Of 253 respondents to the survey, 79 per cent said energy management was very or extremely important to their organisations, compared to 63 per cent in 2011. Meanwhile, 80 per cent said they were paying more attention to energy in 2012 than in 2011.

According to the survey, 52 per cent of Australian respondents have invested in energy efficiency in the past year, and 35 per cent have invested in renewable energy. However, this these were both below the global averages at 63 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.

Forty-six per cent of business executives plan to increase spending in energy efficiency and renewable energy in the next 12 months, while 33 per cent expect their investments to stay the same.

Australia was the only market in which respondents cited asset value as a top-three motivator for efficiency.

The green building market in Australia appears to significantly favor existing buildings over new construction with 27 per cent of respondents saying they planned to pursue green certification in new buildings, and 41 per cent in existing buildings in the next year.

Australia’s top three energy efficiency measures adopted in the past 12 months included lighting improvements at 67 per cent, water efficiency improvements at 57 per cent, and HVAC and/or controls improvements at 50 per cent.

When asked which on-site technologies they expected to see the greatest market adoption in the next 10 years, executives selected lighting technologies at 30 per cent, followed by solar thermal at 23 per cent and smart building technology 23 per cent.