The perfect storm
24 October, 2011
Rising energy bills, carbon pricing, and increasing regulation and reporting requirements are challenging business leaders to be more sustainable and accountable at a time of stress and volatility on global markets.
Rebuilding a city with sustainable transport choices
24 October, 2011 by Kristen MacAskill*
Christchurch in New Zealand is planning to rebuild after the devastating earthquakes that hit the city earlier this year. The Christchurch City Council’s draft Central City Plan (dCCP), released in New Zealand in August, offers a timely case for discussion. This plan outlines a vision for rebuilding the city and while it covers a broad range of aspects for redevelopment, this article reflects on the future of transport in the city.
Global business leaders issue urgent call to action on climate change
21 October, 2011
Governments warned: window to limit global warming closing.
Improving the physics of grocery store display cases to save energy
21 October, 2011
Shoppers don’t usually give a second thought as they reach into a cooler to grab milk, cheese or prepackaged lunches. Open-front refrigerated display cases, which make up roughly 60% of the refrigerated cases in grocery stores and supermarkets, provide quick access to chilled products such as dairy, meat, fish and produce. While they are popular with shoppers and grocery stores, they’re less popular with electric utilities and others concerned with energy efficiency.
National Water Commission assists in sustaining wetland health
20 October, 2011
The National Water Commission has released three products to help environmental water managers achieve sustainable wetland and floodplain health.
Expedition raising awareness on climate change visits Cairns
19 October, 2011
A 20-metre sailboat currently on a three-year maritime expedition from the North to the South Pole recently arrived in Australia to raise international awareness about the effects of climate change.
Victorian demountable classrooms go green
19 October, 2011
Sustainable building provider Vento Australasia is participating in a Victorian state government initiative to provide inspiration to the next generation of energy-efficient relocatable classrooms.
Economic pressures of water industry addressed
19 October, 2011
A white paper developed from a Water Environment Federation workshop last year has provided six key recommendations for overcoming economic pressures in the water industry.
Industry bodies call for common sense on renewable energy elibility
18 October, 2011
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and NSW Forest Products Association (FPA) have announced that they are hopeful common sense will prevail over the use of native forest woody biomass for green energy and its eligibility for renewable energy certificates under the national renewable energy target scheme.
Online Energy University aids energy-efficiency skills
18 October, 2011
The energy management company Schneider Electric is encouraging Australians to sign up to its free, e-learning online Energy University to learn about the latest energy-efficient solutions and energy-management practices to help save money, reduce emissions and increase business efficiency.
New ecodesign ISO Standard
17 October, 2011
A new ISO Standard has been released to help reduce the environmental impacts of products and services.
Government office achieves 6 star for design
13 October, 2011 | Supplied by: HASSELL
The Hassell-designed Government Services Office development in Dandenong, Victoria, has achieved the highest sustainability rating available from the Green Building Council of Australia.
Carbon tax passed
12 October, 2011
The carbon tax in Australia is set to become law after the lower house of Parliament passed the government’s set of Bills to establish the world’s second largest carbon pricing scheme.
Transforming a thirsty, power-hungry business
12 October, 2011 | Supplied by: Office of Environment & Heritage
In an industry known for its voracious use of water and power, Edstein Creative Stone is showing how eco-friendly manufacturing practices respect our environment and save money.
Grocery retailer monitors and manages energy
11 October, 2011 | Supplied by: Systems 22 Pty Ltd
US-based grocery retail company Supervalu has installed energy monitoring hardware and has enrolled in a demand-response program with Net Peak Energy Group. The program organises payment to the retailer for effectively ‘selling’ their electricity back to their utilities when demand is high. Additionally, the program can call for the retailer’s distribution centres to shed up to 1.2 MW of power.
