Sustainability
Sustainability at Barangaroo is more than a commitment; it is a philosophy embedded into master planning, design, construction and Barangaroo’s day-to-day management and activities. Barangaroo was Australia’s first certified carbon neutral precinct under the Climate Active initiative. Through a combination of benchmarking, policies and innovative technology, Barangaroo sets a new Australian standard in urban renewal and sustainable construction.
Benchmarking sustainability
From concept to day-to-day operations, sustainability 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.

Carbon neutrality
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.
Barangaroo is a proud climate active network member. For more information, please visit the climate active website.

Water positive
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

Zero waste emissions
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.

Community wellbeing
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).