Legislation

Article (4)
  • NABERS ratings - are you ready?
    If you own or lease office space, then you need to know about the new Commercial Building Disclosure scheme (CBD) beginning 1 November this year. CBD will require office buildings to disclose their NABERS Energy ratings when they are offered for sale or lease.
  • Complying with greenhouse and energy reporting
    As the 2009/10 financial year comes to a close, corporations are busy with their financial reporting requirements. The end of the fiscal year also signifies the approach of greenhouse gas and energy reporting deadlines under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (NGER Act), where corporations over a certain size are required to report their emissions and energy by 31 October.
  • NABERS ratings - the next generation
    In the 10 years since it began operations, the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) has become a leader in assessing the environmental performance of buildings. Adding even more significance to NABERS, coming of age is the federal government’s scheme requiring office building energy efficiency to be disclosed at sale or lease, which is expected to commence in the second half of this year.
  • Australia targets renewables boom
    On 20 August 2009, the Senate passed legislation for the government’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) Scheme. Renewable energy generation in Australia is set to expand markedly over the next two decades, creating significant opportunities for renewable energy companies and investors.
Feature (8)
  • Comparing carbon policies made easy
    As major debate now envelops Federal Parliament on climate change and how Australia will respond to the threat, a Charles Sturt University expert on climate change policy has developed a simple comparison between the two policies.
  • CPRS defeated again
    It came as no surprise last week that the Labor government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) was defeated for the second time in the Senate. Under the new coalition rule of Tony Abbott, only two liberal senators crossed the floor and voted with their opposition for the ETS legislation - they were Senators Sue Boyce and Judith Troeth. At 33 votes for to 41 against, their votes were not enough to pass the bill.
  • E-waste solution and action
    In a national first, a new waste policy and recycling schemes for TVs, computers and tyres was endorsed by environment ministers at the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) meeting in Perth on 5 November.
  • Environment groups unite to oppose emissions trading legislation
    A series of compromises by the federal government on its pre-election commitment to take strong action on climate change has led to national and peak state-based environment organisations today uniting in opposition to the proposed emissions trading legislation.
  • Calls for uniform voluntary national emissions reporting standards
    An engineering and environmental adviser has called for a set of uniform voluntary national emissions reporting standards to guide the development of emissions reporting by companies lying outside mandatory reporting regimes.
  • Guidance paper on the emissions assistance program
    Institute supports paper on emissions assistance program and points out tight reporting timeframe.
  • Pharma companies getting serious about sustainability
    As little as 12 months ago, it was hard to imagine that businesses like pharmaceutical companies would begin to seriously address sustainability, but in a recent study, UK-based consultancy Envirowise, an independent advisory service that helps businesses reduce their environmental impact, found that financial and environmental benefits from resource efficiency could be achieved for pharmaceutical companies. Working closely with the sector, Envirowise says that it has become clear that growing legislation has had a fundamental impact on the drive to improve environmental management and resource efficiency in the industry.
  • The sins of greenwashing
    According to Wikipedia, greenwash is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service
News (45)
  • Carbon Farming Initiative open for business
    The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus QC and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig welcomed today’s launch of the Carbon Farming Initiative Administrator - providing exciting opportunities for farmers, landholders and landfill operators to participate in carbon markets.
  • Applications open for energy security fund cash assistance
    The Australian Government is now accepting applications from eligible electricity generators for cash assistance under the Energy Security Fund.
  • April 2012 start date for Clean Energy Regulator
    The Clean Energy Regulator, the new administrative body responsible for the carbon-pricing mechanism, will begin operation from 2 April 2012.
  • New ecodesign ISO Standard
    A new ISO Standard has been released to help reduce the environmental impacts of products and services.
  • Industry bodies call for common sense on renewable energy elibility
    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.
  • Carbon tax passed
    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.
  • Climate change Bills introduced to House of Reps
    A package of Bills has been introduced to the House of Representatives by the Gillard government to tackle climate change and promote a clean energy future.
  • Australia and China to cooperate on building low-carbon economies
    The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, has announced increased collaboration between Australia and China on climate change.
  • Consultation paper released on National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme
    Under the National Waste Policy: Less Waste, More Resources, the Australian Government agreed to develop and enact national legislation to support voluntary, co-regulatory and mandatory product stewardship and extended producer responsibility schemes.
  • Carbon farming initiative
    The Gillard Labor government has announced another major step towards establishing the Carbon Farming Initiative, a carbon offsets scheme that will provide new economic opportunities for farmers, forest growers and landholders and help the environment by reducing carbon pollution.
  • New commercial building disclosure scheme will drive energy efficiency in buildings
    The Green Building Council of Australia says the new federal commercial office building disclosure scheme will help drive the transition to energy-efficient buildings.
  • Increasing support for business R&D
    Australian businesses will receive a significant boost in support for research and development, under new R&D tax incentive legislation introduced into Parliament.
  • Government will negotiate on passage of renewable energy targets
    The Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water, Penny Wong, told a packed house at Australia’s biggest ever clean energy conference that the federal government will negotiate with major parties on the passage of amendments to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) legislation.
  • ETS shelved
    Prime Minister Kevin Rudd confirmed yesterday that the implementation of the federal government's carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS) will be delayed until the end of 2012 when the current Kyoto commitment period ends. If there had been “sufficient international action” an ETS would have been legislated by 2013.
  • Standard for the production and use of waste-derived fill
    The SA Environment Protection Authority's Standard for the production and use of waste-derived fill has been finalised after extensive consultation with the waste industry.
  • All major parties now ready to solve renewable energy issues
    The Clean Energy Council has warned that specific measures in the Coalition’s new climate change policy, to assist some clean energy technologies, will not work unless the national Renewable Energy Target is fixed.
  • ETS defeated
    It came as no surprise today that the Labor government’s emissions trading scheme was defeated for the second time in the Senate. Under the new coalition rule of Tony Abbott, only two liberal senators crossed the floor and voted for the ETS legislation. They were Senators Sue Boyce and Judith Troeth. At 33 votes for to 41 against, their votes were not enough. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Matthew Warren said the defeat was a lost chance to start the transition to a low-carbon economy.
  • Legislation strengthens future of automotive industry
    The Rudd government today welcomed the passage through Parliament of a key component of its $6.2 billion New Car Plan for a Greener Future - the Automotive Transformation Scheme Bill 2009.
  • RET legislation passed
    The Senate has passed the federal government's renewable energy target legislation.      
  • RET scheme closer to reality
    The Renewable Energy Target scheme has been decoupled from the defeated Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) and the bill was passed in the House of Representatives on Monday night. The Senate will vote on the bill before the end of the week.
  • ETS defeated today
    As expected, federal parliament has voted against the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) today. Senator Wong said it will be brought back into parliament before the end of the year. If defeated again, this could trigger an election.
  • Consultation on computer and TV recycling begins
    The Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, in his capacity as Chair of the Environment, Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC), has called for comment on a national approach to dealing with computer and television waste.
  • Vote on Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme delayed
    The vote on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation has been delayed by the Senate till 13 August.
  • RET draft legislation
    The government has released exposure draft legislation for the expanded Renewable Energy Target (RET) which will allow for the creation of 'Solar Credits' for small-scale solar, wind and hydro systems installed from 9 June 2009.
  • Legacy Emissions removed from landfill
    SITA welcomes the announcement that the federal government has removed Legacy Emissions caused by waste landfills from the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).
  • Australia's CPRS now delayed
    The Australian Federal Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) was changed yesterday in response to pressure from businesses affected by the recession. It will now be delayed by one year to be phased in from July 2011. Other changes included: improved compensation for heavy polluters and trade-exposed industries; the price of carbon will now be fixed at $10, reduced from $20; and the rate of greenhouse gas reduction required will be 25% of 2000 levels by 2020, if the world agrees.
  • Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme 'flawed'
    Caltex supports an emissions trading scheme but says proposed CPRS is flawed.
  • National Waste Policy Consultation paper released
    Environment Minister Peter Garrett has released a consultation paper — A National Waste Policy: Managing Waste to 2020 for public review and comment.
  • Greenhouse law changes mean new projects could face ban
    New projects like factories and pulp mills could be banned if they have a large carbon footprint under mooted changes to environment laws.
  • Release of CPRS exposure draft legislation
    Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong has released exposure draft legislation and explanatory materials for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
  • Greens, Coalition agree on CPRS Senate Inquiry
    The CPRS Senate Inquiry, to be conducted by a new Senate Select Committee on Climate Policy and reporting back on May 14, will examine the choice of emissions trading as a mechanism, the relative contributions of complementary measures to emissions reductions, the environmental effectiveness of the proposed targets and whether the scheme would appropriately transform the economy.
  • Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme guidance paper released
    The Department of Climate Change has released a guidance paper for the assessment of activities for the purposes of the emissions-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) assistance program under the Rudd government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
  • Commerce Commission releases guidelines on green claims
    The Commerce Commission has released guidelines to businesses that make environmental, or ‘green’, claims in their marketing.
  • FTSE Environmental Opportunities Index Series expanded
    FTSE Group (FTSE), the global index provider, has expanded the FTSE Environmental Opportunities Index Series with the addition of nine new indices.
  • Initiative to support goals of global sustainability
    ASTM International has announced the formation of ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability. This new standards development initiative results from the cooperative efforts of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and cross industry stakeholders who share mutual goals for global sustainable development.
  • Latest version of quality management standard to be released
    The International Standards Organisation (ISO) is set to release the latest version of the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Standard, amid speculation it has been aligned with ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Standard.
  • Sustainability principles for building construction sector established
    The ISO 15392:2008 standard establishes internationally recognised principles for sustainability in building construction.
  • Westpac launches new sustainability code for its 10,000 suppliers
    Westpac has announced a further step in its sustainability journey, becoming the first Australian bank to establish strict environmental, social and ethical standards for its entire supply chain of over 10,000 companies.
  • Forums examine role of standards
    Standards Australia will host two major industry and government forums in October to examine the role of internationally consistent standards in Australia’s new carbon emission trading scheme.
  • Sustainable practice recognised
    A new sustainability category has been added to the Victorian building industry’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) awards, conducted by the Building Commission.
  • Standard encourages sustainability in building construction
    An ISO standard will help to ensure that urbanisation, which is a global trend, develops in an environmentally friendly manner.
  • Standards assist stakeholders in recycling ships
    ISO has launched the first document of a series of management system standards for the recycling of ships. The series, ISO 30000, Ship recycling management systems, will support environmental protection and increase the safety of workers.
  • Cooperation on greenhouse gas accounting and verification
    Three organisations have announced that they will work together to promote their greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and reporting standards.
  • Rating system makes development green
    Sydney will benefit from an environmental rating system for new residential and commercial development. It hopes to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, water use and waste going to land fill.
  • Impact of H1 requirement
    Architects, designers and building officials are among the attendees expected at a series of seminars to be presented by senior BRANZ scientists, Nigel Isaacs and Michael Camilleri, and Department of Building & Housing Building Standards Advisors, Nick Locke and Stephen Ward, in November and December.
© 2012 Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

WFonline: Vital and informative media
Get your FREE membership today - CLICK HERE  |  Log-in