Construction & trades

As a major driver of domestic economic activity, the construction and trades sector employs over 1.3 million Australians. This diverse industry encompasses everything from residential and commercial building to large-scale infrastructure projects, involving a wide range of specialised trades and services that shape the nation's built environment.

ESG outlook

While significant achievements have been made in improving the sustainability and resilience of the sector, key challenges remain including ongoing improvements workplace health and safety, managing waste from construction and demolition sustainably, and mitigating the sector's substantial carbon footprint, particularly from the embodied carbon in building materials. In addition, the sector faces significant disruption from physical climate risks – such as increased frequency and duration of extreme heat days – as well as transition risks including disruption to supply chains, introduction of carbon pricing, and tighter credit criteria stemming from the increase in physical climate risks.