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Present at the 2019 National Sustainability Conference

The annual National Sustainability Conference will be held at Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane on Monday 1 – Tuesday 2 April 2019. The educational program will include sustainability research, participation from diverse industry sectors and topics of integration, technology, automation, climate risk, procurement, renewable energy and sustainable construction. The conference will be looking at current topics and also looking forward to emerging sustainability considerations. Join the discussion on current challenges, successes and what the future holds for sustainable practices within business at the 2019 National Sustainability Conference. Invited Featured Speakers for 2019 Include: The Hon Josh Frydenberg, Minister for Environment and Energy, Australian …

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What will freight and supply chains look like 20 years from now? Experts ponder the scenarios

The Australian government is developing a national freight and supply chain strategy. As part of that effort, we created a set of scenarios describing what Australia’s future might look like 20 years from now. In evaluations by a large number of experts of all the future drivers of change we identified, two emerged as the most powerful and uncertain: widespread use of automation, and increased pressure to become environmentally sustainable. We also explored what Australia should do to remain successful in each of these possible futures. Each scenario was crafted as a rich description of the future, full of elements relevant …

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Woolworths introduces sustainability initiatives

Shoppers at Woolworths Collie will begin to start seeing a number of environmental sustainability initiatives introduced over the next few months. With single-use plastic bags being phased out from June 20, Woolworths has announced it will introduce a new reusable bag in-store. Woolworths Collie store manager Bec Fitzpatrick said the new bags would come with a lifetime warranty. “…When it gets damaged, we will replace it for free, no matter when you bought it from us. We’ll then recycle your old bag via the REDCycle program,” she said. The money made from the sale of the bags will be used to fund …

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Making a global agenda work locally for healthy, sustainable living in tropical Australia

Life in the tropics is often seen as “living in paradise”, a place where everything grows and flourishes. This picture-postcard environment is not the year-round reality. At certain times of year, intense heat, humidity and the wet season affect liveability, making outdoor activity unattractive and thereby reducing social cohesion. Urban living can already be pretty insular these days. People move from temperature-controlled houses to temperature-controlled cars to temperature-controlled offices, and vice versa. There’s no need to talk to anyone really. And exercise? It’s something you try to fit in if you can – but you probably don’t. An ideal city …

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2019 National Sustainability Conference

The annual National Sustainability Conference will be held at Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane on Monday 1 – Tuesday 2 April 2019. The educational program will include sustainability research, participation from diverse industry sectors and topics of integration, technology, automation, climate risk, procurement, renewable energy and sustainable construction. The conference will be looking at current topics and also looking forward to emerging sustainability considerations. Join the discussion on current challenges, successes and what the future holds for sustainable practices within business at the 2019 National Sustainability Conference. Invited Featured Speakers for 2019 Include: The Hon Josh Frydenberg, Minister for Environment and Energy, Australian …

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Marine heatwaves are getting hotter, lasting longer and doing more damage.

On land, heatwaves can be deadly for humans and wildlife and can devastate crops and forests. Unusually warm periods can also occur in the ocean. These can last for weeks or months, killing off kelp forests and corals, and producing other significant impacts on marine ecosystems, fishing and aquaculture industries. Yet until recently, the formation, distribution and frequency of marine heatwaves had received little research attention. Long-term change Climate change is warming ocean waters and causing shifts in the distribution and abundance of seaweeds, corals, fish and other marine species. For example, tropical fish species are now commonly found in Sydney Harbour. But these changes in ocean …

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Q&A With LUSH Cosmetics Australia and New Zealand

At the Association for Sustainability in Business, it’s our mission to connect and collaborate with businesses and individuals passionate about sustainable business practices. LUSH Cosmetics is one of the leaders in the health and beauty industry dedicated to minimising waste and focusing on the power of local buying. We spoke with Elisia Gray, Buyer at LUSH Cosmetics Australia and New Zealand about LUSH’s sustainable business practices, the sLush fund and what makes LUSH a little different. Q. What are some of LUSH’s green initiatives? A. Sustainability is at the core of what we do at LUSH. In 2007 we created Charity Pot Hand …

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How Do Food Scraps Turn Into Renewable Energy?

During a trip in India, Yair Teller, then a curious student and today the co-founder and CSO of Homebiogas, saw a family cooking on gas in a village of people who predominantly cooked over firewood. This was quite shocking. The family used the biogas their biodigester produced from food waste to cook their food, and the fertilizer it produced to nourish flowers, which they then sold  in the market to create extra source of revenue. They got all of those benefits simply from recycling their cow’s manure in a biodigester. Fast forward a few years and Yair was joined by …

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If We Can’t Recycle It, Why Not Turn Our Waste Plastic Into Fuel?

Australia’s recycling crisis needs us to look into waste management options beyond just recycling and landfilling. Some of our waste, like paper or organic matter, can be composted. Some, like glass, metal and rigid plastics, can be recycled. But we have no immediate solution for non-recyclable plastic waste except landfill. At a meeting last month, federal and state environment ministers endorsed an ambitious target to make all Australian packaging recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025. But the ministers also showed support for processes to turn our waste into energy, although they did not specifically discuss plastic waste as an energy source. The 100% goal …

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From drone swarms to tree batteries, new tech is revolutionising ecology and conservation.

Understanding Earth’s species and ecosystems is a monumentally challenging scientific pursuit. But with the planet in the grip of its sixth mass extinction event, it has never been a more pressing priority. To unlock nature’s secrets, ecologists turn to a variety of scientific instruments and tools. Sometimes we even repurpose household items, with eyebrow-raising results – whether it’s using a tea strainer to house ants, or tackling botfly larvae with a well-aimed dab of nail polish. But there are many more high-tech options becoming available for studying the natural world. In fact, ecology is on the cusp of a revolution, with new and emerging …

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