11 Nov, 2016

CitySwitch Award Winners Announced Today

City of Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese and Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Hon Ian Hunter MLC this morning presented the CitySwitch Green Office Program awards, celebrating the sustainability achievements of city businesses and organisations.

CitySwitch is a national sustainability program for office based businesses and tenants. City of Adelaide has been managing the CitySwitch program in South Australia since 2008. Currently there are 54 businesses who have signed up for the program.

Three awards were given out at a ceremony held in front of City of Adelaide’s green wall on Pirie Street.

City of Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese said that the CitySwitch program fosters collaboration and leadership among a growing network of businesses committed to environmental excellence.

“With commercial buildings contributing 43 per cent to our CBD’s total carbon emissions, the CitySwitch program offers support to office-based businesses wanting to improve the performance of their office spaces to reduce carbon emissions, waste and operating costs.

“Congratulations to the award winners for their work and dedication in improving their day-to-day energy and waste efficiency and their contribution to our community’s goal of carbon neutrality for the City of Adelaide.

“CitySwitch award winners have again demonstrated the multiple benefits that are available to city businesses as we work toward a carbon neutral Adelaide and embrace the transition to a low carbon economy.”

In March 2016, the CitySwitch program achieved a national milestone of having three million square metres of office space signed to the program, representing 12 per cent of Australia’s CBD office space. It is estimated that CitySwitch signatories are savings around $15 million in energy costs alone each year.

State Government Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Minister Ian Hunter said he was pleased to be working with the Lord Mayor and the Premier in the joint delivery of the CitySwitch Green Office Program.

“The CitySwitch Green Office Program complements the range of initiatives outlined in the recently-launched Carbon Neutral Adelaide Action Plan,” said Minister Hunter.

“CitySwitch supports innovation and sustainability in the commercial building sector, and we’re pleased to strongly support it.

“I’d like to congratulate the winners announced today for being at the forefront of this change.”

The CitySwitch South Australian Signatory of the Year Award went to property and real estate company Savills (SA).

Savills National Sustainability Manager, Dale O’Toole said that the negotiation of a new lease presented a key window of opportunity to look at how to reduce carbon emissions and operating costs.

Paula Stevens