building a better future: why industry collaboration on sustainability matters
Australia’s construction industry is at a turning point, with growing pressure to reduce environmental impacts and build more responsibly. Government frameworks like the National Construction Code (NCC) and BASIX are driving this shift—setting minimum standards for energy efficiency, water use, thermal comfort, and now, material transparency.
These policies aim to cut emissions, reduce waste, and encourage the use of low-impact materials. Construction is a major contributor to environmental damage—through resource extraction, energy use, and pollution—often affecting ecosystems and communities. Compliance isn’t just red tape; it’s essential to building a better future.
To reduce harm, we need to adopt smarter practices: use eco-friendly materials, manage waste responsibly, and consider how our choices affect the environment and those who live around our projects.
But here’s where things often fall apart.
Suppliers invest substantially in product development and environmental certifications to meet the sustainability goals set out by the NCC, BASIX, and leading green building frameworks. We do this to ensure our products contribute to better performance, healthier outcomes, and long-term environmental benefit.
Even when we work closely with architects and specifiers early in the design process to align on these goals, our efforts are often undermined at the final hour. Products are substituted—not based on long-term outcomes, but on money-driven decisions. With no regard for the manufacturing origin, the materials’ chemical composition, embodied carbon, or the lasting impact on people and the environment.
Worse still, there’s often no thought given to what happens after handover—whether the product will last, perform under local conditions, or require costly maintenance or replacement. Beyond the environmental cost, there’s a cost to our local manufacturing sector and the economy as a whole. Short-term savings too often result in long-term consequences for quality, sustainability, and industry resilience.
I know I’m not alone in this frustration. Many peers—particularly those supplying quality Australian-made products—face the same challenge. They’re regularly undercut by cheap, foreign imports that don’t meet the same standards and fail to support our local economy or environmental goals.
We need more voices highlighting these issues, and continued government advocacy to drive change. When companies are incentivised to choose sustainable products—through grants, procurement policies, or rating tools—everyone benefits. It’s about recognising the value of long-term thinking over short-term margins.
That’s why we started Suppliers Declare.
We wanted to create a collective voice for suppliers committed to sustainability—not just box-ticking, but outcome-driven action. It’s about advocacy, accountability, transparency, and rethinking how we select and manufacture products—with the future in mind.
Through this movement, we’ve collaborated with likeminded initiatives like Architects Declare, Product Aware, and the GBCA’s Responsible Products Framework—all pushing for greater transparency and regenerative thinking in design and construction.
Last week, I joined the crowd at Sydney Build 2025 for the panel “Re-thinking How We Specify for a Regenerative Future.” It was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when passionate people unite—architects, designers, ESD consultants, suppliers—all focused on long-term, meaningful change.
There’s an incredible group of people in this space—many volunteering their time through not-for-profit initiatives—who are truly committed to making a difference. I’m proud to stand alongside them. But we can’t do it alone.
Let’s commit to decisions that prioritise people, planet, and performance—because the future of our industry depends on it.