by Lynne Blundell In a perfect world Sam Capelli, environment manager with City of Ryde Council, would like to see local government sustainability requirements for developments pushed much higher. But in this far from perfect world, where developers and residents baulk at paying extra for green, he knows he has to ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell The stick and carrot approach is proving a good one for pushing sustainability globally. As governments around the globe respond to the climate change challenge with stricter building codes, together with incentives, green buildings and technologies are booming. In the US, the introduction of California’s Green Buildings ...Read More > >

By Lynne Blundell 4 June - The Federal Government this week announced new guidelines aimed at making it easier for Australians to install ceiling insulation in their homes. Environment Minister Peter Garrett announced the guidelines on the first day of winter at an event with one of Australia’s major manufacturers of ceiling ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell Mildura on the Murray River in northern Victorian could be the location for two new solar power plants after the Federal Government’ announcement to invest $1.5 billion over six years in solar energy. As part of its clean energy initiative, the government promised a new Solar Flagships program, ...Read More > >

By Lynne Blundell The Coalition may not be scoring many points for its refusal to budge on the Government’s emissions trading scheme but its push for a voluntary carbon market has met with approval from the green building sector and organisations keen to see greater recognition of voluntary action to reduce ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell... With the deadline passed for submissions to the Federal Government on its proposed mandatory disclosure scheme for commercial building energy efficiency, the jury is out on what the final result will be. Many of the submissions have called for fundamental changes to the scheme. The most common objection is ...Read More > >

Businesses are being urged to join the green building revolution and boost their productivity through a new joint-funded Rudd and Brumby Government public awareness campaign and a dedicated website. Building and Plumbing Industry Commissioner and Chair of the World Green Buildings Council, Tony Arnel, said the campaign would help businesses improve ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell... Small businesses are keen to reduce their carbon footprint, not to mention their energy bills, if the early morning turnout at North Sydney Council’s breakfast launch of its Green Business Energy $aving Program is anything to go by. More than 32 local businesses turned up at the 8am launch ...Read More > >

KPMG and Macquarie Bank Limited have joined forces to create a carbon trading simulation to assist businesses prepare for the CPRS. Jennifer Westacott, head of KPMG’s climate change, sustainability and water practice, said participating in the simulation would reduce the risk of making costly errors when it came to the real ...Read More > >

by Tina Perinotto FAVOURITES - 6 May 2009 - John Thwaites is the sort of man you instantly want on your side. Charming, practiced eyeball-to-eyeball networker, he cuts a swathe through any room. At one of the more difficult technical sessions at the Green Cities Conference in Brisbane this year, Thwaites looked ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell and Tina Perinotto Kevin Rudd’s spectacular backflip on the carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS), delaying its introduction by a year looks to backfire on a number of fronts. While the scheme is unlikely to get passed in the senate, the scheme has split the environmental movement in two, and ...Read More > >

By Romilly Madew... Commercial and residential buildings account for 23 per cent of Australia’s annual emissions – making the built environment sector vital in any carbon pollution reduction scheme. The Australian Government’s proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) won’t have an impact on Australia’s built environment, and so won't achieve reductions in the very ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell 6 May - There are some claims that you just shouldn’t bank on. Especially when it involves the coal industry, which in the US is every bit as dominant and influential as in Australia. In the US Barack Obama has been criticised for falling for the “coal can be ...Read More > >

by Peter Szental The Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) draft National Strategy on Energy Efficiency makes important steps, but leaves the building sector out in the cold and Australia’s greatest energy efficiency opportunities untapped. Investing in energy efficiency is more than a double-dividend. Energy efficiency creates green jobs, improves Australia’s economic competitiveness, ...Read More > >

Local government action: Darebin Council in Victoria is working with the local community and businesses to implement a Community Climate Change Action Plan to reduce community greenhouse emissions across its municipality. To help develop the plan the Council has established a Community Climate Change Reference Group with representatives of diverse community organisations. ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell Higher energy efficiency standards for both residential and commercial buildings got the tick of approval at this year’s Coalition of Australian Governments’ (COAG) meeting but builders and energy groups argue the scheme needs further changes and sustainability experts would like to see it go further. COAG agreed that from ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell The Sydney Coastal Councils Group’s (SCCG) recently released report on adapting to climate change outlines the difficulties councils face in tackling rising sea levels, flooding, storm damage and increased bushfire incidence. The report, Case Studies of Adaptive Capacity is the result of a two year project by ...Read More > >

Green projects will be fast tracked as part of NSW’s bid to attract green investment and create green jobs in NSW. At the NSW Jobs Summit in March, NSW Premier Nathan Rees, announced a a list of measures: Renewable energy precincts A key part of the plan is the creation of new Renewable ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell Sustainable property insiders say that NSW has stolen the march on its rivals with a forward thinking GreenSkills Taskforce to challenge the shortfall in the greening property industry. The move follows the NSW Jobs and Green Skills Summit, held in March and has a budget of $5 million to ...Read More > >

Pittwater Council has placed its draft Learning for Sustainability Plan on public exhibition. The draft plan outlines a number of actions to improve sustainability in the local area. Pittwater mayor David James said that the plan would help guide Council and residents in making informed decisions about leading a more sustainable lifestyle. He ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell At the national level a lion’s share of government resources and energy is being spent on designing an ideal carbon trading system that may or may not do anything to stop dangerous climate change. At the ground level, where the climate impact will be felt, insurers and local councils ...Read More > >