A team of researchers, led by Dr Mainak Majumder and Phillip Sheath from Monash University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Dr Matthew Hill from CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, have developed a highly porous metal-organic framework (MOF) that, almost uniquely, is stable and able to filter substances in water. [ + ]

Simple actions by consumers and food retailers can dramatically cut the 1.3 billion tonnes of food lost or wasted each year and help shape a sustainable future, according to a new global campaign to cut food waste launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and partners. [ + ]

South Africa’s electricity network requires considerable reform over the coming decades if the country is to successfully diversify its generation mix to sources other than coal to meet the increasing demand for power. [ + ]

A million electric cars on Germany’s roads by 2020. This is the ambitious target set by the Federal Government in its bid to continue the battle against CO2 emissions. It believes that e-mobility is a significant key technology to create a sustainable transport system for the future, especially where the power is produced from renewable energy sources. [ + ]

When Western Australia’s Water Corporation needed to refurbish a three-decade-old water treatment facility, getting an exact match to the existing nozzles was the preferred option. The problem was that the old design was no longer manufactured. [ + ]

Following six years of development, Victorian chemical manufacturer Circa Group Pty Ltd has created a technology called Furacell that recycles cellulose waste using a self-contained (closed-loop), energy-efficient process that produces a chemical called Levoglucosenone (LGN), as well as water and phosphate-bearing charcoal with commercial potential as a carbon dioxide sequestering soil conditioner. [ + ]

Marks & Spencer sustainable lamb trial suggests New Zealand genetics could improve UK sheep industry efficiency. [ + ]

A water recycling facility located in Yarra Park, adjacent to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), has won the Infrastructure Project Innovation Award at the Australian Water Association Awards (Victorian Branch). [ + ]

Scientists behind the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are gathering in Hobart this week to review and update the latest draft of the body’s fifth assessment report, due out later this year. [ + ]

Pam Keating passed away under tragic circumstances in early 2009, but her significant contribution to the environment and waste management sectors lives on, both through the legacy of her work and foundation of the WMAA Pam Keating Award. [ + ]

An additive, created in a unique collaboration between the University of Sheffield and the London College of Fashion, which can be washed into clothes so the wearer purifies the air as they move could be available within just two years. [ + ]

As the festive season comes to an end, spare a thought for the humble chook which took pride of place on thousands of dinner tables around the country during the Christmas period. Australia’s $4 billion poultry industry is maintaining steady growth, currently producing 700 million birds annually. However, while the demand for poultry meat grows, farmers face growth of another type - waste. [ + ]

The mining industry faces growing challenges globally on how to use water efficiently, how to recover and recirculate water and how to reduce the areas needed for tailings storage. Paste technology can be used to efficiently recover water from tailing, making it a sustainable solution for tailing treament, especially in dry regions. The technology can now also be used to make it much easier to restore the landscape in a safe way after a mine is closed. [ + ]

Located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, the office tower at 1 Bligh Street has set a new benchmark for sustainable office design. To integrate all the energy efficient systems, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure platform was used to achieve the convergence of the building’s energy-efficient technologies. [ + ]

What is the largest source by far of affordable, low-carbon energy available for development? If people think the answer is wind or solar or even hydro, University of Canterbury mechanical engineering professor Susan Krumdieck in New Zealand says they might be surprised. [ + ]