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Press Release: Clinton Climate Initiative Helps Victorian Government to Deliver Landmark Project to Improve Building Energy Efficiency


Project estimated to generate more than one billion dollars in operational cost savings

The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, today announced its support for the Victorian Government Greener Government Buildings programme, revealed today by Victorian Premier John Brumby in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Through the programme, sites accounting for 90 per cent of all State Government’s energy consumption, including hospitals, schools, sporting and other government buildings, will undergo energy and water efficiency retrofits.

It will reduce Victorian State Government’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 per cent by 2018, with the first phase of the programme to save over 130,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas each year. Water savings of at least 1 billion litres per year will also be saved by 2018. The programme will create and secure over 400 green jobs, with 250 of these secured in the next 18 months.

The Victorian Government is initially investing (AUS) $60 million into the Greener Government Buildings program which will achieve cost savings of over $7 million annually in perpetuity through reduced energy and water consumption. Over the course of the next 10 years, as more projects are added to the programme, it is anticipated that the Victorian Government will save (AUS) $1 billion in cost savings. By 2018, sites accounting for 90 per cent of the state Government’s total energy consumption will be assessed, with all cost-effective solutions implemented and savings measured and verified annually.

Building on its work with governments and businesses around the world to create and advance solutions to the core issues driving climate change, the non-profit Clinton Climate Initiative has helped the Victorian Government to create the Greener Government Buildings programme.

Through its Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, CCI assisted the Victorian Government by introducing the global best practice Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) method. Under the EPC process, energy service companies guarantee the energy savings over a defined period of time, enabling the Government to pay for the energy efficiency improvements. CCI also provided project planning and development support, and technical and financial analysis

“Buildings are responsible for more than one third of the world’s energy consumption, so improving their energy efficiency is a priority for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Ira Magaziner, Chairman of the Clinton Climate Initiative. “The Victorian Government has demonstrated leadership through its comprehensive Greener Government Buildings program, which will reduce emissions, save money on energy bills, and create jobs. I hope it will inspire other governments around the world to follow.”

The first phase of the programme includes 16 buildings in Melbourne’s business district and regional office buildings totalling 83,000 square metres. These buildings are currently under retrofit, with completion expected this year. These buildings alone, once retrofitted, will reduce energy use by at least 33%, water use by 8% and greenhouse gas emissions by a total of 9,400 tonnes per year. In future phases, energy service companies will prepare proposals under a competitive tender process, with contracts awarded to those who can identify the most savings within an agreed payback period.

Other buildings in Victoria to undergo energy efficiency improvements in the initial stage include:

  • The Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre
  • The Melbourne Museum, Royal Exhibition Building, Scienceworks, Immigration Museum and associated storage facilities
  • The Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and State Netball and Hockey Centre
  • TAFE campuses operated by Kangan Batman TAFE and South West TAFE institutes
  • 40 large public schools including groups in Ballarat
  • Over 3700 traffic signal lights across the State

In partnership with cities and commercial building owners around the world, CCI is supporting numerous landmark projects to improve energy efficiency of buildings. In London, it is helping the city to retrofit 42 public buildings, including fire and police stations. CCI has also assisted the city in creating innovative procurement model (BEEP) that provides public building owners with a prequalified group of energy service companies and standardised contracts and tools to reduce the amount of time involved in developing a building energy efficiency retrofit project. In New York, CCI is helping the Empire State Building reduce its energy use by 38 percent and energy bills by $4.4 million a year, preventing 105,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next 15 years. Other projects are being delivered in cities around the world including Bangkok, Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, Mumbai and Seoul.

Further information regarding Greener Government Buildings is available at http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au.

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