Proposed Australian plans for “energy efficient” homes will destroy private home ownership

An Australian “sustainable development” research centre has devised a plan to control and restrict energy consumption for households.  The reason, they claim, is to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, the result will be the destruction of existing private home ownership and the pricing of homes out of the reach of new buyers.

The ClimateWorks Centre has devised a “renovation wave” plan for household upgrades and preparing occupants for more frequent extreme temperatures, heatwaves and climate-related events.

It is claimed that upgrading homes built before 2003 to be more energy efficient with better insulation, electrifying appliances and heating, and adopting rooftop solar can save Australian households up to $2,200 annually on energy bills. The majority of existing residences across Australia (11 million homes) can benefit from thermal efficiency upgrades, making a renovation wave a feasible and impactful initiative, so it is claimed.

It is also claimed that by designing or renovating homes to account for expected climate impacts, such as increasing temperatures and extreme heat events, can mitigate the effects of climate change.

ClimateWorks Centre’s report identifies 16 archetypes of homes that cover approximately 80% of single-storey detached homes and townhouses, and over 50% of apartments. These archetypes provide a framework for homeowners, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to prioritize renovation efforts.

By investing in climate-ready homes, Australia can create a more resilient and sustainable built environment, while also addressing the cost-of-living crisis and mitigating the impacts of climate change, so they say.

Further resources:

• Climate-ready homes: Building the case for a renovation wave in Australia, ClimateWorks, 6 December 2023
• Renovate homes to cope with cost-of-living crisis and climate change impacts, ClimateWorks Centre says, ClimateWorks, 6 December 2023
• Going climate ready can save Aussie homes $2k, Ecogeneration, 6 December 2023
• Adapting to climate change, Your Home, Australia’s Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Homes
• Renovation Pathways: A project supporting future-proofing of Australian homes through energy efficiency, electrification and renewables, ClimateWorks,

What is ClimateWorks Centre?

ClimateWorks was co-founded by The Myer Foundation and Monash University.  “In the past decade, we have had the backing of generous supporters, who believe in our mission and theory of change to make a difference,” it says.

Its mission is to accelerate action to achieve net zero emissions within Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, so these regions are aligned with the United Nations’ (“UN’s”) global goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. As part of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (“MSDI”), ClimateWorks is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). Its overarching goal is SDG 13 – climate action.

MSDI is committed to harnessing the strength of Monash University, Australia’s largest and most international university, to help achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MSDI works with collaborators from within and outside academia, across Monash University, to create real-world change. Its research and education initiatives are designed to build capacity and leadership for sustainable development, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future.

As well as the ClimateWorks Centre, MSDI’s initiatives include BehaviourWorks, bringing together behaviour change researchers, and Circular Economy.

So MSDI is a United Nations indoctrination facility and activist group.  It must therefore be assumed that ClimateWorks is the same.

Climate-Ready Homes Report

Published in 2023, the ‘Climate-ready homes’ report emphasises the need to upgrade Australia’s existing residential building stock to improve energy performance and reduce carbon emissions. It presents findings from the Renovation Pathways research programme, which identifies cost-effective ways for governments and the private sector to enable home energy performance upgrades.

The report classifies upgrades into three categories:

• “Quick-fix”: Ceiling insulation, draught sealing, heavy drapes and roller shutters combined with an efficient electric heat pump
• “Modest”: “Quick-fix” plus floor insulation and an additional layer of glass or film on windows
• “Climate-ready”: “Quick-fix” plus floor and wall insulation, high levels of draught sealing, double-glazed windows and a heat recovery ventilation system

Regarding the cost-effectiveness of the different upgrade levels for most households, the report claims:

• The “quick-fix” and “modest” levels of thermal upgrades plus full electrification of appliances are cost-effective for most households, even before other co-benefits are included.
• The “climate-ready” level of thermal upgrades is generally not cost-effective for individual households at current prices, without further policy support. However, the ‘climate-ready’ upgrades plus full electrification provide the greatest emissions reductions and support the best outcome for household comfort and safety.
• The report states that upgrades up to the ‘modest’ level are largely cost-effective for households to undertake, even if not bundled with other home renovations. However, the ‘climate-ready’ upgrades require policy support to make them cost-effective for individual households.

In other words, ClimateWorks believes households can afford to implement their plan for the “quick fix” and “modest” upgrades. First, ClimateWorks wants to impose their plans which are based on a manufactured “climate change crisis” and then, they believe households should fund ClimateWork’s project out of their earnings.  If the Government enforces this through “policy support,” how is upgrading buildings to mitigate a fictional “climate change” not a form of taxation for which people are penalised if they do not comply?

ClimateWorks are not giving up on their dystopian dreams.  On 28 August 2024, it released a second report based on its 2023 ‘Climate-ready homes’ report.  The second report was in response to the Australian Government developing a national Net Zero Plan.

Australia’s Net Zero plan includes six sector plans covering all major parts of the economy. One of the sectors forming part of the plan is the Built Environment plan which will not only cover residential and commercial buildings but urban open spaces and water infrastructure as well.

“One of those sector plans is an opportunity for the Australian Government to take a leading role in decarbonising Australia’s existing residential buildings … Our new report, ‘Enabling Australia’s home renovation wave’, focuses on how the built environment sectoral plan (BE sector plan) can enable [the] benefits and reductions [in the Climate-ready homes report] through coordinated policy action,” ClimateWorks threatened.

Threats To Private Home Ownership

The following is a précis of the article ‘Threats to private home ownership: A “perfect” storm is about to hit’ by Kate Mason.  You can read the full article HERE.

ClimateWorks proposals are going to add costs to households that are already struggling with the cost of living.  The result: ClimateWorks’ proposals present a threat to private home ownership.

Australian researcher Kate Mason has been researching the pressure points for home ownership in New South Wales. “We have an approaching storm which has the capacity to obliterate private home ownership for many,” she said.

In her article, Mason examined the plan to implement energy star ratings on every home.  A process which is due to commence in 2025 for existing homes and will lead to costly upgrades to sell or rent properties.  The plan for energy star ratings is within ClimateWorks’ Climate-ready homes report.

As Mason demonstrates, the Australian government plans to introduce mandatory energy ratings for existing homes, with the goal of upgrading the average home to a 5-star rating. The current average energy rating of Australian homes is under a 3-star rating, with other documents stating that the average house is under a 2-star rating. Existing homes will need to be upgraded to a 5-star energy rating under the new energy efficiency requirements.

This will be linked to home prices and the ability to rent or sell a property. The changes are part of Australia’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the Net Zero plan.

Homeowners will be required to upgrade their homes to meet the new energy efficiency standards, which could involve costly renovations like installing double glazing, insulation, solar panels, etc. The government is offering “green loans” to help finance these upgrades but Mason argues that many homeowners may still struggle to afford the work.

ClimateWorks’ report has downplayed the costs and implications for homeowners and that the changes they propose could lead to many being priced out of home ownership.

The energy rating system is being rolled out quickly, Mason warns, with the processes and technology expected to be in place by mid-2025. This coincides with other climate adaptation policies like “managed retreat,” which could further threaten private home ownership. Additionally, government policies and legislation to enforce the energy rating disclosure on homes are projected to be implemented by 2026.

Managed retreat, also known as planned retreat, is a strategy where people are gradually evacuated, evicted from their homes and relocated, from areas designated as uninhabitable or dangerous due to changing geology, extreme weather or climate change.

The potential consequences of ClimateWorks’ energy efficiency upgrades for homeowners include costly upgrades, difficulties in securing loans and insurance, decreased home values and reduced housing affordability.

The upgrades suggested by ClimateWorks could be costly.  The upgrades required to bring existing homes up to the 5-star energy rating standard could be very expensive, potentially costing homeowners tens of thousands of dollars and may be a significant financial burden for many, Mason warns.

Mason also highlights the related concerns of obtaining loans and insurance. Homes with low energy ratings may have trouble securing mortgages or affordable home insurance, as banks and insurers will likely “incentivise” homeowners to upgrade.

Another concern is that the energy rating of a home is expected to influence its market value, with lower-rated homes potentially being worth less when sold.

However, despite the financial burden and hardship ClimateWorks’ plan will place on hard-working and productive families, the energy rating requirements could be mandatory, meaning homeowners may be forced to undertake upgrades even if they cannot afford them.  And the financial burden of pandering to the climate change cult will not just be a one-off cost.  The costs of upgrading will be ongoing.  Documents that Mason has looked at suggest that energy ratings may only be valid for a limited number of years, requiring homeowners to continually upgrade as technology changes.

Not only will the financial burden of pandering to the climate change cult ideology on existing homeowners be more than some families can carry.  Prospective homeowners risk the dream of owning their own homes becoming priced out of reach.

The combination of mandatory upgrades, decreased home values and difficulty securing financing could make housing less affordable, pricing some people out of the market.

What ClimateWorks and other climate cultists’ “sustainability” plans really seem to be doing is destroying private home ownership for the many.  The energy efficiency upgrades seem poised to destroy private home ownership by creating significant financial burdens and challenges for many existing homeowners, with far-reaching consequences on housing affordability and accessibility for potential new homeowners.

Do you recall the World Economic Forum’s threat “You will own nothing”?  If we own nothing, who is it that owns everything?