Zero carbon developments are new buildings that have no net carbon (or greenhouse gas) emissions. The following are best practice standards for delivering a development that produces net zero carbon emissions:

• Optimised passive design to deliver an energy efficient building envelope.
• Maximised energy efficiency standard for all appliances, systems and lighting.
• No fossil fuel consumption on-site, such as gas or LPG.
• Maximised on-site renewable energy generation.
• Residual electricity demand met from local and/or off-site renewable energy generation.
• Select materials that minimise carbon emissions, and offset these emissions through a verified carbon offset scheme.

Emissions from building operations are those generated from the day-to-day running of the building. Examples include:

• lighting
• heating and cooling
• occupant energy use
• refrigerants
• maintenance vehicles and machinery.

Net zero for operational energy is achieved when the amount of carbon emissions associated with the building’s operational energy on an annual basis is zero or negative. A net zero carbon building is highly energy efficient and powered from on-site and/or off-site renewable energy sources, with any remaining carbon emissions offset.

In the context of the built environment, the concepts of 'zero net carbon' and 'zero net energy' can be defined in different ways. However, by following these key principles developments can progress towards being zero net carbon in operation:

1. Optimise the development’s energy efficiency through architectural and landscape design strategies, such as passive design and insulation.
2. Reduce the energy demand of the building’s systems, such as efficient heating, cooling and hot water, and through full-electrification instead of using gas.
3. Generate remaining energy needs from on-site and off-site renewable sources.
4. Offsets should be used for any remaining carbon balance including embedded carbon within the building’s fabric, using a recognised offsetting framework.

Operational carbon emissions are emissions associated with the operation of the building, such as those used in heating, cooling and all other energy uses, as well as emissions resulting from operational waste.

Embodied carbon emissions are emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout the whole lifecycle of a building, including emissions associated with the production and transport of building products.

If a development is looking to certify as a net zero energy or carbon building, there are organisations that can provide third party certification for developments:

• Climate Active Certification
• The Living Building Challenge

We're progressing towards a planning scheme amendment to implement zero carbon objectives and standards for new developments. This has been committed to in our Climate Emergency Plan.

We are working with other Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE) member councils to pursue a planning scheme amendment that builds on the existing local Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) Policies held by numerous Victorian Councils. The Elevating ESD Targets Planning Policy Amendment project aims to deliver revised and elevated ESD targets, including targets for zero carbon development.

This project has grown to involve 31 urban and regional Victorian councils. It demonstrates a growing commitment across the state of the need for stronger planning policy to drive a gas-free, zero-carbon built environment. 

This project involves drafting ESD planning policy objectives and standards which have undergone detailed review by three different expert fields:

• Technical ESD and development feasibility
• Planning advice
• Economic benefit cost analysis.

The planning scheme amendment work will also present the considerable economic opportunities that zero carbon developments offer, such as the procurement of off-site renewable energy. We are progressing the policy work aim to seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning.

We have been undertaking informal engagement throughout this project and will continue engaging further with the development industry as the work progresses. Once the policy work is ready we aim to seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning.

There are currently leaders in the development industry working towards achieving a zero carbon standard. We encourage this sort of leadership in the development community, and any developers aspiring to high sustainability standards in their future developments in Yarra are encouraged to engage early with our statutory planning department.