How do we change behaviour in a consumerist society?

By Peter Newton, Swinburne University of Technology Many Australians are happy to declare their interest in sustainability, to reducing their environmental impact. But how many of them are prepared to reduce the amount they actually consume? We recently explored whether Australian households have an “attitude-action gap” on environment and consumption. We surveyed 1200 Melbourne households, examining attitudes, intentions and opinions related to the environment and urban living. We also recorded objective data on actual household consumption of energy, water, housing space, urban travel and domestic appliances. It’s not uncommon being a material green Three lifestyle segments emerged: a majority (40.3%) …

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Cities need strong, transparent leadership

Iman Mahditama, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Experts gathering at the third biennial World Cities Summit in Singapore have urged city administrations all over the world to develop strong, transparent leadership as cities are deemed critical in the establishment of a sustainable future. “Many of the world’s cities are actually bigger than countries so city sustainability is critical. It should be the main drive in the attempt to create a sustainable world,” United Nations Development Program (UNDP) administrator Helen Clark said. The former New Zealand prime minister then went on to say, “In light of this, city leadership is critical, as …

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Sustainability Conference Australia – Melbourne, June 2013

The Association’s annual conference Sustainanability Conference “Sustainable Transformation” will be held in conjunction with the “Making Cities Liveable” conference in Melbourne. The new three day format will see: > Day one consisting of four Sustainability streams totalling 44 presenters > Day two will have 6 key note presentations and 90 minute moderated “Q&A” > Day three will consist of four Liveable Cities streams totalling 44 presenters Delegates will be able to purchase one, two or three day registrations. Call for papers will open on the 14th August 2012 and close at the end of February 2013. The podcast of the …

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Sustainability leadership- what does it really mean to staff and organisations?

By Ms Tania Crosbie, Director, Sustainability at Work Almost 70% of Australian workers believe that it is important for their organisations to behave in a sustainable way*. And they are looking to their senior managers to lead real change. So what does sustainability leadership really mean to staff and organisations? Sustainability at Work believes that understanding current attitudes and behaviours towards sustainability in both the workplace and at home can provide insights and a platform for organisations to promote positive sustainable behavior within organisations. A national study of more than 1,000 Australian workers found that overwhelmingly, Australians believe that change …

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Rethink! Addressing the global consequences of urbanisation in Cities

By the end of the 21st century 85% of our global population will be living in cities. By then cities as we know it today have ceased to exist. The majority of humans would have organized themselves into Megacities and Super Urban Conglomerates of 40 million people or more and Megacities would have replaced nations and became self supportive as economic drivers and engines for growth and compete at a global level for resources, top talents and businesses. This urbanization trend would be exclusively for the new and upcoming global economy. However we are under threat of over stressing our …

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US Fracking Rules Would Disclose Drilling Chemicals

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is pressing companies for more information about the chemicals in fluids, something they say is a trade secret. The agency holds the last in a series of community meetings on hydraulic fracturing, called fracking, on Wednesday in New York. The new Wyoming rules say companies must submit to the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission [3] a full list of chemicals they plan to use in fracking operations on a well-by-well basis. Companies will also have to report the concentration of each chemical used once the job is done. Drillers retain the right to claim …

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10 Ways to Cut Carbon Emissions in Your Buildings

Johnson Controls Inc. and its Make Your Buildings Work program offer 10 tips on how your company can reduce its carbon footprint and emissions by minimizing the environmental impacts of facilities and operations.  The advice is part of Johnson Controls’ campaign to emphasize practical solutions for building owners, managers and operators to improve the energy efficiency and performance of their properties. The company’s “10 Tips” series is among resources available on the JCI microsite MakeYourBuildingsWork.com. Here are Johnson Controls’ recommendations for cutting carbon emissions: 1. Consider investigating in renewable energy technologies to become less dependent on the grid. This is …

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States call for solar subsidy cut

Annabel Hepworth – The Australian March 07, 2011 12:00AM JULIA Gillard is under pressure from the states to roll back generous subsidies for rooftop solar schemes amid predictions that escalating costs from the federal renewable energy scheme will add as much as $90 to yearly household power bills… more “Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation” Conference 15th& 16th September – Radisson Resort, Gold Coast

Heinz, Coca-Cola Announce PlantBottle Partnership

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: CO) and H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ) today announced a strategic partnership that enables Heinz to produce its ketchup bottles using Coca-Cola’s PlantBottleTM packaging. The PET plastic bottles are made partially (up to 30%) from plant materials and have a lower reliance on non-renewable resources compared with traditional PET plastic bottles. Currently, PlantBottle is made using sugarcane ethanol from Brazil. Heinz said its adoption of the PlantBottle technology will be the biggest change to its iconic ketchup bottles since they first introduced plastic in 1983… more Heinz, Coca-Cola Announce PlantBottle Partnership.

PepsiCo UK Sustainability Plans

PepsiCo UK plans to make all its packaging renewable, recyclable or bio-degradable, as part of further sustainability targets to “radically” reduce its impact on the environment. In its second environmental sustainability report, PepsiCo UK looked at climate change, agriculture, water use, its products and how the company works with others, to drive change within the business. The food and drink manufacture plans to introduce FSC paper-based packaging to its Quaker and Walkers brands within three years as part of its plan to make all packaging renewable, recyclable or bio-degradable by 2018. The packing material is currently being trialled on its …

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