Australia has reached a major milestone in sustainable construction with NABERS awarding the nation’s first Embodied Carbon rating.
On Wednesday 10 December 2025, NABERS awarded Australia’s first Embodied Carbon rating at a special ceremony in Kemps Creek, marking a major milestone in the transition to net zero buildings.
NABERS Director Magali Wardle and Assistant Minister Josh Wilson joined representatives from Frasers Property Industrial, Mainbrace Constructions and Probiotec to recognise the achievement, delivered through the construction of Frasers Property Industrial’s Kemps Creek facility.
“Embodied carbon is the next frontier when it comes to reducing carbon emissions in buildings. The team at Frasers Property Industrial and Mainbrace has set a great example by collecting an exceptional level of construction data and choosing materials backed by Environmental Product Declarations.”
While Australian buildings are world-leading in operational energy efficiency, reducing emissions from building materials and construction processes remains a significant challenge. Embodied carbon accounts for a substantial share of a building’s whole-of-life emissions and these emissions are a major part of Australia’s net zero challenge.
With support from the NSW Government and the Australian Government, NABERS has developed a nationally consistent tool to measure and compare embodied carbon across buildings. The NABERS Embodied Carbon rating measures the “hidden emissions” associated with building materials, transport, on-site energy use and waste.
The NABERS Embodied Carbon rating tool is already being referenced in key policy mechanisms, such as the NSW Sustainable Buildings State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP), the NSW Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Policy, and the Australian Government’s Environmentally Sustainable Procurement (ESP) Policy. These frameworks use NABERS ratings to improve transparency, and drive better design and procurement decisions across the market.
Embodied carbon is a major hurdle on the path to net zero, and this work shows it’s possible to move the dial when we collaborate with like-minded companies.
Mainbrace has worked closely with NABERS in developing the new embodied carbon measuring tool and are proud to have teamed with Frasers Property Industrial to deliver this Australian first.
NABERS is proud to celebrate this important milestone, which demonstrates industry leadership and innovation. This achievement shows what’s possible when industry collaborates to tackle the net zero challenge.
Find out more about NABERS Embodied Carbon Rating.