Green Building Rating Tools & Schemes
Green Building rating tools and schemes aim to assess the sustainability of buildings, infrastructure, materials and consumer products. Steel manufactured by BlueScope in Australia can assist in gaining credits for some of the main schemes in Australia including:
- Green Star™;
- IS Rating Scheme; and
- Living Building Challenge.
Green Star™
Launched by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) in 2003, Green Star is Australia's largest voluntary sustainability rating system for buildings, building fit-outs and communities.
Green Star assesses the sustainability attributes of a project through impact categories. Each category groups a number of issues related to a certain sustainability impact; these are known as ‘credits’, for which varying numbers of points are awarded. Each credit defines a clear outcome that a project must meet. Once all credits are assessed, the total number of points achieved is compared against the available points in the rating tool and a certified rating is awarded.
There are currently six Green Star rating tools: Buildings, Design & As Built, Communities, Interiors, Performance, and Railway Stations.
How can steel manufactured by BlueScope in Australia assist in gaining Green Star credits?
Green Star - Design and As Built v1.3
| BlueScope Products | Green Star Credit | Applicable Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
Structural steel products including:
|
Credit 19 - Life Cycle Impacts
|
BlueScope can help:
Note: BlueScope products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) can be used to represent the impact of BlueScope products in whole-of-building LCAs. |
|
Structural steel products, including:
|
Credit 20.1 – Responsible Building Materials – Structural and Reinforcing Steel |
BlueScope meets the following responsible steel maker requirements:
|
|
All products |
Credit 21 – Sustainable Products |
Depending on the product, BlueScope may be able to meet transparency and sustainability requirements through the following initiatives:
|
|
Roofing products:
|
Credit 25 – Heat Island Effect |
Roofing materials that comply with minimum Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) requirements, typically light colours:
Product-specific SRI test data may be available upon request. |
Excludes COLORBOND® Intramax® steel and double-sided COLORBOND® steel (e.g. for fencing, patios and pergolas).
Green Star - Buildings
| BlueScope Products | Green Star Credit | Applicable requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
All products |
Credit 5 – Responsible Procurement |
BlueScope’s approach to responsible sourcing practices and conduct may help demonstrate compliance with responsible procurement practices, including human rights, labour practices, environment, etc. For more information on BlueScope’s commitment to Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) see our HSEC Policy, Code of Conduct and Modern Slavery Statement. |
|
All products |
Credit 6 – Responsible Structure |
Many of BlueScope’s products can score points under the Responsible Products Value framework through the following initiatives: |
|
All products |
Credit 7– Responsible Envelope |
Many of BlueScope’s products can score points under the Responsible Products Value framework through the following initiatives: |
|
Roofing products:
|
Credit 19 – Heat Resilience |
BlueScope’s roofing products may comply with minimum Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) requirements, typically light colours:
Product-specific SRI test data may be available upon request. |
|
Products with EPDs:
|
Credit 21 – Upfront Carbon emissions |
BlueScope can provide 3rd party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to support claims of carbon in products, as required by the credit. |
|
Products with EPDs:
|
Credit 26 – Life Cycle Impacts |
The Life Cycle Impacts credit encourages the use of local data for LCAs, preferably EN15804 EPDs, which take precedence over generic or global data:
|
Excludes COLORBOND® Intramax™ steel and double-sided COLORBOND® steel (e.g. for fencing, patios and pergolas).
An EPD is available for COLORBOND® steel for exterior roofing and walling 0.42mm and 0.48mm in our 22 standard colours. The EPD is not applicable to COLORBOND® Ultra steel, COLORBOND® Metallic steel, COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel, COLORBOND® IntramaxTM steel, COLORBOND® steel products with galvanised (zinc-coated) steel substrate, and double-sided COLORBOND® steel (e.g. for fencing, patios and pergolas).
Green Star - Communities v1.1
| BlueScope Products | Green Star Credit | Applicable requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
Reinforcing steel products (e.g. XLERPLATE® steel, Welded beams and columns, DECKFORM® steel) |
Credit 26 – Materials |
BlueScope meets the following responsible steel maker requirements:
Note: BlueScope products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) can be used to represent the impact of BlueScope products in whole-of-building LCAs to meet the requirements of 26A.1 LCA – Performance Pathway. |
|
Roofing products (e.g. COLORBOND® steel)1 |
Credit 31 – Heat Island Effect |
BlueScope’s Roofing products may comply with minimum Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) requirements, typically light colours:
Product-specific SRI test data may be available upon request. |
Excludes COLORBOND® Intramax™ steel and double-sided COLORBOND® steel (e.g. for fencing, patios and pergolas).
Green Star - Interiors v1.3
| BlueScope Products | Green Star Credit | Applicable requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
All products |
Credit 21 – Sustainable Products |
Depending on the product, BlueScope may be able to meet transparency and sustainability requirements through the following initiatives:
|
Green Star - Performance v1.2
| BlueScope Products | Green Star Credit | Applicable requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
All products |
Credit 21 – Procurement and Purchasing |
BlueScope’s approach to responsible sourcing practices and conduct may help demonstrate compliance with the requirements of ‘21.1 Sustainable Procurement Framework’, including human rights, labour practices and environmental aspects. BlueScope, as a responsible steel maker, can also help meet the requirements of ‘21.3 Refurbishment Materials’ criteria for steel:
|
The inherent properties of steel - strong and durable - translate to a range of design possibilities that can help accrue points under Green Star credits.
Steel can be an ideal material for adding volume to existing buildings and can allow historic facades to be incorporated into new designs. The durability of steel also allows it to be successfully used in adaptive reuse and designs for disassembly.
The strength-to-weight ratio of steel also means that large spatial volumes can be enclosed in a single space which, along with other design factors, can translate to better levels of natural ventilation, light, heating and cooling. This can help improve both energy efficiency and indoor environment quality.
COLORBOND® steel with Thermatech® solar reflectance technology can also indirectly help accrue points in the Energy category by helping to reflect the sun’s energy away from the roof and the building, which could help to reduce the energy use associated with mechanical air conditioning.
21 out of the 22 colours in the COLORBOND® steel standard range feature Thermatech®1 technology (except Night Sky®). Thermatech® technology may not be available in other colours, and is not included in COLORBOND® Metallic steel, COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel or COLORBOND® Intramax™ steel. See colorbond.com/colours for more information. Results will depend on roof colour, level and location of insulation, type and location of building shape and function.
21 out of the 22 colours in the COLORBOND® steel standard range feature Thermatech® technology (except Night Sky®). Thermatech® technology may not be available in other colours, and is not included in COLORBOND® Metallic steel, COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel or COLORBOND® Intramax™ steel. See colorbond.com/colours for more information. Results will depend on roof colour, level and location of insulation, type and location of building shape and function.
Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Rating Scheme
Developed by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA), the Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Rating Scheme is a comprehensive rating system for evaluating sustainability across the planning, design, construction and operation of infrastructure programs, projects, networks and assets.
The IS Rating scheme has a strong focus on governance issues, such as sustainable procurement, resilience and innovation.
The IS Rating differs significantly from other rating tools in that it is less prescriptive and allows more options for evidence to prove compliance. This evidence needs to pass the assessment of an appointed assessor.
How can steel manufactured by BlueScope in Australia assist in gaining IS Rating credits?
IS Rating v1.2
| BlueScope Products | IS Rating Credits | Applicable Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
All products |
Was-2 Diversion from landfill |
Products that have demand and existing recycling/re-use options can help achieve this credit by supporting higher landfill diversion rates.
|
|
All products |
Was-3 Deconstruction/Disassembly/ Adaptability |
Material selection that considers future impacts, and that have high quality, will retain value and/or be more feasible for re-use and recycling can help achieve this credit.
|
|
Products with EPDs (COLORBOND® steel1, XLERPLATE® steel, and Welded beams and columns) |
Mat-1 – Materials life cycle impact measurement and reduction |
The use of BlueScope’s steel products with EPDs can help demonstrate the environmental impacts/carbon emissions reduction of the project vs a reference building using LCA or ISCA’s Materials Calculator
|
|
Products with EPDs (COLORBOND® steel1, XLERPLATE® steel, and Welded beams and columns) |
Mat-2 – Environmentally labelled products and supply chains |
Depending on the product, BlueScope may be able to meet environmental labelling requirements through the following initiatives: |
An EPD is available for COLORBOND® steel for exterior roofing and walling 0.42mm and 0.48mm in our 22 standard colours. The EPD is not applicable to COLORBOND® Ultra steel, COLORBOND® Metallic steel, COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel, COLORBOND® Intramax™ steel, COLORBOND® steel products with galvanised (zinc-coated) steel substrate, and double-sided COLORBOND® steel (e.g. for fencing, patios and pergolas).
IS Rating v2.0
| BlueScope Products | IS Rating Credits | Applicable Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
All products |
Rso-4 Resource Recovery |
Products that have demand and existing recycling/re-use options can help achieve this credit by supporting higher landfill diversion rates.
|
|
All products |
Rso-5 – Adaptability |
Adaptable materials chosen considering future impacts, and that have high quality, will retain value and/or be more feasible for re-use and recycling can help achieve this credit.
|
|
Products with EPDs (COLORBOND® steel1, XLERPLATE® steel, and Welded beams and columns) |
Rso-6 – Materials life cycle impact measurement and reduction |
The use of BlueScope’s steel products with EPDs can help demonstrate the environmental impacts/carbon emissions reduction of the project vs a reference building using LCA or ISCA’s Materials Calculator
|
|
Products with EPDs (COLORBOND® steel1, XLERPLATE® steel, and Welded beams and columns) |
Rso-7 – Sustainability labelled products and supply chains |
Depending on the product, BlueScope may be able to meet sustainability labelling requirements through the following initiatives: |
An EPD is available for COLORBOND® steel for exterior roofing and walling 0.42mm and 0.48mm in our 22 standard colours. The EPD is not applicable to COLORBOND® Ultra steel, COLORBOND® Metallic steel, COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel, COLORBOND® Intramax™ steel, COLORBOND® steel products with galvanised (zinc-coated) steel substrate, and double-sided COLORBOND® steel (e.g. for fencing, patios and pergolas).
Living Building Challenge
The Living Building Challenge (LBC), is one of the most rigorous benchmarks of sustainability in the built environment. It assesses living buildings that are:
- Regenerative buildings that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community.
- Self-sufficient and remain within the resource limits of their site.
- Create a positive impact on the human and natural systems that interact with them.
The LBC consists of seven performance categories, or ‘Petals’: Place, Water, Energy, Health + Happiness, Materials, Equity and Beauty. Each Petal is subdivided into Imperatives, for a total of 20 Imperatives, each of which focuses on a specific sphere of influence.
Living Building Challenge v4.0
| BlueScope Products | Green Star Credit | Applicable requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
COLORBOND® steel1, XLERPLATE® steel and Welded beams and columns |
Core Imperative 07 – Energy + Carbon Reduction |
New and Existing projects must demonstrate a 20% reduction in the embodied carbon of primary materials compared to an equivalent baseline. Product data for the embodied carbon assessment should be as accurate as possible, prioritising product-specific and geographically relevant data: |
|
Structural steel products and selected coated steel products. |
Imperative 13 – Red List |
Compliant products must not contain products listed in the ‘Red List’ chemical classes:
|
An EPD is available for COLORBOND® steel for exterior roofing and walling 0.42mm and 0.48mm in our 22 standard colours. The EPD is not applicable to COLORBOND® Ultra steel, COLORBOND® Metallic steel, COLORBOND® Coolmax® steel, COLORBOND® Intramax™ steel, COLORBOND® steel products with galvanised (zinc-coated) steel substrate, and double-sided COLORBOND® steel (e.g. for fencing, patios and pergolas).
To find out more about how BlueScope steel products may enable accreditation in any of these schemes or others, contact your BlueScope Steel representative or call Steel Direct on 1800 800 789.