Greenhouse gas emissions are only one of a plethora of environmental impacts that buildings have on the environment, however they are currently the focus of much attention as Australia attempts to achieve its Kyoto target. The process of Housing Energy Rating (HER), in which the envelope of the house is simulated to produce predictions of heating and cooling energy, is gaining momentum as a method for reducing residential greenhouse gas emissions. This paper questions the underlying aims of HER, concluding that current tools assist assessors/regulators but are of little use to building designers. It also questions the focus on heating and cooling energy and through a case study of warm climates, highlights alternative routes to achieving reductions in household greenhouse gas emissions. These routes are to broaden the scope of greenhouse gas assessment and to refocus on design-phase assessment rather than post design/compliance assessment
