Shopping Centres

How it works

Measure, compare and communicate your shopping centre's environmental performance with NABERS.

A NABERS rating helps shopping centre owners and managers measure the sustainability of their centre. Use NABERS to see how your centre compares to others and identify opportunities to save energy and water, recycle and reduce waste, and more!

After your shopping centre is assessed, you'll receive a rating from 1 to 6 stars, with 3 stars being average performance and 6 being market leading. Your rating is based how your building's actual performance compares to the industry benchmark.

The information on this page relates to shopping centre base buildings. To learn more about NABERS for individual retail stores, visit the Retail Stores page.

Independent benchmark you can trust

NABERS is a trusted, government-backed sustainability initiative, providing independent and credible sustainability assessments since 1999. Our ratings are formulated based on your shopping centre's actual operational performance, compared to the industry benchmark.

Reduce your operating costs

A NABERS rating is the first step towards strong gains in shopping centre performance. Use your rating to identify areas for operational improvements and cost savings.

Attract and retain premium tenants

Retail tenants are seeking high-performing, low-cost retail spaces. A strong NABERS shopping centre rating helps differentiate your building and attract sustainability-conscious retailers. Use NABERS Co-Assess to work with tenants on shared sustainability goals and improve centre-wide outcomes.

Communicate your performance with ease

Use a NABERS rating to translate technical building performance into simple information that investors, tenants, customers and other key stakeholders can understand.

Promote your environmental credentials

A strong NABERS rating identifies your shopping centre as a leader in environmental performance. It's a great way to recognise for your achievements in sustainability and boost your centre's reputation in the sector.

Support ESG and reporting requirements

Provide certified performance data and industry benchmarking that can help meet investor expectations, support ESG commitments and demonstrate progress towards sustainability objectives.

Ratings and tools for shopping centres

For existing shopping centres

Energy rating

A NABERS Energy rating measures the energy efficiency of your shopping centre. It considers the energy use of central services and common areas of the building, including back-of-house facilities offered to retail tenants. An Energy rating includes the Renewable Energy Indicator, which shows what percentage of your building's energy has come from renewable sources.

Team up with tenants and save

Co-Assess makes it easier for shopping centres and their tenant spaces to be rated together, with each receiving their own NABERS Energy rating. Learn more about Co-Assess for Shopping Centres.

Water rating

A NABERS Water rating measures the amount of water used and recycled in your office building. It provides a clear picture of your building’s water performance, helping you understand how efficiently water is being used and identify opportunities to reduce consumption, save costs and support your sustainability goals.

Waste Verification and Platform

NABERS Waste tools measure how well your shopping centre manages waste generation, recycling, resource recovery and supply chain management. NABERS can provide an independent measurement of the recycling and resource recovery performance of your shopping centre.

Carbon neutral

For shopping centres that achieve a minimum of 4 stars for NABERS Energy, NABERS offers a pathway to achieve Climate Active Carbon Neutral Certification.

For new or planned shopping centres

Embodied Carbon rating

Measure the upfront embodied carbon of your new shopping centre build or partial rebuild with a NABERS Embodied Carbon rating. This tool is a certified measure of material, transport and construction-related emissions.

Commitment Agreement

Commit to design, build and commission a shopping centre to achieve a specific Energy rating with a NABERS Commitment Agreement.

Agreement to Rate

If you’re building or refurbishing a shopping centre, you can commit to obtaining a NABERS rating once it becomes operational with an Agreement to Rate.

Resources for shopping centres

Downloads

Fact Sheet - Shopping Centres

Learn more about NABERS for shopping centres.

PDF • 297.7KB

Links

The Rules - NABERS Energy and Water for Shopping Centres

Explore the detailed method and criteria Assessors must follow when certifying the energy and water efficiency of a shopping centre.

Start your NABERS journey

Take the first step towards measuring your shopping centre's sustainability goals.

Find an Assessor

Get in touch with our team

Learn more about how NABERS can support your sustainability goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

For any other questions about NABERS for shopping centres, please contact us.

To learn more about pricing for shopping centres, visit Pricing and Offers.

For more information on eligibility, download the rules document for your desired rating type from the Publications page.

At this stage, ratings are available only to shopping centres based in Australia.

A NABERS rating for shopping centres is likely to consider the centre's central services and common areas. This includes:

All services provided to common areas
Air conditioning provided to tenants
All water consumption across retail applications
Services provided to car park
All vertical transportation located within common areas.

Note: The rating does not include tenancy energy use for light and power

To find a NABERS Assessor for a shopping centre, visit the Find an Assessor tool.

As service levels vary, we recommend obtaining quotes from two or three NABERS Assessors.

To learn more about how NABERS Energy and Water ratings for shopping centres are calculated, visit the Shopping Centres Energy and Water Rules page.

For Rules of other types of NABERS ratings, download the rules document for your desired rating type from the Publications page.

Validity periods vary by rating type, though most NABERS ratings are valid for 12 months. Refer to the page of your desired rating to learn more about its validity period.

The latest news for shopping centres

30 Jul 2026