From concept to day-to-day operations, sustainability at Barangaroo is a commitment to: 

• reducing and offsetting all energy  
• recycling and exporting more water than the drinking water that is imported 
• responsibly managing waste, diverting waste from landfill and ensuring zero waste emissions 
• providing a place that enhances community wellbeing. 

Each designer and developer involved in Barangaroo is committed to sustainable materials and practices that set up future building owners, tenants and sub-tenants to meet sustainability benchmarks.  

From this commitment, long-term sustainability is managed from a government to individual level. 

Benchmark 1: Reducing and offsetting all energy used on the site.

Carbon neutrality is ensured, with: 

• all electricity used on site offset by renewable energy generated offsite 
• fuel used on site and for transport to and from Barangaroo offset with socially responsible carbon offsets programs based in Australia, mainly from regional NSW 
• energy used to power public areas and an on-site wastewater recycling plant powered by the solar energy generated in Barangaroo 
• large-scale centralised infrastructure built into service buildings, including a District Cooling Plant, embedded electricity network, recycled water treatment plant, on-site renewable energy generation and a low voltage co-generation plant 
• cost effective and energy efficient air conditioning through the District Cooling Plant, whereby water from Sydney Harbour helps to reject heat from buildings, passing through a series of screens, filters and strainers to protect and filter out marine life then pumping through electric chillers to absorb waste heat before being returned to the harbour. 

Benchmark 2: Recycling and exporting more water than the drinking water that is imported 

As a ‘water wise’ precinct, Barangaroo uses: 

• a water treatment plant that treats wastewater and supplies non-drinking water for uses like irrigation  
• the ability to mine the adjacent public sewer for additional recycled water 
• extensive water storage tanks to capture rainwater across 
• the District Cooling Plant, which avoids using drinking water to reject heat from the buildings, removing the biggest single demand for water use in conventional commercial buildings 
• a leading-edge water re-use system for Barangaroo Reserve that captures, stores and re-uses rainwater for irrigation 
• water efficient appliances in every building. 

Benchmark 3: Responsibly managing waste, diverting waste from landfill and ensuring zero waste emissions 

Waste is managed sustainably, with:  

• more than 80% of operational waste from residential and commercial buildings diverted from landfill 
• all tenants and building owners obliged to use waste management contractors that responsibly handle and dispose of waste and offset emissions  
• waste generated across all buildings sorted into 19 categories in the centralised waste storage centre.  

Benchmark 4: Providing a place that enhances community wellbeing. 

Barangaroo is a place that supports people, with:  

• more than 50% of the site dedicated public open space (this does not include roads, laneways and footpaths) 
• connections to Sydney’s CBD through Barangaroo Ferry Wharf, Wynyard Walk and two pedestrian bridges over Hickson Road 
• connections to the rest of Greater Sydney with a dedicated Barangaroo Metro Station expected to open in 2024 
• the new Wulugul Walk that forms part of the continuous urban waterfront walk from Woolloomooloo to the Anzac Bridge 
• cultural tours that help people to understand Sydney’s First Nations and maritime history as well as contemporary First Nations culture 
• skilled exchange programs, embedded in development agreements, that train and support people with on-site experience 
• the Discover Barangaroo online learning portal for high school students, with a focus on history, environmental sustainability, social sustainability and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).