Welcome to Country
WSBE Convenors Opening
iiSBE Presentation
(11:00am - 11:45am) Panel Discussion
Decarbonising the Architecture Industry
Run by: Institute of Architects (AIA)
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Description:
In the race to zero carbon buildings, the practice of architecture needs to shift, deeply and fast. After declaring a climate emergency in 2019, the Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) published the Australian-first Architecture Industry Decarbonisation Plan, which sets out carbon targets for policy makers and provides practical guidance for the profession.
The National Construction Code’s 2025 update and delay of further updates until 2029 leave significant gaps to science-based trajectories while the manufacturing and construction industries lag far behind in providing low and zero carbon services and products, which impedes the delivery of low and zero carbon buildings. The onus is thus on architects to help clients meet their needs in smarter ways, understand risks and opportunities and lead the project process through smarter design, greater adaptive reuse of existing assets and closer collaboration with consultants such as structural, façade, services and ESD engineers.
This is reflected by the update to the decarbonisation plan and the roll-out of education, resources and a push for a cultural shift in the profession to move from sustainability as a technical specialty to core business for architects, driven by the RAIA’s National Climate Action and Sustainability Committee.
This presentation will lay out the urgently needed cultural shift in practice and education, showcase the critical skills of architects going forward and discuss strategies to move the architecture profession towards leading a sustainable zero carbon future.
(11:45am - 12:30pm) Workshop Style Session
Gaming for Near-Zero Emissions Buildings: Using the 10 Whole Life Cycle Recommendations of the Buildings Breakthrough
Run by: Science & Innovation for Climate and Energy (SICE)
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Description:
This will be a fun and interactive session, where you will be part of a team of 5 stakeholders aiming to build a Near Zero Building in 2030. This Policy Game will help overcome challenges to implement Near Zero Emission Buildings globally by using the 10 Whole Life Cycle Recommendations of the Buildings Breakthrough. Participants will work with their teams to balance climate impact, cost and stakeholder interests to address a building related challenge. A moderated discussion will follow where participants discuss the challenges and perspectives to consider when implementing the recommendations.
Emergency Procurement, Flood Response & Rebuilding
Run by: RMIT, WWF, EMI World, Humanitarian Advisory Group
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Description:
Flood Response Panel Discussion and Simulation Exercise: A fast-paced, interactive simulation placing participants in the immediate aftermath of a major urban flood disaster. Led by an expert panel, attendees will navigate humanitarian coordination, material procurement, and reconstruction challenges while balancing urgency, resources, and community needs.
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Conditions and Tipping Points for Sustainable Building and Construction in Australia
Run by: Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO) — Dutch Embassy
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Description:
This panel brings together experts from research, industry, design, and governance across Australia and the Netherlands to explore the key conditions and tipping points needed to accelerate a transition to a circular built environment. The discussion will examine how governance, design innovation, mobility, lifecycle thinking, and systems approaches can enable circularity at scale. It will also explore tools such as material passports, the role of waste as a resource, and the intersection between built environment and mobility systems. Drawing on Dutch and Australian experience, the panel will identify practical pathways and critical levers for a more circular built environment.
4:30pm - 5:00pm
Beyond the Event: How Victorian Convention Centres are Redefining Sustainable Place‑Making
Run by: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
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Description:
Over the past two decades, convention centre design and operation have undergone a significant transformation. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has been an early pioneer in this evolution, setting many early benchmarks in sustainable design and practice that have in turn influenced the next generation of venues, including Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre (Nyaal Banyul). Operated by the Victorian Convention and Event Trust (VCET) in partnership with asset management firm Plenary, these two venues demonstrate how best-practice sustainability in the built environment has progressed over time. While both were developed as key civic assets to drive economic and social impact in their respective regions, Nyaal Banyul builds on the strong foundations set by MCEC – extending how venues respond to contemporary community, commercial, and policy priorities. Join us for a panel discussion exploring the sustainability journey across these two centres. The conversation will examine how the integration of environmental sustainability, accessibility, and First Nations perspectives has deepened over time. In addition, it will detail the shifting role of convention centres beyond economic drivers to places that actively support cultural recognition, community connection, and environmental leadership.
Mandatory life-cycle carbon calculation in the EU Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/52 — What this means in countries in and beyond Europe?
Run by: Decarbonising the Building Industry (DBI)
Speakers:
The EU just published the Report on Calculation framework for building life-cycle Global Warming Potential in support of the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/52 implementation. What does this serve in the bigger picture of the need to decarbonise the building, construction and real estate sector in Europe, and each country therein? And in the world, including Australia (and other countries outside of Europe)? Join us in this roundtable session to learn more and be part of the discussion.