Cundall Australia: The future is zero emissions buildings

Cundall Australia is the quiet achiever of the sustainable engineering world.

The multi-disciplinary engineering business has spent the better part of a decade getting its sustainability credentials in order, and is now certified carbon neutral under the Australian government’s Climate Active Standard.

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It’s also one of 38 founding signatories for the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, and has laid out plans to become carbon positive in its “One Planet, One Chance” sustainability roadmap.

But for Cundall Australia partner David Clark, the company’s workplace sustainability achievements were the easy part – influencing clients and the property industry to do better is where engineers can really pack a punch.

The company already has some best-in-class green buildings to its name, such as the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at the University of Wollongong, the only building in the country to receive full certification under the Living Building Challenge.

David still believes the company – and the built environment sector at large – has a long way to go on sustainability and climate change.

“Architects and engineers will play a massive part in solving the sustainability problems in the building sector.”

Zero carbon needn’t come at huge additional expense, and if it’s not possible for the client to do today, the building should have a zero carbon strategy to eliminate its carbon emissions over time.

Cundall is also dedicated to advocacy and shaping the way forward, with David the chair of a technical committee dedicated to defining net zero carbon for the Green Building Council of Australia’s next iteration of Green Star.

The company also runs an in house sustainability training course called the Cundall Diploma, which includes modules on zero carbon, embodied carbon, climate adaptation and climate positive action.