The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has signed on as a supporting partner of the Green Building Council Australia’s Future Homes project, which aims to lift construction standards.

ICA Climate Change Action Committee Chairman Kate Lyons says in many locations there is a need for properties to exceed current building codes and it’s an issue being studied by the industry.

“The early insights suggest there are improvements we can make to new builds to make them resilient to the natural perils we see today and that may get worse as a result of climate change,” she says.

The Green Building Council launched the Green Star for Homes strategy in May, proposing a standard for new single-family homes underpinned by the pillars of health, resilience and net zero energy.

“We are looking to guide better building code practice to help homeowners reduce their losses and obtain affordable insurance premiums,” Ms Lyons said. “A rating scheme that can call out homes that are more resilient can help us do this.”

The Green Building Council has more than 550 members, including companies, local, state and federal government departments, and universities.