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Prince Charles is backing a new “natural capital” asset class to fast track protection for nature based industries such as fishing agriculture and forestry. In Australia, Martijn Wilder, former chair of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, is adding his weight to the move.
Builders could be the missing link in sustainability across the built environment, according to Northrop sustainability manager Chris Buntine. And as the coordinator of Engineers Declare, he says there’s a lot more that can be done by engineers too.
It’s been a relatively busy year for consultancy Point Advisory, with sustainability work and net zero announcements from large corporates coming thick and fast.
AustralianSuper’s 25 per cent share in Assemble Communities has buoyed the innovative Melbourne-based developer that offers renters the option to buy after five years in some developments. In 2020 it’s brought on a massive 17 new staff.
INDIGENOUS BUSINESS: Access to that all-important early-stage finance could become easier for aspiring Indigenous business owners, with interest in a first-of-its-kind masterclass series for Indigenous entrepreneurs and angel investors vastly exceeding expectations.
The kerbside, that humble bit of concrete between buildings and the road, is “failing our local places” according to a new report by WSP and Uber.
It’s action stations in the fight against dangerous climate change and Melbourne-based think tank ClimateWorks Australia is growing its ranks to tackle this increasingly urgent challenge.
Booming populations and increasing floods are overburdening urban stormwater systems, so why not lighten the load by collecting rainwater for household use?
Anita Mitchell has made a huge impact on sustainable development, most recently with Lendlease. Now, she’s been picked to lead the NSW government’s new committee to ensure its public assets have a bit of soul.
Joost Bakker is one of sustainability’s most provocative advocates. He challenges cherished ideas and leaves nothing to sentiment. His latest project in Melbourne is no different. He doesn’t care for timber, says food needs to be grown in the home, and that off grid will be the future.
New research commissioned by the NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler has revealed that the high cost of digital technologies is a barrier for many builders, especially smaller operators. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is on the case.
Vicinity Centres and Dexus have topped the Carbon Disclosure Project’s global ranking for measuring corporate efforts to mitigate climate change.
It could well be the reform that no-one expected in our consumer obsessed world: the potential for a “right to repair rule” that could end planned obsolescence by many manufacturers and expand freedom of choice for consumers when repair is possible.
Engineering services firm Meinhardt Group has continued its aggressive growth strategy to reassert itself as a top player in the Australian market. Among recent activity it’s hired sustainability and integrated design advocate Darren Bilsborough to head the ANZ building services team.
The new president of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), City of Sydney Councillor Linda Scott, has plenty of experience going out to bat for local government as president of the NSW branch of the organisation.
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.
