EY to acquire Net Balance
26 August, 2014Professional services organisation EY has moved to acquire sustainability consulting firm Net Balance. The acquisition is intended to be completed in late September, at which time Net Balance will be fully integrated with EY, including relocating staff to EY offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Australia's first dedicated media channel for the field service sector
19 August, 2014Australia has its first dedicated media channel for the booming field service sector, with the launch of Field Service Business, a sister publication to Sustainability Matters.
Free 3D design software for schools
13 August, 2014Software company Autodesk is offering secondary schools, vocational institutions and universities in Australia and New Zealand free access to the company's professional 3D design software and creativity apps.
The human element of the Safety Advisor's job - things that can (and do) go wrong
05 August, 2014Health and Safety Advisors are the heart of the organization in terms of knowledge about health and safety issues and preventing incidents. However, they are still humans, which means that they too can make mistakes.
Net Balance assesses the state of sustainability assurance
04 August, 2014Sustainability adviser Net Balance has found that a growing number of Australian-listed companies are setting high standards of transparency and accountability regarding their sustainability performance, though a large number of companies still face a learning curve in understanding and communicating their social and environmental impacts.
Water footprint and forestry standards published
01 August, 2014The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) have this week published standards relating to water footprint management and the chain for custody for forest products, respectively.
Smart-grid technologies trial identifies $28 billion for Australian economy
30 July, 2014A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis has identified up to $28 billion in net economic benefits that could flow to Australia if smart-grid technologies were to be implemented across the country's electricity system.
ACCC releases second carbon monitoring report
30 July, 2014The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has provided the second carbon monitoring report to the Treasurer, the Hon Joe Hockey MP, detailing its monitoring activities for the June 2014 quarter.
Australian awarded at GHD technical conference
29 July, 2014At its most recent technical conference, held in San Francisco, GHD brought together 60 of its wastewater, water-treatment and desalination engineers from offices in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Proposed ASTM standard for sustainable manufacturing
28 July, 2014A proposed ASTM International standard will help industry adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices by informing manufacturers how they can incorporate sustainability into their daily operations.
ETU rejects recommendations for public infrastructure projects
16 July, 2014According to the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the Productivity Commission's report into public infrastructure has failed to grasp the features of the energy industry that make it different to other infrastructure types such as roads, public transport and ports.
Cities protecting capital from climate change
14 July, 2014The majority of the world's major cities have disclosed that climate change presents a physical risk to the businesses operating in their cities - and local governments are taking action in response. This information was published in the report Protecting our Capital, written by not-for-profit organisation CDP, infrastructure and support services firm Aecom and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.
Demand for electricity in NEM falling
04 July, 2014The latest carbon emissions index (Cedex), released by consultancy company pitt&sherry, finds that demand for electricity in the national electricity market (NEM) has been falling steadily since the introduction of the carbon price in June 2012.
Australia's renewable energy generation is rising
24 June, 2014The Clean Energy Council has released The Clean Energy Australia Report 2013, a comprehensive overview of Australia's renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors.
Climate change is an economic issue, says CEDA
19 June, 2014CEDA has released 'The Economics of Climate Change', a report which examines the economic impact of climate change for Australia, explores the responses of other nations and considers what policies will be most effective for Australia to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
