The 2022 CitySwitch annual showcase and networking events were hosted in Adelaide, Melbourne, North Sydney and Sydney during April and May 2023. At the Melbourne and Sydney events, the National CitySwitch awards were presented in the following categories:
- Signatory of the Year (< 2,000 m2)
- Signatory of the Year (> 2,000 m2) (winner & highly commended)
- Partnership Award
- Leadership Award (new for this year)
Congratulations to all of our award winners and nominees for their achievements in 2022!
We'd like to thank all the nominees for entering a submission in this year's awards.
- Property NSW
- Steensen Varming
- Brookfield Properties
- Colliers
- HESTA
- ANZ
- Glibert & Tobin
- Shape
- Dixon Appointments
Winner: Signatory of the Year
(< 2,000 m2 category)
Dixon Appointments
Susan Trentin (left) accepting the award from Elizabeth Doidge, City of Melbourne Councillor (right) on behalf of Dixon Appointments.
Dixon appointments are a small, women-led recruitment firm specialising in Melbourne’s education, commercial, non-for-profit and government sectors. Dixon pride themselves on their environmental and social performance, having IS14001 Environmental Management Certification, being carbon neutral rated for over 10 years, and maintaining a 6-star NABERS Energy rating for their office tenancy.
Dixon won this award for their all-round performance in activities on the journey towards net zero emissions and maintaining this performance over a long period of time. Dixon appointments only occupy an office of less than 400 sqm but have achieved more than much larger companies.
Dixon maintain their great environmental performance by regularly monitoring and maintaining their Energy Action Plan, reducing waste within their office, running continual upskilling activities for their staff and promoting energy efficiency to their clients.
Highly Commended: Signatory of the Year
(> 2,000 m2 category)
Gilbert and Tobin
Zoe Baker, North Sydney Mayor (left) with Eloise Schnierer (right) accepting the award on behalf of Gilbert and Tobin.
Gilbert + Tobin are an award winning law firm based in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. They have been CitySwitch signatories since 2007 when they started undertaking annual NABERS assessment of their office space. In 2018 they became Climate Active certified.
In 2020 they purchased green power for their tenancy and then expanded this in 2022 to cover their base building.
Emissions reductions is an important focus for Gilbert and Tobin and between 2019 and 2022 they reduced their emissions by 69.5%. This has been driven by purchasing of renewables but also a new office fit out, upgrades to office and IT equipment, and implementing follow-me printing.
50% of their staff also attended three hour workshops on behavioural changes employees can make to address climate change. They have run a reusable coffee cup campaign in their offices.
Gilbert + Tobin share their amazing work not only through the CitySwitch network but also with their legal counterparts throus the Australian Legal Sector Alliance.
Winner: Signatory of the Year
(> 2,000 m2 category)
HESTA
Zoe Baker, North Sydney Mayor (left) with David Morton (right) accepting the award on behalf of HESTA.
HESTA is an Australian industry superannuation fund for workers in health and community service sectors. This award recognised their Ways of Thriving in the Future project, including the refurbishment of two floors at their national office.
They worked with their consultants, WSP, for the fit out which was assessed against the Sustainale Development Goals. They started with an environmental management plan, design, vetting of sustainable furniture and building materials, choosing low energy lighting and IT, as well as measuring recycling rates, adding plants and a social enterprise café into the fit out.
The project also included extensive staff engagement to share the story of the sustainable fit-out and settle into the new spaces, thereby enticing everyone back to the office after a long period of remote working
The project recycled 93% of materials from demolition with a lot of furniture donated to a local school and also received a 5.5 NABERS rating.
The space is called HESTA Heart and is now buzzing with the energy of engaged staff.
HESTA have a goal of cutting operational emissions 45% by 2030, in this year's carbon neutral report, HESTA's fifth to Climate Active, feel just 10% shy of this goal.
Winner: Partnership of the Year
Brookfield Properties and their tenants
Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney (left) with Danny De Soursa (right) accepting the award on behalf of Brookfield Properties.
Brookfield Properties are winning this award alongside their tenants for on their partnership project, Breaking the Plastic Habit. The project was a hands-on waste reduction program for Brookfield Properties’ employees, commercial and retail tenants.
By sharing the findings from what Brookfield Properties achieved in their own offices around waste reduction – as well as giving tenants a platform upon which to share their own experiences and ideas – a holistic whole building approach was achieved. Their partnership was multi-faceted, and involved working with Plastic Oceans Australasia, as well as their tenants (NAB, HUB and The Point).
The project has resulted in a total of 1.75 million single use plastic items not in use.
A tenant shared the below testimonial;
The “Breaking the Plastic Habit” campaign served as a regular point of discussion with Brookfield providing regular updates on the removal of single use plastics [and] implementation of new recycling/waste streams. Brookfield have provided frequent updates [around] events and activities through the Axiis app, utilised by Deloitte staff. Brookfield Properties continue to prove themselves as a forward thinking & motivated team in a sustainability space.
Deloitte, Russell Shaw – Workplace Operations Manager
Winner: Leadership Award
Property NSW
Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney (left) with Manuela Crank (right) accepting the award on behalf of Property NSW.
Property NSW manage the sustainability of NSW Government office buildings
This award recognised the work they do to:
- Actively engage staff in sustainability through participating in CitySwitch, GBCA and other available training
- Achieving Climate Active status as an organisation for two consecutive years
- Procuring 100% green power for all owned sites
- Installing scales to weigh waste coming out of their buildings.
- Reduced energy consumption by 49% and emissions by 55% since FY15 surpassing the NSW government target. Emissions are down by 15% in just the past financial year.
- Developed their own net zero roadmap.
- Introducing a climate resilience framework for assets from next financial year
Property NSW has been a long time participant of CitySwitch and is always an inspiration for the work they do in making their properties more sustainable.
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