Green building has received increased attention over the past decade from both environmental economists and policymakers. While there is no single definition of “green buildings” or its related policy, researchers and organizations tend to emphasize resource efficiency in building and reducing the impacts of buildings on human health and the environment.

Various green rating systems are established globally to evaluate the sustainability of construction projects. Their categories and criteria have been under constant updates to follow the sustainable trend of building development. This paper aims to develop a systematic review of the development of green rating systems.

This research explores the carbon impact of current Value Engineering (VE) practices in Australia. To accomplish this goal, a complex mixed-use building in Sydney was modelled to determine the capital material costs and initial embodied carbon emissions before and after the VE process. The results support the suggestion of a positive relationship between embodied carbon and capital cost, as outlined in the literature.

Objectives of this rapid review The energy usage of a home is often an important factor for people when considering renting or buying. Using an energy performance rating is one way to show how “energy hungry” a home could be. In some countries, it is mandatory for the seller to obtain, and disclose, a home’s energy rating. For countries in the European Union, this has been the case for 10 years. In the ACT a disclosure scheme has been operating for 20 years.