How NABERS, the GBCA and Frasers Property are shaping low-carbon industrial estates through collaboration and tools.
Australia’s industrial sector is entering a defining era, one where leadership, collaboration and credible tools are reshaping what industrial estates can and should deliver. The industrial sector has a national market size of 79.9 million sqm* and is one of the fastest growing, most energy intensive parts of the built environment, showing a huge opportunity for decarbonisation.
NABERS and the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) have joined forces to equip the industry with the frameworks it needs to transition confidently toward a more sustainable future. Their partnership is already unlocking new opportunities for industrial developers, tenants and supply‑chain operators, with Frasers Property Industrial emerging as a standout leader in this transformation.
A Unified Approach
NABERS and GBCA’s collaboration ensures that every facet of sustainable industrial development - from embodied carbon to community outcomes, is supported by robust, nationally consistent tools. Together, they are nurturing an industry that is ready to meet the demands of a net‑zero economy.
This alignment is particularly significant for industrial estates, which are rapidly evolving from traditional logistics hubs into sophisticated, electrified, renewable‑powered precincts. With clear benchmarks and transparent measurement tools, the sector now has the guidance it needs to scale low‑carbon solutions with confidence.
The YARDS: A Landmark in Industrial Estate Leadership
In 2025, The YARDS industrial estate located in Western Sydney, developed and owned by Frasers Property Industrial and its joint venture partner Aware Real Estate, achieved a historic milestone as the first industrial precinct in Australia to secure a 6 Star Green Star Communities rating.
The Green Star – Communities tool evaluates precincts across environmental performance, governance, innovation and community outcomes.
The YARDS’ success demonstrates how industrial estates can be designed as future‑ready, resilient and deeply sustainable places that support both industry and community.
The leadership of Frasers Property Industrial was further reinforced in December 2025 when a facility within The YARDS became the first building in Australia to receive a NABERS Embodied Carbon rating. This milestone highlights the estate’s commitment to tackling one of the most challenging aspects of decarbonisation: the emissions embedded in materials, construction processes and supply chains.
NABERS’ new embodied carbon tool is supported by both state and federal governments, providing the industry with a consistent, credible way to measure and compare embodied emissions. Its integration into major policies and procurement frameworks is already lifting expectations across the market.
A Sector Poised for Opportunity
The industrial sector sits at the centre of Australia’s logistics, manufacturing and supply‑chain networks. As these industries decarbonise, industrial estates have a unique opportunity to lead:
- Electrification and renewable energy integration can dramatically reduce operational emissions.
- Transparent embodied carbon measurement enables smarter procurement and design decisions.
- High‑performance precinct planning supports resilience, efficiency and long‑term value creation as well as better outcomes for communities.
With the right tools, like NABERS Embodied Carbon and Green Star Communities, the sector can accelerate its transition while strengthening competitiveness and meeting customer expectations.
Frasers Property Industrial: Setting the Pace for the Industry
Frasers Property Industrial has embraced both NABERS and Green Star frameworks as core components of its development strategy. By embedding low‑carbon design from the outset, the company is making it easier for tenants to operate sustainably and meet their own net‑zero commitments.
As Sustainability Manager Andrew Thai notes, many logistics and supply‑chain operators are already tackling major decarbonisation challenges. Frasers Property’s role is to ensure that the buildings they occupy support, rather than hinder, their progress particularly through electrification and renewable energy readiness.
For Frasers Property Industrial, the collaboration reflects a long‑standing commitment to helping customers decarbonise their operations. As Sustainability Manager Andrew Thai explains:
Many of our customers are well advanced on their decarbonisation journeys. Logistics and supply chain businesses care about the climate changing and are solving some big sustainability challenges. But buildings are lower on their list of priorities than some other, more pressing, net zero challenges. It’s our job to make it easier for them to go all‑electric.
The YARDS is a tangible demonstration of this leadership: a fully electrified, solar‑enabled, future‑proof industrial estate that shows what is possible when ambition meets action.
A Shared Vision for Industrial Leadership
The partnership between NABERS, GBCA and Frasers Property Industrial represents a powerful model for the future of industrial estates. Together, they are:
• Establishing new standards for transparency and measurement
• Providing the tools needed to nurture a low‑carbon industrial sector
• Supporting developers and tenants to make informed, future‑ready choices
• Demonstrating what leadership looks like in one of Australia’s hardest‑to‑abate sectors
As embodied carbon and precinct‑level sustainability become central to Australia’s net‑zero strategy, the industrial sector stands at the threshold of enormous opportunity. The achievements at The YARDS show how collaboration, innovation and strong leadership can redefine the role of industrial estates in a decarbonised future.
Reference
JLL Research. Latest Industrial Vacancy Rates Across Australia: Industrial Real Estate Market Analysis, Q3 2025. Annabel McFarlane & Rick Warner. Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), 2025. Available at: https://www.jll.com/en-au/insights/market-dynamics/latest-industrial-vacancy-rates-across-australia