Green Star FAQs
Is there an alternative to calculating the embodied carbon for the purpose of offset demolition works?
Yes, for the purposes of the Offsetting Demolition Works criteria in Credit Achievement under the Upfront Carbon Emissions credit from Green Star Buildings v1, project teams are encouraged to calculate the embodied emissions of an existing building however may use the carbon intensities suggested below:
| Project type |
Carbon intensity (kgCO2e/m2 GFA) |
| All project types unless listed below | 1000 |
| Multi-unit residential | 800 |
| Industrial warehouses | 500 |
| Commercial | 1000 |
| Healthcare | 900 |
| Public Building | 800 |
| Education (Primary and Secondary) | 500 |
| Education (tertiary) | 1000 |
If project teams wish to use an alternate value to those listed in the table, a justification as to why the alternate value reflects the existing building more accurately is be provided in the project submission.
This FAQ should be used to assist the calculation of embodied emissions of an existing building. Please refer to the Submission Guidelines for requirements for offsetting these emissions.
These FAQs are:
- provided as additional technical assistance for Green Star users.
- optional and free to use on Green Star projects.
When used on Green Star projects, make sure to:
- state the FAQ number on the Submission Template.
- click on "Download" to save the FAQ.
- include the PDF in the submission.
The GBCA reserves the right to add or remove FAQ at our discretion.
Submit a question by selecting an option below: