St George awarded 6 Star Green Star rating for Barangaroo branch

St George’s Barangaroo branch has become the first bank branch and the first retail fit-out in Australia to achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating — the highest rating possible.

The Barangaroo branch fit-out received the 6 Star Green Star — Interiors rating by Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) after being assessed across nine categories. The branch was particularly praised for the following sustainable elements:

• The use of building materials with a reduced environmental impact over their entire life cycle.
• Reduced internal air pollutants.
• Reduced water and energy consumption.
• The inclusion of innovative options for community usage of the space.

St George Retail General Manager Ross Miller said that the certification demonstrates the bank’s focus on innovation to provide employees and customers with a great place to work and bank, underscoring its “commitment to ensuring we operate sustainably to support a healthy, happy and productive workplace for our people and our visiting customers, as well as contributing to better outcomes for our environment”.

GBCA CEO Romilly Madew added that the achievement is “not is not just about minimising the bank’s environmental footprint — although this is important”.

“International research has found bank branches designed with sustainability in mind are also better places for customers and staff — and can cut costs, boost productivity, attract and retain employees, and provide a positive brand contact for customers,” she said. “We applaud St George’s achievement, which sends a signal to the financial services sector that sustainability is a strategic business decision.”

The news follows the GBCA’s award of a 6 Star Green Star — Communities rating to the entire Barangaroo South precinct. Billed as Sydney’s largest urban renewal project since the 2000 Olympics and targeted to become Australia’s first large-scale carbon-neutral community, the precinct achieved an unprecedented sustainability performance score of 104.98 out of a possible 110 points.