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The top end of town tends to hog the limelight when it comes to sustainability, but a financially rewarding opportunity lies in wait to turn C and D grade stock into high energy performers. With the Clean Energy Finance Corporation as a cornerstone investor, an EG real estate fund is upgrading four mid-tier underperforming buildings […]
Atlassian co-founder and co-CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes wasn’t going to let BP’s Dr Dominic Emery off the hook as the energy giant’s chief of staff described his company’s plans to reduce emissions as “ambitious”.
Here at The Fifth Estate we’re keeping an eye on New Zealand. It’s started to become a standout regional leader on climate action, especially with its legislated net zero emissions target by 2050.
It may seem unthinkably soon, but last weekend’s heat wave ushered in the start of Australia’s next bushfire season. It’s time to ask if we are keeping our homes, businesses and loved ones safe.
According to independent MP Zali Steggall a major disruption is on the way; Australia needs a seat at the table and that requires a net zero commitment.
Here at The Fifth Estate we’re finally making our first foray into podcasting!
This summer is the time to start practising load shifting in commercial buildings because by this time next year, the savings for demand management are going to become super lucrative.
The approach at Monash University’s latest Passive House building is about “embracing rather defending” the sun, allowing for a more circadian experience. “Passive House is typically about keeping the sun out. We were doing the opposite”, the architects say.
Several Australian real estate companies have topped the 2020 Global Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) real estate rankings, which measures and tracks global corporate ESG practices. Dexus managed the highest score for the second year running in the 2020 assessment of any real estate company, scoring 89/100. Stockland came in second at 86/100. The industry […]
Sustainability consultancy thinkstep-anz is doubling down on its expertise in the environmental footprint of buildings and products with two new high-profile recruits.
Passive House experts Maxa Design has cleaned up several recent awards with a Passive House home made out of rammed earth in Donvale, Victoria. Known as the Earth House, the home has won a bunch of accolades at the Design Matters Awards – “Building Design of the Year 2020”, “Best residential new home design $1 […]
A look at three housing estates that are mandating sustainability covenants. And surprise surprise, the buyers are lapping them up. We look at Mullum Creek Estate in Donvale, Melbourne, The Cape in Gippsland east of Melbourne and Salt Torquay, on Victoria’s western coast where after the first builder showed a higher energy efficiency rating could be done easily and cheaply, is now 80 per cent sold.
A Singaporean business offering airconditioning as-a-service has its sights set on Australia, which could bring cheaper, ultra-efficient cooling to Australian buildings. Kaer’s revolutionary airconditioning model borrows from other industries that have “servitised” their offerings, such as Uber (mobility) and Spotify (music), which provide access to products rather than ownership. Rather than a building owner procuring […]
An Australia that is as ethical as Sweden could see a $45 billion increase in our national GDP. Here’s why.
In the inland Victorian city of Bendigo, the local landfill is almost full.
I’m thrilled to be hosting a TEDxSydney Discovery Session on Friday at 1pm called Designing to Save Our Planet.
Contrary to popular opinion, a Passive House certified home doesn’t need to be a windowless box.
FEATURE: It’s been about a month since South Australia’s new “smarter homes” rules for rooftop solar were ushered in to help stabilise the grid. So how are they doing?
Bored of watching birds under Covid restrictions? Start watching climate deniers and sceptics instead!
The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas, could soon be to home to an all-electric carbon neutral bunker for coral species under threat from climate change.
Smart building management company Blue IoT is growing fast. According to Blue IoT’s founder and chief innovation officer Bob Sharon the company has grown from four to 10 employees (plus four advisors) since August last year with plans to hire “a bunch more people” and run an internship program. The company also snapped up a 2020 […]
Sales of electric bikes were already booming in Australia. Then Covid hit.
How to reduce the 11 per cent of emissions released while constructing a building and producing its materials will be front and centre at The Fifth Estate’s upcoming Building Circulatory event on 24 November. It’s a huge challenge that will involve architects, engineers, scientists, developers and, believe it or not, quantity surveyors.
ANALYSIS: With the news this week that Tesla is now the most valuable car company in the world, there’s a sense that the green transport revolution has kicked up a gear.
FINANCE: Green bonds and other sustainable finance vehicles are still booming amid the pandemic. In fact they’re seen as lower risk than traditional investments. It’s no surprise then that Australian property companies are getting on board. Global green bond issuance passed the $1 trillion-mark last week and Australian property giant Lendlease is not missing out on […]
A citizen’s taskforce circular economy campaign and an “Australian Circular Business Register” will make it easier for people and businesses to take part in the coming transition to a circular economy.
As many as 50 churches owned by the Uniting Church in metropolitan Sydney alone lie dormant and unused. Meanwhile there is a shortage of crisis and affordable accommodation.
Monash University has set itself the challenging target of getting its campuses to net zero by 2030 and unlike some other organisations that set similar goals, it has a plan to get there.
The circular economy has infiltrated the board rooms of Australian and New Zealand water utilities, according to a new report. Now to put these ideas into action.
Electric buses cost $50,000 a year less to run compared with diesel fuelled buses. It’s a good grounding for the success of a new plant in the NSW southern Highlands that also promises 2000 new jobs.
