3 July 2008
Climate Change Green Manuals For Australian Home Owners
New home buyers in the future should receive a housing performance manual which will provide them with information to maximise the environmental management of their new home or renovation.
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Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said with every household in Australia on average producing 14 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, which is almost a fifth of Australia's total, a national Climate Change Building and Management Code needs to be introduced. Mr Caulfield said,"the success of any climate change policies recommended by the Garnaut Report to be delivered to the Federal Government and the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday will largely depend on behavioural change by Australian home owners. "You can put the most water efficient shower head available in the home but if people continue to have half hour showers the initiative is a failure." Mr Caulfield said, the introduction of the Home Owners Green Manual for every new home or commercial building would provide builders with a major marketing opportunity to stress the environmental advantages of their project and provide environmental maintenance tips to protect the value of the asset. |
Mr Caulfield said that one of the major problems in cutting green house gas emissions is to upgrade existing homes to a minimum standard and this could be done by mandating the compulsory fitting of water efficient shower heads, dual flush toilets, insulation and energy efficient light bulbs before a home could be sold.
"As houses are sold on average of every seven years this would lead to the continual upgrading of Australia's existing housing stock of some 7.2 million homes."
Mr. Caulfield said that every new home built or renovation should include a Climate Change Management Plan that shows people how to save money by operating their homes efficiently in an environmentally sound manner.
We believe a range of policy targets should be set by the Federal Government to attack the issues of climate change which includes: