29149 (2025). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education

29149 (2025). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education: What criteria, if any, are there for new school properties regarding sustainability?

Hon Erica Stanford: Sustainability is embedded in the Ministry of Education’s approach to new school properties through the Designing Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand standards and guidance. These standards guide energy-efficient design, material durability, water conservation, and waste minimisation. They promote site-responsive layouts and the balancing of long-term performance with cost of delivery. Additionally, the Ministry increasingly uses standardised, transportable, and offsite-manufactured buildings, which provides further opportunities to reduce construction waste, lower embodied carbon, and improve build efficiency.