NABERS Ratings and Embodied Carbon
The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) now has an Embodied Carbon rating tool. BlueScope’s Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) can support more accurate NABERS Embodied Carbon assessments through the provision of product-specific emissions factors.
About NABERS Ratings
NABERS provides simple, standardised, one-to-six star rating tools that can help building owners benchmark performance, verify sustainability data, and track improvements. NABERS rating tools assess buildings across several key areas, including energy, water, waste, indoor environment quality, and, more recently, embodied carbon.
NABERS Embodied Carbon Tool
NABERS developed the Embodied Carbon rating tool to help developers, asset owners, and design teams measure and compare the upfront embodied carbon of new buildings and major refurbishments. Key building elements such as the superstructure, substructure, envelope, and services are all in scope. Using the online calculator, projects can estimate emissions and potential ratings during design, then engage an accredited assessor for certification.
Value of BlueScope EPDs
BlueScope EPDs are independently verified documents that provide transparent, life-cycle environmental data for specific products. Using steel products with published EPDs allows for more accurate carbon calculations in NABERS ratings. In contrast, materials without EPDs may be assigned default values by NABERS, which may overestimate their embodied carbon and potentially lower the building’s rating.
The importance of circularity
Steel’s durability, recyclability, and potential for reuse are key attributes contributing to circularity. The NABERS Embodied Carbon rating tool aligns with life-cycle thinking and circularity by recognising the value of reused components. Items reused onsite in their original state are considered zero emissions.
Further information
- Download EPDs for many BlueScope products
- Read more about how steel can support more circular outcomes