Home Posts tagged "Sustainability" (Page 16)

Tag Archives: Sustainability

Companies putting the new in renewable

Based on the vision of a sustainable and resource-efficient future, clean technology is all about minimizing pollution and making the world’s infrastructure energy efficient. Renewable energy, sustainable chemistry, and recycling are just a handful of initiatives the sector focuses on. Last year, the Chinese cleantech market invested over $100 billion in cleantech initiatives. In Australia, cleantech stocks are consistently surpassing the wider market. It’s not just the Asia-Pacific region that’s getting into a tizzy over clean energy. In North America, Canadian businesses are pushing the government to invest in clean innovation and decrease their reliance on fossil fuels. And it’s …

Read the full article

The quest for the perfect wave for renewable energy is being solved by Australian science

Australia’s search for the perfect wave is being solved with a wave energy atlas. The CSIRO wave atlas project is mapping the wave energy potential of Australia’s vast coastline for renewable wave energy farms. Atlas project leader Dr Mark Hemer said the project found most of Australia’s south west and southern coastline had some of the world’s best wave energy resource. “We’ve just released a development version of the atlas,” he said. “Obviously some people are interested, like the project developers themselves or the device developers, potential financiers, [and] marine planners trying to allocate sections of the marine resource. “We’re …

Read the full article

Sustainability reporting 101: eight steps to driving business growth

When it comes to sustainability reporting, companies may feel like they’re in an increasingly uncomfortable public-private vice. On one side, consumers and shareholders are pressuring organizations to be better corporate citizens and increase transparency. Governments are establishing more reporting requirements as well, which will inevitably multiply through initiatives such as the recent Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP21. Sustainability makes companies more profitable and more attractive to all stakeholders. In fact, more than 50 percent of consumers prefer purpose-driven brands. Additionally, 86 percent of consumers said they would be more likely to trust a company that reports corporate social responsibility results. …

Read the full article

Are these the seven most sustainable cities?

Landmarks around the world went dark for Earth Hour last weekend but many cities are making longer term moves towards sustainability. From Hamburg’s coffee pod ban to São Paulo’s ad-free streets – seven cities taking radical steps. Banning coffee pods and bottled water – Hamburg – The north German city has banned single use coffee pods – which are hard (and sometimes impossible) to recycle – in government buildings and other public institutions such as schools and universities. The measure is part of a wider policy to tackle waste which includes a ban on public officials spending taxpayers money on …

Read the full article

Global Geothermal Power Market is Expected to Grow at 11.6% CAGR

The global geothermal power market was estimated at $3,233.5 million in 2015, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.6% during 2016 – 2022. The factors driving the growth of the global market include increased government support for geothermal power projects and stringent environment regulations, high capacity factor, and increasing need for energy independence and geopolitical energy security. Asia-Pacific dominated the global geothermal power market in 2015, and it is anticipated to retain its dominance during the forecast period. The geothermal power market in Asia-Pacific is expected to grow, due to high energy demands in the region …

Read the full article

Sustainable office space makes financial sense

NABERS explained – article written by Andrew Brown Sustainability and business are no longer mortal enemies. On the contrary, more and more enterprises are realising that going ‘green’ makes cold hard economic sense. This overarching trend is borne out by increasing demand for environmentally friendly office space. A recent report by the World Green Building Council argues that the debate surrounding ‘green’ buildings has shifted away from a ‘save the environment’ narrative and now focuses on the financial benefits sustainable offices can provide. It’s no secret that environmentally focused building design can slash ongoing costs associated with lighting, temperature control …

Read the full article

Expo focuses on sustainability ‘think local buy local’ movement

Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than nationally-owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms – continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community. Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centres as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution. The Wisconsin Center was a hub of activity Monday as thousands of foodservice professionals …

Read the full article

Carbon neutral bricks shaping a sustainable future for Australia’s building industry

Climate change is threatening our world, and our way of life. The building industry is one of the biggest offenders in Australia, accounting for 23 per cent of all carbon emissions in the country. Though sustainable building practices and green building products are finding increasing acceptance, a lot more remains to be done to mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming on the environment. Architects, building designers and specifiers have an important role to play in addressing these issues through sustainable solutions. Reducing carbon emissions is a convincing first step in the journey to long-term sustainability. For the …

Read the full article

10 leading sustainability innovations

A study released profiles 100 leading sustainability innovations. We showcase the top 10, featuring carbon-neutral plastic, e-waste recycling kiosks and an ethical smartphone. Innovations from Newlight Technologies, PowWow Energy, Retroficiency, BioTrans and Fairphone all make the top 10 list of sustainability innovations. AirCarbon by American company Newlight is a carbon-neutral plastic material made from methane and other greenhouse gases captured from the air. Used in the furniture and packaging industry, AirCarbon plastic matches oil-based plastic in price and performance. Also on the top 10 list are intelligent window glass by View which automatically regulates the temperature and light in the …

Read the full article

How green is our infrastructure? Helping cities assess its value for long-term liveability.

The Conversation Australian cities score high in liveability awards. Melbourne has topped The Economist’s most liveable cities ranking five years in a row, with Adelaide, Sydney and Perth not far behind and Brisbane in the top 20. Australian cities rank well in other liveability surveys, too, if not so highly. Environment is one of the key factors that these surveys measure, but the data and methods being used are not very sophisticated. Green infrastructure is a key contributor to these rankings. The networks of green and blue – taking in rivers and streams, parks, green wedges, gardens and tree-lined roads …

Read the full article