Future directions for advancing Green Star NZ to achieve zero-carbon goals: insights from industry professionals

Purpose The building industry is a critical sector that must significantly reduce its carbon emissions for New Zealand (NZ) to meet its 2050 zero-carbon goals. Green Star NZ, a leading Green Building Rating System in NZ, offers a structured framework for assessing and certifying building environmental performance. This research investigates industry professionals' perspectives on Green Star NZ’s effectiveness in achieving NZ’s zero-carbon goals, addressing gaps in existing literature. Design/methodology/approach Through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, the research identified key areas where Green Star NZ either supports or falls short of zero-carbon practices, according to 22 practising professionals. A thematic analysis method was used to analyse the data. Findings The results indicate that while Green Star NZ suits NZ, it faces adoption challenges due to few supportive policies, complex certification and material supply issues with sustainable materials. The study addressed these barriers through targeted policies, streamlined processes and market support for sustainable technologies. Moreover, cost is directly or indirectly tied to Green Star NZ. Originality/value This study offers insights and recommendations to improve Green Star NZ, assisting NZGBC and stakeholders in advancing towards a zero-carbon future. Implementing these suggestions can boost Green Star NZ’s effectiveness. Through the project experience and the viewpoints of industry professionals, it fills the research gap by assessing Green Star NZ’s framework, identifying challenges and proposing improvements. The findings also position NZ’s experience as a possible model, advancing global green building practices and providing policymakers with recommendations.