Building to Zero: making sustainability 'normal' in the built environment | Event #2. Selling like hot cakes: Marketing + Media

​THIS IS EVENT #2 OF A TWO PART SERIES AT CAWS26

​​The Built Environment globally is responsible for 40% of carbon emissions and 50% of resource use, is the largest investment asset class, and is predicted to double in size by 2050. So you might expect it to have a prominent role in the UN COP process and national net-zero targets, especially as buildings have such a tangible presence in our daily life (most westeners spend 90% of our life indoors). But you'd be wrong... Buildings get far less attention than Energy or Transport, and Agriculture is the only sector doing worse at decarbonising.

​​Australia, however, would seem to be bucking that trend. Our rooftop solar uptake and NABERS commercial building rating scheme are the envy of many countries, progressive policies are still being rolled out by government at all levels despite growing political pushback on net-zero, and there is a strong cohort of corporates and industry associations that are actively pursuing sustainability within their niche areas.

​​What is missing is the cultural change necessary to take sustainability beyond these niche areas into mainstream supply chains.

​​This series of four events (two back-to-back sessions at Climate Action Week Sydney in March 2026 and the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference at Melbourne in June 2026) will consider how the Australian built environment sector can build on its existing achievements to drive the rapid and radical transition to net zero that is needed, looking at opportunities locally and globally. The focus will be on culture rather than capacity: we have all the solutions, what is lacking is the political, social and industry will to implement them.

​CAWS26

​​1.  Follow the money: Investment + Insurance

​​2.  Selling like hot cakes: Marketing + Media

​​WSBE26

​​3.  Design as a super power: Profession + Practice

​​4.  Big ship slow to turn: Construction + Innovation

​This is event #2 in the series:

​2. Selling like hot cakes: Marketing + Media > Public perception and understanding about ‘big’ issues like climate change, and the extent to which that influences political policy and the market, is primarily driven by how the issue is represented by the media and in marketing campaigns. Where is this working well for (or against) the Built Environment in Australia, where could we readily do more, and how does that fit into the broader public discussion about net zero?

​​Join us for networking time 30 minutes before and after each event.