A producer of green energy from food and agribusiness wastewater is deploying advanced anaerobic technologies that achieve high returns of biogas from the world’s largest crop - sugar cane. [ + ]

The City of Sydney's $4.3 million project with Solgen Energy installing Yingli Solar 250 W polycrystalline panels on 30 sites is claimed to be the largest collective building-mounted solar panel program in Australia. It will have a total peak electrical capacity of approximately 1.25 MW, reducing annual carbon pollution by up to 2100 tonnes. [ + ]

Unitywater will divert 200 tonnes of waste away from landfill, thanks to a recycling program that will see almost 90% of the old Cooroy Sewage Treatment Plant re-used. [ + ]

CSIRO scientists are applying their knowledge in trans-boundary river basin management to improve the livelihoods of people living in some of the poorest parts of Asia. CSIRO and its partners have begun work in the Koshi River Basin, which stretches from China, across the Himalayas through Nepal and discharges into the Ganges River in India. [ + ]

An energy-efficiency grant could help Australian fruit growers reduce their costs by up to 20%. Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) was one of 18 groups that received funding as part of Round Two of the Energy Efficiency Information Grants (EEIG) Program. [ + ]

Auckland’s new ASB North Wharf building - owned by Kiwi Income Property Trust (KIPT) and tenanted by ASB Bank - has gained a ‘five Green Star’ rating for excellence in sustainability from the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), setting the bar for the city’s waterfront development. [ + ]

KFC Australia has officially opened the country’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifiable quick service restaurant at East Maitland in NSW. [ + ]

The recycling of plastic bottles, paper and food at home is common across the world. But as many of the Earth’s resources become more scarce, chemical engineers are looking at new ways to recycle - including extracting precious nutrients such as phosphates from urine before it enters the sewage system. [ + ]

Using biomass for energy is an important part of the renewable energy mix. However, bioenergy production should follow EU resource efficiency principles, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). This means extracting more energy from the same material input, and avoiding negative environmental effects potentially caused by bioenergy production. [ + ]

Bentley Systems, a provider of software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, has announced standardisation on the company’s ProjectWise to provide collaboration, work sharing and engineering content management for Thames Water’s Thames Tideway Tunnel project. The project is addressing the issue of combined sewage discharges from London’s Victorian-era sewer system that enter the River Thames. [ + ]

A new material that can store large amounts of energy with very little energy loss has been developed by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU). The material could be particularly transformative for wind and solar power, which can cause problems when fed into the power grid at low demand times. [ + ]

University of Adelaide researchers are developing a new type of laser system that will monitor methane, the main component of natural gas, levels across large areas. This will provide a useful tool for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions. [ + ]

Mantaray Island Resort opened its doors to travellers as an eco-resort in 2004. Now, with Australian-invented BioGill technology, the island is effectively treating wastewater on-site, recycling the water for garden re-use and protecting the local reefs and waterways. [ + ]

US President Barack Obama today announced a Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon pollution. According to Obama, the plan intends to give the United States - the world’s largest economy and second largest emitter - a leadership role “in a coordinated assault on a changing climate”. [ + ]

Australian research that shows packaging has a vital role to play within the supply chain in minimising food waste has been released. [ + ]