Rate My Professor Peter Graham

Associate Professor Peter Graham serves in the Department of Architecture within Monash University’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, where he leads the Architectural Performance curriculum. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, a Master’s degree in Applied Science, and a PhD in Architecture. Graham’s distinguished career in sustainable building encompasses roles across industry, academia, and international organizations. He began as a lecturer in Sustainable Construction at RMIT University, advanced to Head of Discipline for Architecture & Design and Stream-Leader in the Architecture Program at the University of New South Wales, and later served as Deputy Director of the Centre for Urban Transitions and Node Leader for the CRC for Low Carbon Living at Swinburne University of Technology. Previously, as Technical Advisor and Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative, he developed and managed key research projects and publications focused on the building sector. Currently, he is Executive Director of the Global Buildings Performance Network.

Graham’s research specializations include building sector greenhouse gas emission mitigation and energy efficiency policy, assessment, and reporting; urban resilience, adaptation, and climate change mitigation policy strategies; and architectural science and ecological design education. With over 20 years of experience in international advocacy, research, and education in sustainable building design, construction, evaluation, and policy, he has collaborated with public, civil, and private sectors to implement sustainable practices. He contributed as an author to the IPCC AR5 Working Group 3 Buildings Chapter, Global Energy Assessment, UNEP Emissions Gap Report, and Global Status Report on Buildings & Construction, and assisted in drafting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Graham led content development, organizational strategy, and implementation planning for the Paris COP21 Buildings Day and Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. Key recent publications comprise “Barriers and drivers of sustainable building adoption and influencing factor dynamics: A systematic review and meta-analysis” (2026, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews), “Developing criteria for effective building-sector commitments in nationally determined contributions” (2025, Buildings and Cities), “Unpacking the evolution of Green Star rating tools and their certification trends in Australian building projects” (2025, Journal of Building Engineering), and “A policy and roadmap review for building sector decarbonisation - insights from Australia and New Zealand” (2024). His ongoing projects, such as Decarbonising Buildings in Asia and Net Zero Precincts, advance global decarbonization efforts in the built environment.