Barangaroo has become the first urban precinct in Australia to be awarded carbon neutral status.
Environment Minister Matt Kean said the Barangaroo project is a pioneer in sustainability, and the certification awarded by the Commonwealth Government represented an Australian first in environmental sustainability.
‘The NSW Government is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and this is an example of how businesses can help us achieve that goal,’ Mr Kean said.
‘Barangaroo has long been considered one of the most exciting urban renewal projects in the world and this achievement of carbon neutrality further demonstrates the project’s globally significant environmental credentials.
‘This world-leading accomplishment builds on the existing sustainability achievements at Barangaroo, including water harvesting and recycling, centralised cooling through the use of water from Sydney Harbour, and its net zero emissions from waste aspirations.
‘I want to hand our future generations a planet that is in a better state than the one we inherited and Barangaroo’s sustainability work shows that we are well on our way to achieving that goal.’
The achievement of carbon neutrality for the precinct represents the delivery of a major commitment for Barangaroo – the result of a partnership between Infrastructure NSW, Lendlease, and the tenants.
Lendlease CEO, Steve McCann, said from the beginning Lendlease set to achieve carbon neutrality at Barangaroo South through innovative design, development and operation.
‘Fundamental to the precinct’s success was the creation of a “secret city” – with a 77,000 sqm basement hosting all precinct infrastructure. On top of this, our buildings are designed to reduce energy use by 75%, solar panels saturate the rooftops and seawater from Sydney Harbour cools air-conditioning systems across the precinct.
‘With the support of our tenants and investor community, the Barangaroo precinct is the first of its kind with all four sides of the buildings activated to create a walkable plane,’ Mr McCann said.
‘This is a great example of the NSW Government working in collaboration with private sector partners to achieve positive outcomes for the environment,’ Mr Kean said.
