Climate change Bills introduced to House of Reps
14 September, 2011A 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
31 March, 2011The 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
10 March, 2011Under 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
05 January, 2011The 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.
NABERS ratings - are you ready?
20 September, 2010If 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
26 August, 2010As 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.
New commercial building disclosure scheme will drive energy efficiency in buildings
23 June, 2010The 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
14 May, 2010Australian 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
05 May, 2010The 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.
NABERS ratings - the next generation
28 April, 2010 byIn 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.
ETS shelved
28 April, 2010Prime 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.
Comparing carbon policies made easy
10 February, 2010As 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.
Standard for the production and use of waste-derived fill
10 February, 2010The 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
04 February, 2010The 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.
CPRS defeated again
07 December, 2009It 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.
