The 1200 Buildings program aims to encourage and support building owners, managers and facility managers to improve the energy/water efficiency and reduce waste to landfill of commercial buildings in the municipality of Melbourne.

Retrofitting benefits owners by future proofing building assets against rising energy costs and attracting and retaining tenants. It also benefits society by lessening the sector’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.

The City of Melbourne boldly aims to be carbon neutral by 2020. Fifty percent of the municipality’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the commercial sector. If commercial buildings improve their energy efficiency by approximately 38 percent, 383, 000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2-e) will be eliminated per year, equivalent to 7,660,000 black balloons. This will contribute significantly to the City becoming carbon neutral.