Battle looms for Morrison over EU/G7 carbon border tax
The UK and EU – and potentially the entire G7 – are on a collision course with Australia over trade measures to tackle climate change.
Government/Regulations
How to hoick up Australia’s insulation industry and get some great outcomes
Less than 30 of the 3200-5000 insulation installers working in Australia have been formally accredited to correctly install insulation. Fortunately, government buying power could turn this around.
Value nature or become extinct: Landmark report puts humanity’s ecological footprint at the heart of economics
It’s official: biodiversity is at the heart of economics. Failure to acknowledge this up to now has led to uncountable loss of species. A landmark report commissioned by the British government finally acknowledges this. But will it make any difference?
Victoria – the sun also shines
Victoria is on a big rebuild and reboot of its economy kick and solar is a big focus for the year. According to Stan Krpan, chief executive of Solar Victoria, it’s all systems go.
Europe finds the road to zero carbon depends on where you’re starting from
Major disagreements have broken out in the European Union about how individual countries will achieve net zero carbon, a fight that threatens to block the European Commission’s proposed road map.
Russell Hall on the truth about covenants and housing affordability
According to Brisbane-based architect Russell Hall, governments weaponise developers with the right to inflict buyers with the developer’s whims as conditions of purchase via covenants. He says this can make homes unaffordable and unsustainable.
The “right to repair” inquiry by the Productivity Commission could make planned obsolescence obsolete
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.
Meet ALGA’s new president Linda Scott and see what she wants for local government
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.
Boris Johnson’s new 10-point plan for greening the UK “not up to the job”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s new 10-point plan for greening the UK is welcomed, but while some call it “game changing”, many argue that the £4 billion (AU$7.26 billion) attached is not nearly enough to meet the needs of the moment.
Budget 2020 steps a toe in the water for sustainability
Infrastructure emerged as a winner in the federal government’s big-spending 2020-21 budget and now the hard part: making sure these “nation-building” projects are sustainable. Money is flowing into the built environment, with the government’s “JobMaker Plan” including an increase to the government’s infrastructure investment pipeline by $10 billion to $110 billion over 10 years. The […]
Hunter region – moving from “coal country” to clean energy
Almost all councils in the Hunter region – one of NSW’s largest coal-producing areas – have now made the commitment to move away from coal and gas and towards a cleaner future powered by renewables. Lake Macquarie City, Port Stephens and Cessnock City have today become the latest members of the Cities Power Partnership (CPP), […]
Councils muscle up for the climate emergency and planning is on the front line
The City of Melbourne declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and now it wants to put its money where its mouth is, mandating minimum sustainability standards.
Here’s our chance to relieve energy poverty through post COVID stimulus
A shocking number of Australians experience energy poverty and its only expected to get worse post-Covid as people spend more time at home.
Cruising down the road to Donald Horne’s Lucky Country
OPINION: For near on 30 years we have cruised down the road of economic growth feasting on the fruits of the “lucky country”. Sure, there were a few speed bumps along the way, a few wrong turns, and more than a few prime ministers, but it was mostly smooth sailing. Hit in the face by […]
Jobs of the future, miracles and messing with our university education
Predicting the Jobs of the future is not as straightforward as the government’s uni fees meddling would suggest.
New Zealand unveils revolutionary green building program to fight climate change
The New Zealand government is making a bold climate commitment with a plan to transform the building sector, which includes aggressive new efficiency standards for energy and water use and mandatory reporting requirements on construction materials and waste. On Friday, the New Zealand government announced its Building for Climate Change Programme, setting out plans to […]
Environmental protections on shaky ground as review for EPBC Act looms
At a time when there’s mounting evidence that Australia’s environmental planning laws are “fundamentally broken”, this very same legislation is under threat from a federal government intent on fast-tracking projects as part of its pandemic recovery plan. “Green tape” has been in the firing line of the Covid recovery agenda at least since earlier this […]
Government seeks private sector help to Covid-proof energy markets
The Australian government has thrown the door open to suppliers with a huge range of skills and services to future-proof Australia’s energy markets.
Calls for an elected Lord Mayor of Parramatta
This week, two business groups made the case for a democratially-elected Lord Mayor of Parramatta – an equivalent to City of Sydney’s popular Clover Moore – to lead the critical region through a period of rapid growth and transformation.
Europe’s €540 billion recovery package is aimed at realising the Green Deal and a just transition
Every nation would do well to emulate Europe’s Green Deal approach. Here’s how it works.
Local government news: Melbourne’s smart solar bins, Yarra City Council’s emergency climate plan and council PPAs
The Yarra City Council is officially endorsing its first emergency climate plan outlining its four year strategy to create a climate adapted city. Since late 2019, the council has been working alongside the community to draft an action plan, setting up ten targets and 20 actions to cut carbon emissions and build up climate resilience […]
HomeBuilder a half-baked idea that’s widely condemned
ANALYSIS: On Thursday, the Morrison government introduced its HomeBuilder (insert trademark) scheme with the intention of supporting residential home builders that were starting to see work dry up.
Far-reaching housing tax reform could be back on the agenda
The pitch to replace stamp duty with a broad-based land tax is seeing a new surge of advocacy. Just in the past few days the Reserve Bank Governor together with state Treasurers in both NSW and Victoria have all weighed into this debate once again, arguing that such a transition is now an urgent priority.
Guess what? Building a better world will also speed economic recovery
As we emerge from this global crisis we have an unprecedented opportunity to create a better world, a healthier world, a happier and fairer world, and a low carbon world. It turns out this also represents better value for money than not doing so.
UK Conservative Government pledges massive spending on infrastructure, housing and tackling the coronavirus pandemic
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, last week Britain’s chancellor issued a new budget that promised much infrastructure and, of course, to tackle the pandemic.
NSW builders must win back customer trust, says commissioner
With the introduction of government bills to force change, now is the time for quality market participants to back an overhaul of the state’s construction industry and rebuild customer confidence, argues the NSW Building Commissioner.
On why Adam Bandt is a man for the times
News from the front desk on Friday (part II) – Richard Di Natale was right for the times; Adam Bandt is right for now. Newscorp calls Bandt the Greens “attack dog”.
NSW can have water or fossil fuels but not both
SAVING WATER, summer series:Decisions to push ahead with coal and coal seam gas (CSG) projects in NSW and Queensland are entirely at odds with ensuring good management of water supplies and reducing carbon emissions.
Sustainability gets look-in for productivity planning in NSW
Land planning, energy, water, housing affordability and jobs of the future are among the key priorities identified by the NSW Productivity Commission in a discussion paper released ahead of a wide-ranging inquiry.
Every building counts – time to tackle the laggards
It seems building energy efficiency is even palatable enough for federal energy and emissions reduction minister Angus Taylor as an emissions abatement opportunity.