By Michael Mobbs 20 January 2012 When Somalia’s political system collapsed the country had no government. The government collapsed after a 2006 US-backed Ethiopian invasion. There was no one to issue fishing licences, to control national or international... 
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18 January 2012 ­– Private developers in Japan may qualify for 50 per cent subsidies to build shared use buildings under a program to foster more sustainable cities. And buyers of energy efficient homes may soon qualify for tax breaks. The move is... 
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17 January 2012 – A report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows a 36 per cent surge in total investment in solar technology in 2011 to $US136.6 billion, nearly double the $US74.9 billion investment in wind power, which was down 17 per cent on the previous... 
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By Lyn Drummond 16 January 2012 – When the deputy head of Griffith University’s school of engineering Steven O’Keefe is asked if there are any engineering jobs in the sustainable energy area he is amazed that students and parents do not grasp... 
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By Tina Perinotto 13 December 2011 – Built environment, stand up and take a modest bow. According to the federal government’s 2011 State of the Environment Report, there is threatening news on most of our ecological fronts, but despite 87  per... 
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by Lynne Blundell FAVOURITES: 22 November 2011 –At the Colonial First State Global Asset Management Responsible Investment Forum earlier this year chief executive officer Mark Lazberger expressed frustration over the investment industry’s short... 
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By Jacqueline McArthur 7 December 2011  – Carrot or stick are the two options architects, body corporates and government policy makers have at their disposal when protecting their green credentials. But in these straightened times it seems the stick... 
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By Lyn Drummond 5 January 2012 – Plans are at last progressing to turn the rapidly developing residential and industrial heart of the Sydney suburbs of Macquarie Park and North Ryde into a more vibrant community centre – but it will still take time. For... 
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20 December 2011 – Several industries including ethical consumerism, fitness centres and further education are poised to benefit from consumers most popular  New Year resolutions according to an IBISWorld study. The chief beneficiaries of consumer... 
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By Scott Willey 13 December 2011 – The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s Centre For Design is working with the UK entrepreneurial charity Bioregional to extend BioRegional’s portfolio of leading demonstration projects. Read More > >  
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By Tina Perinotto 21 December 2011 – Forget the feel good factors in energy efficiency or climate change. At the end of the day, according to green enthusiast Harry Chua, it’s the beautiful set of numbers on the bottom line that make the recent... 
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Top stories for 2011 and wishes hopes and dreams 21 December 2011 – What did you like to read in The Fifth Estate in 2011? We’ve compiled a list of the Top 30 stories (below). It makes informative viewing. Top of the list was Job News. Of course.... 
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20 December 2011: The Green Building Council of Australia has wrapped the year with 100 Green Star buildings certified, the highest in any one year. GBCA chief executive Romilly Madew said more than 390 buildings had achieved Green Star ratings, with... 
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20 December 2011 – On the heels of its first bachelor of sustainability degree the University of New England in NSW is offering the full suite of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in sustainability in 2012. Senior lecturer and course coordinator... 
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By Tina Perinotto 19 December 2011 – National Australia Bank and Low Carbon Australia on Monday announced they had signed the first privately funded environmental upgrade agreement through the Melbourne 1200 buildings program. In a second announcement... 
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19 December 2011 – Umow Lai has won the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating excellence in sustainability award for its work on Melbourne’s Pixel building.  Read More > >  
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19 December 2011 – Arup (Queensland) has won the CitySwitch national signatory of the year award for improving office energy efficiency and demonstrating environmental leadership. Office televisions which show staff how much energy, water and paper... 
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19 December 2011 – Peter Mould, NSW government architect and general manager of the government architect’s office who retires from the position in January advises his successor to “do it your way.” He told The Fifth Estate his... 
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22 December 2011 – Melbourne property investor Will Deague says that when his family investment company Asia Pacific Property Group decided to embark on a major energy efficiency upgrade of a major asset in South Melbourne, it hadn’t heard about... 
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Bell curves, pocket guides, and gift giving season 15 December 2011  – Since this industry is about saving the planet, and about being more sustainable all round it’s not uncommon to see inspiring acts of kindness and generosity. Some of this... 
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By Tina Perinotto 15 December 2011 – Keith Gunaratne, chief executive and founder of energy efficiency company EP & T Global, has a way to gauge popular sentiment on climate change and carbon. You could call it the taxi index. A few years ago... 
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14 December 2011 – Sustainable Melbourne Fund has launched a web-based animation and case study video to explain how to source loans of up to $500,000 through its $6.4 million sustainable investment program. Read More > >  
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14 December 2011 – The Tasmanian Government’s plan to delay six star energy efficiency requirements for new homes in the state until May 2013 has disappointed the Association of Building Sustainability Assessors. “While we support the state government’s... 
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By Lyn Drummond 14 December 2011 – Jack Evans  Boat Harbour, Tweed Heads,  designed by ASPECT Studios in collaboration with Tweed Shire Council won the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects NSW medal as   “an outstanding example of transformation... 
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By Tina Perinotto 13 December 2011 – Landcom’s PRECINX tool has notched up its first licensed customer in its plans to roll out more widespread use of its groundbreaking sustainability rating Read More > >  
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13 December 2011 – Aurecon, in joint venture with Hatch, was honoured for its engineering work on the $800 million Abbot Point coal terminal X50 expansion in Queensland at the Consult Australia awards for excellence ceremony in Sydney. The Abbot Point... 
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13 December 2011 – The new chair of the New Zealand Green Building Council, Craig Price forecasts continued improvements to the Green Star rating tool in 2012 and beyond to meet industry needs. Mr Price, regional manager of engineering consultancy group... 
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12 December 2011 –The Durban climate talks agreement leaves gaps in emissions, finance and legal issues warns the Australian Greens, and the Australian Conservation Foundation agrees countries need to be more ambitious in cutting emissions. Read... 
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On trigen, places for people, and better places for people who desperately need them 8 December 2011 – There’s a place we know called Fish on Fire. Great name. Well, the sustainable property industry is on fire. Read More > >  
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7 December 2011 – The response to the 2011 State of Australian Cities Report has been quite astonishing and led to the need for extra server capacity to handle demand for downloads, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said at the recent State of... 
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