The latest iteration of arguably our most prestigious national environmental awards, from the Banksia Foundation, took place at an all-day affair on 13 November in Sydney. Building on last year’s initiative to communicate the collective wisdom that is generated through the Banksia Awards program, the team led by Graz von Egmond, organised a range of […]
Ultimo-Pyrmont, a hub of innovation in waste and recycling
Attracting both attention and recognition are a number of projects taking a more sustainable approach to waste management, recycling and upcycling in the Ultimo-Pyrmont (UP) precinct of Sydney. The Green Globe Awards, run by the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage (OEH), recently shortlisted a number of projects, including some from participants in the Smart […]
There’s good business in climate change
A growing number of Australia’s largest companies are taking a strategic position on climate change. Recognising not only the risks to be managed, there is increasing interest in the opportunities for business growth: with potential new products, services and markets opening up as the world’s major economies pursue their targets to decarbonise. To support this […]
Free online tools for better waste management
Earlier this year the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) released a Waste from Strip Out Guidelines Toolset to promote continuous improvement for reporting and managing strip out operations. The toolset includes a Waste Management Plan and a Reprocessor Facility Directory. These tools encourage consistent reporting alongside transparency and accountability of the removed materials from commercial offices […]
New maps identify opps for renewables
Interactive maps of Australia’s electricity grid will help identify the most valuable locations to invest in renewable energy and demand management within the grid. The online resources, developed by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology Sydney, fill an information gap by providing clear, consistent and timely information on where alternatives […]
Australia’s leading sustainability stories announced
The finalists in the Banksia Sustainability Awards have been announced. This year Banksia is recognising 57 finalists across 14 different categories for their innovation, problem solving, leadership and extraordinary sustainability achievements. The Banksia Sustainability Awards, now in their 27th year, reaffirms that Australian enterprise is providing a plethora of innovative approaches and practices in how […]
Collaboration key to creating better neighbourhoods
HotHouse lived up to its name on 12 August at Sydney’s Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (formerly the Powerhouse Museum) – as a means of cultivating and fast-tracking ideas – by bringing together a diverse group of people to consider the idea of sustainable neighbourhoods. Following on from the first of the new format […]
In acknowledgement of our citizen scientists
If you think your personal efforts to appreciate and understand your local environment can’t have a positive impact, then think again. The Office of Australia’s Chief Scientist recently issued a statement saying that science in this country is benefitting from “people power” with a growing number of citizen scientists helping expand scientific knowledge and discovery. […]
Countering myths about coal
“For the foreseeable future coal is the foundation of prosperity,” Prime Minster Tony Abbott said late last year. “Coal is the foundation of the way we live because you can’t have a modern lifestyle without energy, you can’t have a modern economy without energy”. He went on to say that if we are serious about […]
The debate we nearly had on pricing nature
We should price nature to protect it. That was the topic up for debate at the IQ2 event that attracted several hundred people in Sydney on July 21. ‘Price’ and ‘nature’ were the moving targets in this debate hosted by The Ethics Centre (formerly known as St James Ethics Centre). It seemed to be successful […]