Environmental

New standards for measuring GHG emissions in value chain

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 14 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol has developed two new standards that will measure greenhouse gas emissions across companies' value chains and across product life cycles.

Business, investors get certainty as carbon package passes

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 12 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The passage of the government's Clean Energy Future Legislation by the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday means businesses and investors have certainty around the carbon pricing regime and can plan accordingly for launch on 1 July 2012.

Copper producer joins International Council on Mining and Metals

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 7 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has welcomed copper producer Codelco as a member company. Meanwhile, BHP Billiton CEO Marius Kloppers has taken over as chair of the ICMM.

Miners, stakeholders agree to actions in Upper Hunter Valley

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 5 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
Miners and community stakeholders in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales have agreed to a list of actions to address the impacts of coal mining on a range of issues from mine rehabilitation to water assessments, long term health impacts to local ...

GRI releases guidance for reporting on ecosystem services

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 5 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has issued a new set of guidances to assist companies to monitor and report their impacts and dependences ecosystem factors including on freshwater, climate regulation and pollination.

Consumers doubt energy retailers' "green" credentials

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 30 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
A bigger problem for retailers, though, is the fact that only 13.2% of respondents believe the sustainability and socially responsible messages that electricity providers portray on their website and marketing. Nearly half - 47.8% - reported a neutral ...

Regulatory barriers slowing cogeneration technology usage

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 28 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Cogeneration - combined heat and power - and trigeneration - combined cooling, heat and power - offer "significant" environmental and economic benefits to the Australian building industry. But "a complex and burdensome connection process and regulatory ...

Sustainability measures decline in information technology

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 23 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
A survey of seven countries evaluating the maturity of information and communication technology (ICT) sustainability practices has found that Australia is a midrange performer and that its performance in implementing and institutionalising sustainable ...

GRI release reporting standards for construction and real estate

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 23 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has released standards specific to the construction and real estate sectors, demonstrating how companies can report carbon emissions, management and remediation of contaminated land, and sub-contracted labour issues ...

ESG analysis now part of mainstream investment management

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 21 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Environmental, social and governance risk considerations have evolved from a fringe area of investment management to become mainstream calculations. But asset owners and managers are seeking further integration into fixed income and cash asset allocations ...