Hosted in association with ICLEI-Oceania (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) and UTS (University of Technology Sydney) as part of Climate Action Week Sydney 2026.

Date: Tuesday 10 March 2026 13:30-17:00 > includes 30 minutes networking time before and after each of the two events

Venue: University of Technology Sydney, Balcony Room, Building 1, 15 Broadway, Ultimo NSW 2007

The Built Environment globally is responsible for 40% of carbon emissions and 50% of resource use, is the largest investment asset class, and is predicted to double in size by 2050. So you might expect it to have a prominent role in the UN COP process and national net-zero targets, especially as buildings have such a tangible presence in our daily life (most westeners spend 90% of our life indoors). But you’d be wrong… Buildings get far less attention than Energy or Transport, and Agriculture is the only sector doing worse at decarbonising.

​Australia, however, would seem to be bucking that trend. Our rooftop solar uptake and NABERS commercial building rating scheme are the envy of many countries, progressive policies are still being rolled out by government at all levels despite growing political pushback on net-zero, and there is a strong cohort of corporates and industry associations that are actively pursuing sustainability within their niche areas.

​What is missing is the cultural change necessary to take sustainability beyond these niche areas into mainstream supply chains.

​This series of four events (two back-to-back sessions at Climate Action Week Sydney in March and the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference at Melbourne in June) will consider how the Australian built environment sector can build on its existing achievements to drive the rapid and radical transition to net zero that is needed, looking at opportunities locally and globally. The focus will be on culture rather than capacity: we have the solutions, what is lacking is the political, social and industry will to implement them.

​CAWS26

​1.  Follow the money: Investment + Insurance

2.  Selling like hot cakes: Marketing + Media

​WSBE26

​3.  Design as a super power: Profession + Practice

​4.  Big ship slow to turn: Construction + Innovation

EVENT #1 BOOK HERE 10/03/2026 14:00-15:00

​1. Follow the money: Investment + Insurance > In a market economy, the pace of any major transition like net zero will largely be determined by the availability of finance and the assessed level of risk. How is that playing out in the investment and insu rance sector for the Built Environment in Australia, and where does that sit in the global context?

EVENT #2 BOOK HERE 10/03/2026 15:30-16:30

​2. Selling like hot cakes: Marketing + Media > Public perception and understanding about ‘big’ issues like climate change, and the extent to which that influences political policy and the consumer market, is primarily driven by how the issue is represented by the media and in marketing campaigns. Where is this working well for (or against) the Built Environment in Australia, where could we readily do more, and how does that fit into the broader public discussion about net zero?

Go to the WSBE26 website for more details of their conference proceedings, where we will be hosting events #3 and #4.