Environmental

Climate change, human rights, social justice top 2012 agenda

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 6 JAN 2012  |  NEWS
The introduction of the carbon pricing regime will be one of the top priorities for companies and investors in 2012, with a concurrent interest in increased investment in assets to mitigate and adapt climate change, according to sustainability professionals.

Optus CR discloses responsible marketing, customer service

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 23 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
Telecommunications provider Optus said responsible marketing, customer service and safety, driving innovation and uptake of technology and building social inclusion were all material issues to their corporate responsibility (CR) goal.

CDP: U.S. farmers' GHG disclosures and management varied

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 23 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
The agricultural sector will be heavily impacted by effects of climate change, but a study of U.S. suppliers of tomatoes and potatoes shows a widely diverging capability to report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and identify areas of successful emissions ...

NAB funds Melbourne building environmental upgrade agreement

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 21 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
National Australia Bank (NAB) has become the first private investor to fund an environmental upgrade agreement (EUA) in the City of Melbourne.

Durban agreements to impact Australia's ETS

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 16 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
Although the multi-country climate change talks in Durban failed to yield a comprehensive treaty, the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) did result in extensions to programs that ...

Carbon Farming Initiative welcomed, more work to come

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 16 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
The launch of the Carbon Farming Initiative brings opportunities for landholders to generate tradeable carbon credits from carbon abatement and sequestration activities. At the moment, the CFI only recognises three procedures to generating carbon credits ...

CSL reports new anti-corruption policy, lower emissions

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 16 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
Biopharmaceutical company CSL adopted a new anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy, lowered lost time injury frequency rates (LTIFR) by 30% and lowered energy consumption, greenhouse gas and waste intensity per unit of vaccine and plasma production ...

NAB endorses natural capital declaration

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 16 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
National Australia Bank and Rabobank are the first two banks to endorse a financial sector declaration to address the use of natural capital by businesses.

Use of renewable energy to grow by 6% a year to 2035

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 14 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
The use of renewable energy resources in electricity generation is expected to grow at 6% per year between now and 2035, according to Professor Quentin Grafton, executive director and chief economist of the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE).

Presima joins Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 14 DEC 2011  |  NEWS
Presima, a global boutique investment manager that invests in listed real estate securities, has joined the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) as a member.