Spaghetti-like membranes capture carbon dioxide
19 March, 2014CO2CRC researchers at the University of New South Wales have installed a custom-built rig at Delta Electricity's Carbon Capture Research Facility at Vales Point Power Station to trial new hollow-fibre membranes for capturing carbon dioxide from power stations.
ASX 200 carbon reduction targets: only for the short term
06 December, 2013 by Tahlia MathiesonThe CDP Australia and New Zealand Climate Change Report 2013, released on 4 December, has shown that most ASX 200 companies' carbon reduction targets are short term and do not sufficiently acknowledge the scale and long-term attributes of climate change.
Online environmental management tool for businesses
31 October, 2013To help businesses streamline and improve environmental compliance, the Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association (PACIA) has released its easy-to-use online Environmental Management Wizard to help businesses self-assess environmental obligations, and in doing so reveal opportunities to reduced risks, reduce costs and enhance business performance.
Carbon farming should consider more than carbon
26 September, 2013Research led by CSIRO has shown that carbon farming schemes, which pay landholders for planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide, should consider other benefits such as the reversal of land clearing and the restoration of ecosystem services, including pest control, pollination and soil and water conservation.
Corporate sustainability: the big picture
25 September, 2013 by Dr Chet Chaffee*Many leading global companies - including those in Australia and New Zealand - are seriously embracing sustainability practices. Their leaders understand that this approach is not simply a reporting exercise, but that full and transparent disclosure to all stakeholders is crucial for success in today’s competitive market.
Human waste is no waste at all
19 September, 2013Human waste could be used to combat climate change, helping to lock up our carbon emissions and build more fertile soils. This is according to Professor Nanthi Bolan of CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) and University of South Australia.
Research to increase soil carbon storage
13 September, 2013Research by UWA, in collaboration with the DAFWA and grower groups, has found that many surface soils in Western Australia are already storing as much carbon as they can. However, there is the potential for the lower layers to store more carbon - particularly if management practices change.
Lighting up energy savings
11 September, 2013The NSW Government's Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) assists businesses to be more sustainable through various energy-saving activities. To be eligible under the scheme, applicants must be a business located in NSW and create genuine energy savings through one of the scheme's approved activities.
Pilot plant to turn CO2 emissions into green building materials
26 August, 2013A CO2 mineral carbonation research pilot plant, to be established at the University of Newcastle (UoN), will trial a new method for permanently and safely storing carbon emissions generated from fossil fuels and other industrial processes.
Hindmarsh embraces sustainable design
13 August, 2013When Hindmarsh Shire Council in Nhill, north-west Victoria, required new council facilities incorporating public services, council chambers and corporate offices, they turned to Melbourne-based architecture firm k20 Architecture to deliver a sustainable building.
The impact of bringing forward the ETS on landfill operators
07 August, 2013 by Tim Pittaway, principal, RSM Bird CameronBringing forward the emissions trading scheme (ETS) in Australia will affect landfill operators in two ways: by reducing certainty due to potentially volatile carbon prices and by reducing viability for Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) projects due to the lower value of Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) generated.
Manufacturing towards a green economy
04 August, 2013 by Amanda Keogh*, Head of Sustainability, Asia Pacific and Australia, Fuji XeroxConsumer preference, regulation, emerging valuation models, organisational change agility and the simple pragmatics of closing the product loop influence the development of the ‘green economy’ in the manufacturing sector. This thought piece unpacks some of those drivers as we begin the conversation to better understand what the challenges and opportunities of the green economy mean for Australia.
Bindaree Beef beats the carbon tax
19 July, 2013A more energy-efficient rendering plant and directing all of its organic waste through a digester to generate clean energy from biogas will reduce Bindaree Beef’s carbon emissions by 95% and deliver annual operating cost savings of $2.44 million.
CCS in agricultural soil is impractical, says experts
18 July, 2013 by Lauren DavisBoth the Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative and the Opposition’s Direct Action Plan recommend offsetting greenhouse gas emissions by increasing carbon storage in agricultural soils. But experts from the University of Melbourne have claimed that this method is both technically and economically very limited.
Nanomaterial to separate and store CO2 emissions
16 July, 2013Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a nanomaterial that could help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power stations. Their work has been described in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
