liz Still, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability, BUPA (L-R).

Victoria

Allens


Emission savings:
1993 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
100% server virtualisation, NCOS accreditation, reduction in corporate travel and emissions, comprehensive emissions reduction and support of the North Kimberley Indigenous carbon farming initiative.
Allens has implemented a number of successful improvements to their information and communications technology to reduce energy use and emissions. Individual server rooms in Allens office locations across Australia were centralised to one highly efficient system achieving 100% virtualisation for the business. This initiative is expected to save over 8,000 tonnes of carbon emissions  over the lifetime of the project. Allens have also reduced their emissions footprint by nearly 14%, achieved by a reduction in corporate travel made possible by improvements to and an increase in tele-conferencing facilities as well as other initiatives. Allens was also the first certified carbon neutral law firm in Australia and they continue to maintain their NCOS certification.

As the first Australian law firm with a carbon neutral certification under the Australian Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard, Allens sets a high standard for the service sector in its sustainability achievements and aspirations.

VIC CitySwitch judging panel

Emma Fitzgerald and Matthew Whittle of Allens with Kate Vinot, Director of City Strategy and Place, The City of Melbourne

Western Australia

Allens


Emission savings:
17.8 tonnes CO2-e
Key initiatives:
IT upgrade to virtual servers, air travel reduction strategy and purchase of carbon offsets to achieve carbon neutrality.
Allens’ Perth office demonstrated how embedded sustainable practices have become across the organisation, implementing a number of carbon emission strategies which have resulted in substantial reductions during their first year in the CitySwitch program. The first strategy was technological, requiring the implementation of information systems infrastructure upgrades; the second was behavioural, educating staff to find alternatives to air travel; and finally, a carbon accounting strategy was implemented to offset remaining emissions. Allens was the first certified carbon neutral law firm and has maintained NCOS certification though 2015.

Allens are showing a holistic approach to sustainability including reductions in travel emissions and savings through their virtualisation program which are very impressive.

WA CitySwitch judging panel

Eve Lynch, Managing Associate at Allens with the Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor, Lisa-M. Scaffidi, City of Perth (L-R)