We’ve all got to do our bit, said Simon Wilson, Director at RDT Pacific when he opened the Green Property Summit 2023 on 10 May in Tamaki Mākaurau Auckland. A key part of that, he says “is ensuring sustainability forms part of every decision we make across society”.

At the 2023 Green Property Summit hosted by New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) and the Property Council NZ in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, 450 people joined the conversation on climate change and shared ways to embed a universally sustainable built environment.

At the same time, people in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Tairāwhiti/East Coast and Hawke’s Bay were still coping with the aftereffects of the worst storms to hit Aotearoa New Zealand in living history.

Researchers have concluded that Cyclone Gabrielle was supercharged by climate change.

Simon cites Cyclone Gabrielle as a powerful example of the impact of climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Events like this are a harsh reminder there are a lot of issues we need to respond to, but there is a lot we can do to play our part and mitigate to ensure a better built environment in Aotearoa New Zealand. We need to add a sustainability lens to every decision we make now,” says Simon.

“It is time for a social change.”

Can society lock in sustainability as a lens we put all of our decisions through?

Simon lists materials that fit into circularity economy, addressing embodied carbon in property and looking at ways to restore biodiversity on building sites as “some of the simple things we can do together to make a difference”.

At the previous Green Property Summits, Simon says he and others had tapped into the Greta Thunberg zeitgeist after her appearances at international forums and the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

“At that time, we in the property sector were looking for a step change – instead we got a step up. Greta Thunberg inspired young people around the world to demand action on climate change. As a result, some organisations made sustainability commitments, and some followed through,” Simon says.

“We are working across and within our sector to develop solutions and tools like the NZGBC Green Star rating system are elevating our response as an industry by benchmarking excellence.”

Simon is currently Chair of the Advisory Group of NZGBC. He was part of a working group to develop the new rating tools under the Green Star Programme.­­

He acknowledges that the increased rigour of the recently released Green Star v 1.1 rating has given the built industry a few headaches.

“Headaches also give the industry opportunities. We’re working across the sector on solutions and the challenges of Green Star have given us an opportunity to work and debate with many parties including clients, consultants, main contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers,” explains Simon.

“The Green Property Summit was a full house of passionate industry gurus, and this shows we are a strongly caring and motivated sector.”

RDT Pacific is proud to be Premier sponsor of the Green Property Summit 2023.