Masdar has announced the awarding of the design and construction contract for its new headquarters complex, which will also house the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The headquarters will be one of the most advanced, sustainable, multiuse complexes in the United Arab Emirates. [ + ]

SLR Consulting Australia has announced the merger-acquisition of GSS Environmental (GSSE), an Australian provider of environmental consulting and project management services to clients in the mining, minerals, land development and natural resource sectors. [ + ]

As part of Melbourne Knowledge Week, a talk on Australian biotechnology is being held on 29 November from 5.30-7.30 pm at Hilton on the Park, Melbourne. [ + ]

On the morning of 14 November 2012, the north of Australia will witness a total solar eclipse. Panasonic, using only its HIT solar panels and lithium-ion batteries for storage, will produce a live broadcast of this incredible spectacle live via USTREAM. [ + ]

The seventh edition of Eco Expo Asia, a professional trade fair dedicated to green business in Asia, will be held from 27-30 October at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong. [ + ]

Leaders from Germany’s water and waste management industry will meet with policymakers and local business partners at the Green Tech Industry Conference on 29 October 2012 in Sydney. [ + ]

Despite the reported benefits of bioenergy, the uptake in Australia has been relatively slow. What is holding the industry back and where are the opportunities for growth? This, and more, will be discussed at the Bioenergy Australia 2012 Conference ‘Biomass for a low carbon future’, which is being held at the Sebel & Citigate Albert Park Hotel, Melbourne, from 26 to 27 November 2012, with an off-site technical tour of bioenergy facilities in the region on 28 November 2012. [ + ]

The Smart Water Fund has announced that applications will open later this month for $1 million in funding to support innovative urban water projects. [ + ]

Aldi has become the first Australian national grocery retailer to initiate a free in-store recycling service across all stores for common household batteries, with the launch of the Aldi Activ Energy Battery Recycling Program. [ + ]

Athfield Architects has taken out the 2012 Supreme Concrete³ Sustainability Award for its extensive refurbishment of the new Christchurch Civic Building on Hereford Street. [ + ]

Compounds that affect respiratory health have been found in biodiesel exhausts. This might lead to restrictions on the use of this form of biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuel, according to researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). [ + ]

The Green Building Council of Australia’s Chief Executive, Romilly Madew, has been named one of ‘100 Women of Influence’. [ + ]

New Zealand’s Sustainable Business Network (SBN) is urging everyone to vote for their favourite sustainability initiative to choose this year’s Vodafone People’s Choice Award winner in the NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards. [ + ]

Debunking the myth that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is not a reality, the Global CCS Institute has estimated that carbon abatement from eight CCS projects already operating is greater than that achieved by all other energy-related climate efforts combined to date in Australia or the UK. [ + ]

Schneider Electric today launched PlantStruxure at its User Conference on the Gold Coast. The process automation technology allows industrial and infrastructure companies to transparently connect field, process and enterprise levels within their business. [ + ]