Carbon News

Media release: NAB achieves carbon neutrality

2010-10-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

National Australia Bank (NAB) is pleased to announce that it has fulfilled its commitment to become carbon neutral by September 2010. In so doing it has become one of Australia’s largest carbon neutral companies. NAB’s key operations in regions around the world have played a part in meeting this commitment.

Gavin Slater, Group Executive Group Business Services, said in 2007 NAB recognised the

importance of acting to address its impact on the environment, and that today NAB was proud to have reached the milestone of carbon neutrality.

“Today I want to especially acknowledge NAB’s employees who have been instrumental in delivering our carbon neutral program. It is as a result of the passion and dedication of our employees over the last three years, that we have been able to really bring to life NAB’s initiatives to address the impact of our operations on the environment,” Mr Slater added.

NAB’s process for achieving carbon neutrality has involved:

• Defining and measuring NAB’s carbon inventory or ‘footprint’;

• Reducing NAB’s greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency and demand

management;

• Avoiding greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing energy from renewable sources where

practicable;

• Offsetting remaining greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing quality accredited carbon

offsets; and

• Verifying and reporting on our progress, including by obtaining external assurance.

“NAB’s primary focus in achieving carbon neutrality has been on energy efficiency, particularly in Australia which is the Group’s most significant business region. Since 2006, NAB has delivered an efficiency program which has resulted in Australian savings of around 60,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of about 13,500 cars,” Mr Slater said.

Initiatives that formed part of this efficiency program include environmental performance upgrades at 350 branches and business banking centres (including adjustments to heating, cooling and lighting), sustainable office refurbishments in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide, establishment of a tri-generation plant at NAB’s major Australian data centre (which uses gas as a cleaner source of generation and captures excess heat to power cooling and heating equipment), and increasing the number of low-emission vehicles in the business car fleet.

“NAB’s aim is to implement additional efficiencies in its operations by further reducing our use of

energy, as well as waste, water and paper usage. We are also keen to continue to grow our

renewable energy project finance portfolio and provide financial solutions to customers to support their uptake of solar hot water and solar power systems,” Mr Slater said.

For further information and details about NAB’s carbon neutrality, including how we have calculated our carbon inventory and the offsets we have purchased, please go to www.nabgroup.com.

A consensus for climate change action?

2010-08-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called for a 'community consensus for action' on climate change via a citizens' assembly before moving to establish a price on carbon. This announcement is part of the Prime Minister's election campaign for the federal elections due to be held in August 2010.

While it is agreeable to involve the public in the climate change debate, a citizens' assembly, consisting of a hundred or so randomly selected Australians, is unlikely to bring about workeable results based on well-researched facts. The climate change debate is already suffering greatly from misinformation and lobbying, and is likely to slope down further into depths beyond reach for a sensible solution to the problem.

And while taxes and a price on carbon are being discussed now, how much of this can we expect to be turned into a working mechanism after the elections are over? Is the emissions trading scheme still salvageable, or will we continue to talk and discuss in ever greater settings?

If you are an individual or business owner wanting to make a difference, taking voluntary action might be your best choice. One thing we can assume without doubt is that hoping for a consensus will probably never give us the solution we need. As in all areas of politics, there will always be voices to speak out against a climate change action policy. Why are we so willing to surrender to these voices, while out of context and concerning other issues they seem easy to override?

Hu says China committed to fighting climate change

2010-02-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

Reuters (UK) reported yesterday that President Hu Jintao (China) was committed to fighting climate change, both at home and in cooperation with the rest of the world, but stopped short of offering any new policies. Britain, Sweden and other countries have accused China of obstructing December's Copenhagen climate summit, which ended with a non-binding accord that set a target of limiting global warming to a maximum 2 degrees Celsius but was scant on details.

So while the finger pointing continues, I ask myself when Sweden, Britain & Co. last offered new climate change policies. Was China's obvious reluctance to agreeing to a binding agreement in Copenhagen really an obstruction for others or has it offered a way out for those who never really wanted to act but felt the pressure from the international community? Who these days is still really committed to fighting climate change?

I cannot but wonder what goes on behind closed doors, both in individual countries and in international meetings. It might well be that a country's verbal committment to fighting climate change is all we can hope for at the moment, even though words are seldom followed by actions these days. I personally welcome China's announcement as it shows climate change is on the agenda, and is hopefully being taken seriously. What follows might write history or turn out to be yet another one of many empty promises. We can only wait and see.

Earth Hour 2010 official video - help spread the message!

2010-02-16T15:03:00.001-08:00

Climate change action falls vicitim to political turmoil

2010-02-15T15:29:00.000-08:00

Today the New York Times reported that carbon trading is losing momentum amid the uncertainty created by the failure of the Copenhagen summit and President Obama's political troubles in the United States. That's not even counting in general cuts on spending (still) due to the financial crisis. With investors acorss the world steering clear of carbon credit generating projects, it seems the well established European Union’s Emission Trading System is the only one most likely to survive. This comes as a big disappointment to those who hoped that the carbon market would quickly grow into a $2-trillion-a-year business.

While this is worrying in economical terms, it is even more worrying in terms of the environmental impact this trend will have. It is no secret that climate scepticism is on the rise everywhere, with political parties now taking clear side against those in favour of climate action. Gone are the times when one needed to tread carefully to not upset the general public. We only need to look at the Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott to understand that lobbying against climate change action is now being widely exploited as a tool to gain workers' votes with an aim to win elections. Climate change has once more been degraded to a mere PR instrument, but this time the cause is to fight climate change supporters rather than to fight the threat itself. Unfortunately, while we can all do out bit, we will not be able to limit the effects of climate change without the support of our leaders. This is not only a worrying but a life-threatening development.

Climate scepticism is on the rise

2010-02-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

The number of climate change sceptics is rising, while climate change scientists are losing a 'PR-War' against sceptics with vested interests, the BBC reported within the last week.

This might have to do with the fact that Europe and America are experiencing the worst Winter of the Century, with snowfalls so heavy several cities have run out of salt to distribute on the roads. The trend that climate change is now less of an issue than it was two years ago is true and verifyable. We are no longer in the aftermath of Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth, but in the phase of slow recovery from a global financial crisis. People worry about their jobs more than about the environment.

At the same time there still seems to be a persistent preconception that tackling climate change requires money and sacrifices from everyone. If we are to wage a PR war against the scpetics, it might be worth focussing on the fact that living a more environmentally friendly life is actually most often the more economical alternative. I am saving heaps since I've started leaving the car at home and walking to the supermarket. I don't have to pay for fuel as often, and I make conscious choices about what to buy because I know I will have to carry it home. Buying less food means that close to nothing goes bad in my fridge and ends up in landfill uneaten. I am also noticing that I feel fitter and healthier because of the extra exercise I get, which saves on my gym costs.

Of course we are not talking about big business here. But to those who are sceptic about climate change because they fear it might demand greater sacrifices from them than they already had to make over the past year, I would like to say that many rational arguments can refute this assumption. Saving on fuel, electricity, and water costs is a logical conclusion of living a climate friendly life, not an extra burden.

International Year of Biodiversity 2010

2010-02-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth.

Why celebrate biodiversity?
You are an integral part of nature; your fate is tightly linked with biodiversity, the huge variety of other animals and plants, the places they live and their surrounding environments, all over the world.

You rely on this diversity of life to provide you with the food, fuel, medicine and other essentials you simply cannot live without. Yet this rich diversity is being lost at a greatly accelerated rate because of human activities. This impoverishes us all and weakens the ability of the living systems, on which we depend, to resist growing threats such as climate change.

The United Nations proclaimed 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity, and people all over the world are working to safeguard this irreplaceable natural wealth and reduce biodiversity loss. This is vital for current and future human wellbeing. We need to do more. Now is the time to act.

The International Year of Biodiversity is a unique opportunity to increase understanding of the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth.

Visit the International Year of Biodiversity website to find out more!

Sensis goes carbon neutral

2010-02-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

The arrival of the yellow pages can be quite an annoyance, expecially for a greenie like me. For days the books lie piled up next to the front door of our building, soaking in the rain or bleaching in the sun, until someone takes pity and chucks the moulding pile into the recycling bin. Mostly I end up doing that.

To be fair, I live in a young neighbourhood. The couple on top of us has just had a baby, and the guy two doors down drives a shiny ute and keeps snakes as pets, as I recently found out. It is an Internet community. But the traditional hardcopy yellow pages seem to be surviving the Internet age. The have proven to be quite stubborn, and thus I feel they deserve a chance. More so now that Sensis, the publisher of the white and yellow pages in Australia, has gone carbon neutral and is making an effort to reduce its carbon footprint despite the fact that his paper-guzzling, tree-chomping publications are here to stay, and despite the fact that most of the time, they seem to wander straight into recycling rather than people's living rooms or offices.

Telstra-owned Sensis has just received greenhouse friendly certification from the government and plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 5 per cent. This will be done through offsetting 170,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions rather than reducing the number of yellow pages printed, even though they account for the largest percentage of the company's carbon footprint. Other measures the company intends to take include more recycling, more four cylinder diesel cars in the Sensis fleet and a greater use of video conferencing to cut back on emission-causing travel. There are no plans to make the publication a special order, but an opting-out option exists in the form of a 1-800 number on the front page of the books.

Sensis describes its move as a world-first, saying that even though their publication may have a significant imact on our environment, there are no plans to cut back on production as people still seem to be using the yellow pages hardcopy extensively. The company has committet to making sure its carbon footprint is as low as it can get while continuing to put out millions of printed telephone books annually.

Why the Prius remains a flagship

2010-02-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

The Toyota Prius, the flagship of the Toyota concern, has added to the company's recent troubles as Toyota is preparing to recall its new Prius hybrid in Japan and markets all over the world today. More than 300,000 Prius cars have been sold worldwide. There have been dozens of complaints from drivers in Japan and the US who say they have problems with the braking system.

The Prius was Japan's top-selling car in 2009 and arguably the world's most important model of the year, seeing that we are moving towards an era of low-emission vehicles. Would Toyota's recall now keep you from buying a low-emissions car?

The problem, after all, is said to result from an interference with the accelerator pedal with the floor mat, which has nothing to do with the car's fuel performance. It can't be ignored, though, that this adds to a longer list of troubles within Toyota. As credibility shrinks, so might the desire to drive around in a Prius, environmentally friendly as it may be, especially as other car makers are moving quickly to fill the widening gap in the market.

It seems easy to condemn a car manufacturer for making decision we shy away from, even though really we should be asking ourselves whether it is so condemnable to take on leadership in a new field and get things wrong during the learning process.

And don't forget that not only the type of car but also the kind of driving you do influences the amount of greenhouse gas emissions you put into the atmosphere while behind the wheel. If you want to stay away from the Prius for a while, at least drive your own car slowly and thoughtfully, and leave it at home whenever you can. Make a habit of walking to the supermarket as a type of exercise. And take the train instead of the car more often.

I am personally a big fan of Toyota. Mine has never caused me trouble and I know it will be with me for many years to come. Most of all because of its fuel efficiency. And I am happy to see Toyota showing the guts to keep coming up with newer, environmentally friendly Prius models to help save our planet, even though at this stage they might still need some polishing.

Joshua Green: The Elusive Green Economy - The Atlantic

2010-02-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

It feels like 1977 all over again: economy in the doldrums, crisis in the Middle East, and a charismatic new Democrat in the White House preaching the gospel of clean energy. Can Obama succeed where Carter did not? Yes—but only if we’ve learned the lessons of three decades of failure.

Read the whole article

Abbott's climate change policy

2010-02-05T15:57:00.001-08:00

Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott released his climate change policy earlier this week, after having come under attack in December last year for claiming that "climate change is crap" to a small Victorian newspaper. Abbott's climate change policy does not include an emissions trading scheme, but consists of a 'soil and sun' package that is meant to boost the amount of carbon stored in farming land, offer incentives for some businesses to cut emissions and bring solar energy to a million homes over a decade.

Abbott's policy is favoured by the Australian coal industry, which is fearing heavy losses under Rudd's proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS). The opposition proposes that heavy polluters should be allowed to continue to emit at current levels without penalties to protect the Australian economy.

The proposal comes in the wake of the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit, and as the Rudd government re-introduces its emissions trading plan into Parliament. It is another step towards the failure to arrive at a global consensus on climate change.

Hackers steal emissions trading certificates

2010-02-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

Deutsche Welle reported on Wednesday that hackers have launched a massive phishing attack on the German Emissions Trading Authority. Hackers have reportedly reaped millions of euros in fraudulent emissions trading certificates. This had brought the Europen trade in CO2 emissions permits to a virutal standstill after it became public that computer hackers have cracked security codes to gain access to company accounts. In the attack, companies involved were asked to re-register with the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt). Companies which did so suffered huge losses as the hackers stole and then sold their carbon permits on the European emissions market.

To read the full article on the Deutsche Welle website, click here.

Copenhagen Accord dismissed as political farce

2010-02-01T14:30:00.001-08:00

The deadline for signatories of the 'Copenhagen Accord' to announce their emissions reduction goals expired on the weekend. Somehow it didn't come as a surprise that none of the participating countries made considerable efforts to commit to noteworthy reductions of their greenhouse gas emissions. Copenhagen clearly failed to achieve what it set out to do: to come up with a real global solution for tackling climate change as a sucsessor to the Kyoto Protocol. The Copenhagen Accord, hastily drafted on the last day of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December 2009, is not legally binding and has, against any last hopes, seen no further commitments by any of the supporting countries to reduce their greenhouse gases beyond what was initially announced. And with the deadline passed we're all of the hook, aren't we?

The supporting nations of the Accord include the big emitters like the US, China and India, among others. To contain the damage of global warming and effect temperature increases of no more than 2 degrees, industrialised countries must reduce their total emissions output by an average of 40% until 2020. Developing nations like China and India must lower emissions by 15%-30% relative to their growth.

However, current reduction claims are far behind what's necessary and as the trend goes, a warming of at least 3 degrees can be expected - the results of which will be devastating. In this sense, the Copenhagen Accord can be dismissed as a PR-Instrument rather than a real effort to counter dangerous climate change.

Click here for more information.

Copenhagen Climate Change Summit 2009

2010-01-28T15:23:00.001-08:00

Between December 7 and December 18, 2009, world leaders met in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change and the 5th Meeting of the Parties (COP/MOP 5) to the Kyoto Protocol. A framework for international climate change mitigation as a successor to the Kyoto Protocol after 2012 was to be agreed upon there.

As officials had warned, the conference did not bring about a binding agreement as a roadmap for climate change action following the years after the Kyoto Protocol. It was rather marked by non-legal, half-hearted commitments and characterised by the stand-off of the participating parties rather than a combined effort to tackle the issue at hand.

The Copenhagen Accord was drafted by the US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa on December 18, and judged a "meaningful agreement" by the United States government. It was "taken note of", but not "adopted", in a debate of all the participating countries the next day, and it was not passed unanimously. The document recognised that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the present and that actions should be taken to keep any temperature increases to below 2°C. Among other commitments, the Copenhagen Accord endorses the succession of the Kyoto protocol. However, as it is neither legally binding nor will it bring about any true results, many countries and non-governmental organisations were opposed to this agreement.

The conference was accompanied by protests across the world, with a big march of up to 100,000 protesters being held in Copenhagen on December 12th calling for a global agreement on climate change. Activism reached a stage that required heavy involvement of the police, calling it the 'biggest police action ever seen in Danish history'. A number of marches and countermovements were also seen across Europe, Australia and other parts of the world.

On December 16, two days before the conclusion of the summit, it was reported that no meaningful progress had been made. Therefore it came as a suprise that Copenhagen Accord was drafted and agreed upon on the 18th by the leading countries United States, India, China, South Africa and Brazil. And while the agreement is viewed as a milestone in history, no serious action is thought to result from it. The deal will certainly not be enough to mitigate dangreous climate change. However, it is a beginning, and we can only hope that further action will be taken soon - very soon.

UN climate change summit likely to fail, officials warn

2009-11-05T17:31:00.000-08:00

The UN climate change summit is likely to fail in producing an agreement to combat global warming, British officials have warned. The forecast is that it will take at least another 12 months for an agreement to strike.

The main problem is seen in the wide gap that still exists between the participating members of the conference, including a far greater number and diversity than the 1997 Kyoto signatories.

EU negotiators are not quite so pessimistic, saying it could take another six months to bridge the gaps.

Click here to read the full article

Eat your dog to save the planet?

2009-10-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Researchers have found that the carbon pawprint of a dog is twice that if a 4.6-litre Land Cruiser driven 10,000 km a year. The factors taken into account for determining this figure were ingredients of pet food and the land needed to create them. "A lot of people worry about having SUVs but they don't worry about having Alsatians and what we are saying is, well, maybe you should be because the environmental impact ... is comparable." says Brenda Vale, author of Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living.

A medium dog eats 164 kg of meat and 95kg of cereal every year. This means it takes 0.84 hectares to feed Fido, which amounts to more than doule the fotprint of a Toyota Land Cruiser. In comparison, cats have an eco footprint of 0.15ha - slightly less than a Volkswagen Golf. Hamsters have a footprint of 0.014ha – keeping two of them is equivalent to owning a plasma TV.

Click here to read the whole story

350 - International Day of Climate Change Action

2009-10-26T01:31:00.000-07:00

On 24 October, people in 181 countries came together for 350, the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. 350's mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet. At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis. Over 15,000 photos have been submitted so far! You can view all the fantastic images, read stories about the day's actions, and get some detailed climate change action online at 350.org.

And while you're there, don't forget to sign the pledge!

Global warming greatest health threat of the 21st Century

2009-10-22T21:04:00.001-07:00

Doctors and scientists in America have warned that global warming is the biggest threath humankind will face in the 21st century, with first consequences already unfolding. The threat comes from increasing temperatures and the natural catastrophes it brings along, ranging from floods over heavy storms to heatwaves. Older people who cannot regulate their body temperature as well, and their is an increasing worry about plagues especially affecting refugees and poorer nations.

There is also an increasing threat from pollution and unhealthy dust storms, along with mosquitoes and other pests moving into new territories. This leads to an unhealthy rise in outbreaks of malaria and dengue fever.

The scientists are frustrated that people are doing so little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saying we are underestimating the dangers.

Read the full article

Maldives cabinet makes a splash

2009-10-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

The government of the Maldives has held a cabinet meeting underwater to highlight the threat of global warming to the low-lying Indian Ocean nation. President Mohamed Nasheed and his cabinet signed a document calling for global cuts in carbon emissions. Ministers spent half an hour on the sea bed, communicating with white boards and hand signals. The president said the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen cannot be allowed to fail.

At a later press conference while still in the water, President Nasheed was asked what would happen if the summit fails. "We are going to die," he replied. The Maldives stand an average of 2.1 metres (7ft) above sea level, and the government says they face being wiped out if oceans rise.

"We're now actually trying to send our message, let the world know what is happening, and what will happen to the Maldives if climate change is not checked," President Nasheed said.

"If the Maldives cannot be saved today we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world," he added.

Click here to read the whole article on BBC News.

Consensus at Copenhagen Climate Change Talks crucial for the future of the planet

2009-10-13T17:54:00.001-07:00

Hopes are up that Copenhagen will lay the foundation for a new global climate change consensus as a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. It has been recognised that the economic crisis has aided the halting of industrial emissions growth, giving further hope to ambitious targets in Copenhagen. Environment ministers and officials are meeting at a UN summit in Copenhagen in December to thrash out a global deal on climate change. The COP15, short for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has an extensive agenda.

Officials will try to agree a new climate treaty as a successor to the Kyoto protocol, the first phase of which expires in 2012. Copenhagen is set to determine several important issues such as how much industrialised countries are willing to reduce their emissions, and how much major developing countries such as India and China are willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions.

Countries must strive hard for a consensus on ambitious 2020 emissions targets and carbon trading to limit the damage that will be caused by global warming.

For more information please visit: http://unfccc.int/

Apple leaves U.S. Chamber of Commerce over global warming views

2009-10-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

05 October 2009 - Apple announced today that it is resigning from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because it objects to the chamber's stand on global warming. The chamber opposes federal efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

This makes Apple the fourth company to part with the powerful U.S. business federation over global warming.

"Apple is committed to protecting the environment and the communities in which we operate around the world," Catherine Novelli, Apple’s vice president of worldwide government affairs, said in a letter to Thomas Donahue, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO. "We strongly object to the Chamber’s recent comments opposing the EPA’s effort to limit greenhouse gases."

Apple is currently on a bid to burnish its green image by developing more energy-efficient products. Environmentalists all over the world applauded this move, as speculations are up for further companies to leave the chamber.

"Apple’s departure is a clear signal that more and more of the chamber’s members want it to download a new tune when it comes to climate change," said Peter Altman of the National Resources Defense Council.

"There is a growing recognition in the business community that strong clean-energy and climate legislation as the way to strengthen our economy, reduce our oil imports and reduce pollution, but the chamber is turning a deaf ear to the trend," Altman said.

For more information please refer to: the Boston Herald and other sources

Maldives cabinet to go underwater

2009-10-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

The government of the Maldives is to hold a cabinet meeting underwater to highlight the threat of global warming, the BBC reported today. President Mohamed Nasheed and his cabinet will sign a document during the 17 October dive, calling for global cuts in carbon emissions.

An adviser to the president told the BBC the dive was "a bit of fun" but the cabinet intended to send a serious message about rising sea levels.

The low-lying island nation says it faces being wiped out if oceans rise.

Click here to read the whole story

The MS Sydney to Gong Ride

2009-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

Coming up on November 1 is the 2009 MS Sydney to Gong ride. The Gong Ride is a one of a kind fundraising event. You can pedal 90km from Sydney to Wollongong on any day of the year but it’s only on the first Sunday of November that you’ll experience the camaraderie, fellowship, unity, safety, scenery and sense of achievement for pedalling in support of people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). But be quick because numbers have been capped so places are limited!

To get involved or for more information please visit http://www.gongride.org.au/

Zilzie Wines Carbon Neutral Bulloak Range

2009-10-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Zilzie released Australia's first 100% carbon-neutral range of wines in October 2008.

The Zilzie Wines 2008 Bulloak Range has been certified a carbon neutral product by CRI after an extensive audit and certification process.

Zilzie's managing director Andrew Forbes said the process concentrated on the entire lifecycle of the wine. 'It's from the grape to the grave - vineyard through to recycling,' Forbes said. 'It's inclusive, but not limited to, freight, packaging, assets, travel, electricity, fuel usage, general expenses and waste and wastewater. We've pursued all possible efficiencies that will reduce our energy consumption but no matter how efficient we are, some greenhouse gas emissions are unavoidable,' he said.

Zilzie has developed an all-encompassing Environmental Management Strategy, focused on minimizing Zilzie’s impact on the environment through reducing water consumption, waste management, packaging reduction and re-vegetation of the Bulloak reserve.

The Bulloak range was named after the northern most stand of threatened Bulloak (also known as Buloke) trees which is situated on the Forbes property overlooking the vineyard and winery. Stands are endangered by farming practices in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, where it is integral to the survival of the endangered southeastern subspecies of the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo for feeding and nesting.

The Forbes family donated this section of land back to the Department of Sustainability and Environment to protect the Bulloak trees, and the natural biodiversity of the region, for future generations.

The Bulloak range is available in Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Merlot, Shiraz, and from this year, Moscato, Rosé and Pinot Grigio. Bulloak's 2008 Chardonnay has earned four trophies and two gold medals and the 2007 Bulloak Shiraz is also a gold medal winner. Zilzie Bulloak range is available in Liquorland stores across Australia.

For more information visit http://www.zilziewines.com.au

Alto Hotel on Bourke – Melbourne’s First City Hotel to be certified carbon neutral

2009-09-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

27 September 2009, Australia: Alto Hotel on Bourke has achieved the prestigious NoCO2, or Carbon Neutral Certification through the Carbon Reduction Institute, Australia’s leading climate change certification consultant. Having achieved NoCO2 certification means that the Hotel’s operations have zero impact towards climate change.
To achieve certification, Alto Hotel undertook a comprehensive carbon emissions audit that captured and quantified all of the hotel’s greenhouse gas emissions. The audit included emissions from fuel and energy consumption onsite; staff travel, water and waste usage and flights taken by Alto Hotel staff. In addition, the embodied emissions in the hotel’s assets and expenses items were also audited to capture indirect emissions from supply chain purchases and any products bought, used and sold through the hotel.

Prior to certification, Alto Hotel had already committed to reducing their carbon footprint through offsetting emissions from electricity usage, fuel and flights directly with their service providers. NoCO2 certification furthers the hotel’s strong commitment to sustainability and demonstrates ongoing efforts to contribute to a healthier environment.

The Alto Hotel on Bourke has enhanced its reputation as one of Melbourne’s leading hotels in guest satisfaction as well as innovation by becoming the Australia’s first carbon neutral hotel. Some food & beverage style hotels, cabins and cottages have offset carbon from some of their services or provide an option for guests to pay for offsets, however Alto is the first city hotel to provide all of its services and facilities as carbon neutral within its pricing.

About NoCO2 Certification
Managed by the Carbon Reduction Institute, NoCO2 certification is the highest level of carbon certification offered in Australia. The carbon credits used in the certification program received a ranking in the highest category offered in Australia from the Carbon Offset Watch, the first independent ranking of Australian offset providers.

The NoCO2 standard gives businesses a comprehensive overview of their impact on climate change while also providing the option to immediately reduce and offset this impact. The carbon performance of each certified business is monitored quarterly, and NoCO2 businesses undergo annual re-auditing to ensure their carbon claims remain valid and substantiated. Achieving NoCO2 Certification means that a business is carbon neutral and that it has completely removed its climate change impacts.

Rob Cawthorne, Managing director of the Carbon Reduction Institute said: “Certifying Alto Hotel on Bourke has been a delight for us. The hotel is already committed to sustainable tourism practices through various initiatives and all of the hotel’s staff members were really keen to move forward towards becoming completely carbon neutral. It has been an exemplary carbon audit which was a great experience for our team. The level of commitment that Alto Hotel showed prior to certification is rare and deserves the highest credits. Alto Hotel can now make an even bigger difference for our planet by providing carbon neutral accommodation, and we certainly hope that others will follow their lead.”

About Alto Hotel on Bourke
Alto Hotel on Bourke is located in the centre of Melbourne’s business district. The boutique Alto Hotel, which combines environmental construction technology and best practice initiatives with style, charm and a high level of comfort, has proven to be popular with business and leisure travellers many of whom have become fiercely loyal. The hotel provides the previously missing link for a sustainable and carbon neutral travel experience.

The hotel is unique in that it proves that being eco friendly does not mean you have to “rough it” in a natural setting or use lower grade products and services to leave a smaller footprint. It is possible to enjoy a 4 star hotel in an urban location and minimise your impact on the environment. You can put your head down in comfort and let your mind rest easy knowing that your environmental footprint is minimised.

The building, which brings together classic architecture of late 19th century and a contemporary interior plus a range of inspired services, is rich in environmental features including double insulation, staggered stud construction on all lightweight walls and ceilings, double glazed; tinted & laminated windows & 100% wind powered green electricity.

“We have already been recognised as a leader in sustainable tourism yet wanted to ensure we continue to innovate and show that it is possible to have guilt free travel without compromising on quality or service” said Gary Stickland, General Manager of Alto Hotel on Bourke. “Instead of simply paying someone to make our environmental footprint go away we have ensured that we have minimised our output as much as practical first, then made the decision to offset the remaining carbon that we have not been able to remove from our operations” he said. “All of our environmental initiatives have been made by considering our guests first. This means that some guests are not even aware that they have stayed in a sustainable hotel as we have designed our programs to effectively be behind the scenes and not require any effort from our guests, unless they want to be more involved.” The hotel provides the key ingredient for the potential to have a low carbon holiday or business trip to Melbourne.

For more information visit www.altohotel.com.au

Walk Against Warming

2009-09-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

This year's Walk Against Warming will be held on 12 December 2009 - the International Day of Global Action on Climate Change and the midway point of the UN talks in Copenhagen.

Join tens of thousands of passionate people walking on this significant day and make your voice heard in Copenhagen.

For more information visit http://www.walkagainstwarming.org/.

One flat white coming up, you want Carbon with that?

2009-09-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

Your daily cup of coffee might just be costing you more than you think. New research from the Carbon Reduction Institute shows each latté consumed has the same environmental impact as leaving your 60 watt bathroom light globe on for 3 hours. Times that by 2 lattés a day, 5 times a week and over a year you just left that light globe on for 2 months.

By calculating the footprint from their packaging, airflights, power, water and vehicles among all else, Jasper Coffee has determined the real cost of consuming the revered flat white that keeps us perky during the day.

The impact of climate change is not just in Antarctica. In the Tropics where the luscious caffeine crop grows, growers are noticing unusual weather changes with extended heavy rains in Peru and Colombia resulting in volume shortfalls around 30%.

“By becoming a 100% Carbon Neutral Coffee company our vision over 3 years of collecting data and taking responsibility for our carbon emissions has come to fruition,” advised Jasper Coffee Managing Director, Wells Trenfield.

“Over the years, we have always been conscious of the coffees we choose with respect to sustainability. We have 22 shade grown coffees and 15 Fairtrade Organic, along with a raft of other Fairtrade Organic products and recyclable take away cups. Having measured our carbon emissions we have now offset 100% of our operations with an amazing renewable energy project in India,” he added.

Jasper Coffee is dedicated to joining the fight against climate change and urges other organisations across the country to do the same. The company’s greenhouse gas inventory has now been audited and approved by the Carbon Reduction Institute.

Every cup of coffee has a footprint. By becoming a 100% Carbon Neutral Coffee Company, Jasper Coffee is leading the way in creating a sustainable future. It means you can now enjoy your coffee with conscience.

So perk up, and don’t forget to switch off that light!

You can buy your Carbon Neutral Coffee from Jasper Coffee at www.jaspercoffee.com

Emissions Trading Scheme delayed

2009-05-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently announced that the Federal Government will delay its emissions trading scheme by one year. The government had also decided it would consider altering its carbon reduction target range of 5-15% to 5-25% of 2000 emission levels by 2020, but only if there was a global agreement to limit the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to 450ppm. At the same time the government is talking about increasing the subsidies to so called trade exposed, highly emissions intensive industries from a 90% to 95% free allocation of permits for 5 years, or from a 60% to 70% free allocation for industries in the second category of heavy polluting industries. The government has also stated that it would set a very, very low price of $10 per permit for the first period of 2011 and 2012.

Before this announcement the Australian Greens had made an offer to the government to break the political impasse on emissions trading, moving the minimum reduction level they would accept from 40% to a range of 25 to 40%. The Greens set the 25% minimum reduction as it is the lowest absolute figure accepted by scientist as environmentally credible, the target recommended in the Garnaut report, the bottom end of the Bali negotiating range for rich countries (25-40%) and is achievable at the same costs to the overall economy as a 5% reduction according to the government's own modeling.

Although the emissions trading scheme had major issues, such as the miniscule target and massive transfer of wealth to the heavily polluting industries, the emissions trading scheme was one of the differentiators between Liberal and Labor policies at the last election. Only 6 months ago Penny Wong stood up at the global climate conference in Poland and told the conference that "in 2010 Australia will implement our comprehensive carbon pollution reduction scheme. It will reform and transform our economy".

The government faces a major challenge to get the ETS legislation through the senate when parliament returns. It seems that it will try to do this by appeasing big business and aligning themselves with the party they replaced rather than fulfilling the commitment they made to voters when elected.

by Andrew Barson, Projects Director at the Carbon Reduction Institute

What does it mean to be carbon neutral?

2009-03-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

Organisations across the world, ranging from small local businesses to large-scale international enterprises, are increasingly announcing their intention to become ‘carbon neutral’. But despite the term being used frequently, there is still a common misunderstanding about what it means. So what exactly is a carbon neutral business?

Carbon neutral refers to an individual, an organisation or even an event or meeting that has had its full climate change impact calculated and negated, usually through a combination of reduction measures and carbon offsetting.

For an organisation, this typically includes calculating all greenhouse gases related to running the business, such as electricity and gas usage, waste; staff and other business related travel, and embodied emissions in products and services sold and used. The sum of greenhouse gases emitted by a business is called its carbon footprint.

Given the complexity of these calculations and also the diversity of operations differing from business to business, a customised carbon audit should always be the first step in becoming carbon neutral. There are different organisations offering to for this for you and it’s worth shopping around for the most comprehensive one to avoid being questioned about the integrity of your claims.

Once an organisation has determined its carbon footprint, it can start investigating in measures to reduce that footprint. Depending on the nature of a business, there are usually easy-to-implement measures, the low hanging fruits of climate change; that will immediately save greenhouse gases and also money.

A good example for this is energy efficiency. A business that consumes a large amount of electricity can lower its usage and the money spent on power simply by installing energy saving lighting and by making sure all lights are turned off at night when the office is unoccupied. The same goes for all other office appliances such as printers, scanners and even the air conditioner.

In any business, there will always be emissions that cannot be reduced, such as the emissions from transporting goods to a store, or the electricity used to power computers throughout the day. Luckily, these emissions can be offset through the purchase of carbon credits.

Carbon credits are a mechanism that allows organisations to help reduce greenhouse gases in a project somewhere around the globe equivalent to the emissions it puts out. Carbon credits can be thought of as trading certificates representing one tonne of CO2-equivalent gas each.

For example, a business may have had its carbon footprint calculated and determined that it emits 90 tonnes or CO2-e annually through its operations. That business can then choose to purchase 90 carbon credits from a project of its choice, such as a wind farm, or an energy efficiency project, or a methane abatement project, to offset those 90 tonnes. That would make the business carbon neutral.

However, there is much more to being carbon neutral than simply installing energy efficient light bulbs and buying carbon credits. On one hand, with becoming carbon neutral comes along a great responsibility to educate staff, implement sustainable practices into ones personal life, and spread the message about the need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

On the other hand, becoming carbon neutral brings along great competitive advantages and opens up new markets as consumers and businesses alike increasingly demand carbon neutral products and services. A lot of businesses find that becoming carbon neutral not only improves their public image but also grows their customer base, helps them sell more products and increases profit!

In essence, becoming carbon neutral means taking effective action on climate change while growing your business and winning new customers. So what are you waiting for?

Businesses Greenhouse Gas Reduction Tips

Use energy efficiently: For an office based business, electricity usage is often the largest carbon footprint component. Make sure lights are only on if they are really needed, turn computers off at night, and install timer switches for office appliances. This will not only save energy but also money!
Recycle waste: By recycling paper, plastics, metals, food scraps and electronic waste, you make sure those don’t end up in landfill where they decompose slowly and produce dangerous greenhouse gases. You will also help save resources. Contact your local council if you’re unsure about what can be recycled in your area.
Become carbon neutral: By having your carbon footprint assessed and becoming carbon neutral certified, you can make sure that your operations have a zero impact on climate change. Please visit www.noco2.com.au* if you’re interested to find out more.

*The Carbon Reduction Institute is Australia’s leading carbon management consultancy. Please visit www.noco2.com.au for more information.

Bellingham Marine Receives Low Carbon Certification

2008-08-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Bellingham Marine, Australia’s largest marina manufacturer and international industry leader, is the world’s first marina manufacturer to embrace carbon reduction and become certified under the Low Carbon Marina Initiative. The Initiative is administered by the Carbon Reduction Institute and the Marina Industries Association of Australia.

Bellingham Marine, proudly Australia’s largest marina manufacturer, can now also claim to be the world’s first marine manufacturer to take action on climate change and become LowCO2 certified. This comes as a result of the recent launch of the Low Carbon Marina Initiative, designed to provide the marina industry with an action plan against global warming. The Initiative is a joint venture between Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI) and the Marina Industries Association of Australia.

Bellingham Marine had its climate change impact assessed by CRI and implemented measures to reduce its carbon emissions. The marina manufacturer also offsets emissions with certified carbon credits.

As international industry leader and builder of the current Marina of the Year in Australia (Soldiers Point Marina, which incidentally is NoCO2 Certified) and in Asia (Keppel Bay Marina Singapore), Bellingham Marina issues a strong environmental message with its move towards low carbon practices.

“Something is happening to our climate and it is time that we wake up and realise that we, as humans, may be the cause”, Bellingham Marine General Manager John Spragg said. “At Bellingham, we firmly believe that we have to leave the planet in a better shape than we received it when we were born.”

He continues: “I have never been to an ugly place where a marina has been built, they are generally built in stunning locations, and we need to make sure the planet is looked after so we can still see these facilities and use them in the future.”

Rob Cawthorne, Managing Director of the Carbon Reduction Institute, says Bellingham’s LowCO2 certification means that the Australian marina industry is now a global leader towards more environmentally sound practices and cleaner waters. “This is not just another business reducing its carbon footprint; it is the beginning of a whole new era where climate change action is taken to a higher level. The Australian marina industry will be recognised internationally for their leadership on such an important issue”, he said.

John Spragg commented: “We have always been environmentally conscious. That’s why we didn’t hesitate when we were given the chance to lead this important global movement which will determine our future. Most of our clients are still getting their heads around the low carbon concept, but those who have embraced it are extremely supportive. We are proud that we have become a low carbon business even before our head office in the US, who are still going through the assessment process.”

With over 50 years of industry experience, and having built more marinas than anyone else in the world, Bellingham Marine believe that leading the Low Carbon Marina Initiative will help the environment on a large scale. “Carbon Reduction is a very beneficial initiative as it may help every person on the globe”, John remarked. “We all need to ensure our environment is improved for those who follow us, and we see the reduction of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere a project for each and every one of us. I sincerely hope our competitors in the marina manufacturing industry follow our lead”.

Bellingham Marina is now prominently featured on the CRI website www.noco2.com.au. Other marinas and industry associates are recognising the advantages of taking part in the Initiative and have signed up to have their carbon footprint calculated.

For more information about Bellingham Marine, please visit their website www.bellingham-marine.com.au.

Australia's Marinas Reduce Carbon Footprint

2008-05-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Low Carbon Marina Initiative was launched yesterday at the Australian Marine Innovation Conference on the Gold Coast. Keynote speaker Senator The Hon Kim Carr, Australian Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research said, 'Climate change is pressing to our marine industry. The Low Carbon Marina Initiative to be launched today is one example of how the marina industry is responding to this challenge.'

The initiative is part of the Marina Industries Association of Australia (MIAA) vision to be a leader in marina environmental programs. MIAA has set a goal of a 20% reduction in the operational carbon footprint of Australian marinas by 2015.

MIAA has partnered with the Carbon Reduction Institute to develop and manage the Low Carbon Marina Initiative. The initiative provides a simple certification system to enhance the sustainability of marinas and related businesses. It allows for participation at varying levels of carbon reduction. Participating businesses go through a three step process. Firstly there is an assessment of the carbon footprint; then development of strategies to reduce carbon emissions and finally the offsetting of unavoidable carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits.

The initiative provides marina and related operators with real cost savings and marketing benefits at a time of rapidly growing consumer awareness of the need to act on global warming.
As part of the development and lead up to the launch marinas, in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland are already participating in the Carbon Marina Initiative. Bellingham Marine and Superior Jetties are also participating and MIAA expect over 40 businesses will be involved in the initiative within eight months.

About Low Carbon Marina Initiative
The Low Carbon Marina Initiative is a national, voluntary certification programme for marinas, yacht clubs, boat clubs, slipways and other associated industry operators across Australia.
Marinas participating in this programme reduce the impact their operations have on the environment while gaining the ability to promote their marina as one that is part of the solution for climate change. This helps attract new customers and prepares the marina industry for future legislations on climate change.
There are many more benefits involved in becoming a carbon neutral certified marina:

Improves the marina’s public image and increases patronage

Provides expert advice on the sustainability of renewable energy, energy efficiency and waste management onsite a marina

Demonstrates leadership and commitment to EPA objectives

Delivers cost savings and increases sustainability of the operations

Decreases the impact on the environment and helps protect marine life

As operator of a Low Carbon or Carbon Neutral Marina, the marina will benefit from using the Low Carbon Marina Initiative logos, flags and materials. This programme will be promoted across Australia.

Further details on the Low Carbon Marina Initiative can be found at www.noco2.com.au/marinas

This article was taken from Sail World.

How to offset your carbon emissions

2008-04-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Many carbon credit providers in Australia suggest carbon offsetting as the way to reduce your impact on climate change. However, it is nowadays widely accepted that measuring and reducing your carbon footprint should be the first steps to consider before you purchase carbon credits.

One of Australia's most reputable carbon offset providers, the Carbon Reduction Institute, points out that measuing and reducing should always come before offsetting. "There are many ways how you can lower your personal carbon footprint, which is in most beneficial for the environment; and after you've reduced everything you can you should buy carbon credits to offset your unavoidable carbon emissions." sayd Berenike Hartmann, marketing manager at the Carbon Reduction Institute.

Once you decide to buy carbon credits, you should look carefully at the schemes and company you go with. Not all carbon offset providers are accredited under any scheme and just hope to make quick money from the new emerging carbon credit market. The Carbon Reduction Institute calculator gives you the option to purchase accredited and properly certified credits, from projects that are environmentally and financially additional and permanent, resulting in a true carbon emissions saving.

For more information on carbon credits and what to look out for when you buy them can be found on the CRI website.

Australia can cut emissions by 30% for less than $1 a day

2008-02-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) today published that a new report by consultants McKinsey & Co has found Australia could reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2020, and it would cost Australian families less than $1 a day.

“Emission reductions of at least 30 per cent by 2020 – the sort of cuts the scientists are saying we need to avoid dangerous climate change – are achievable and affordable,” said ACF’s climate change program manager Tony Mohr.

“The cost per person is about the same as the cost of one local phone call per day – a small price for saving the Great Barrier Reef, our water supplies and the agricultural sector.”
The results are consistent with those of the Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change which found deep cuts could be achieved by 2050 “while maintaining strong economic growth”.
“The 2002-03 drought cost Australia $10 billion. The total cost of a 30 per cent cut in emissions by 2020 is less than a third of this at $2.9 billion,” Mr Mohr said. “If we fail to reduce emissions, the CSIRO says by 2030 Australia will experience drought 20 per cent more often than we do now.

“Not only are these cuts achievable and affordable, they are in Australia’s national interest.”
The McKinsey report found Australia could cut emissions by 60 per cent by 2030 – a full 20 years ahead of the Federal Government’s commitment to 60 per cent reductions by 2050.
The report also found Australia’s opportunities to reduce emissions are better than the global average and that we can do it “without major technological breakthroughs”.

“Cutting emissions by 30 per cent by 2020 can be done without using technologies that are yet to be proven or resorting to drastic, risky options like nuclear,” Mr Mohr said.

Environmental credentials important to Gen Y - poll

2007-11-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

This is interesting:

A new poll suggests Gen Y jobseekers are more likely to be attracted to "green" employers.In a poll of 1,600 graduates, carried out by talent management provider Onetest, 73% of respondents said the carbon footprint of a prospective employer was an important factor in whether or not they took the job.

Some 75% said an employer's commitment to social and charitable activities was also important to them. Onetest managing director Steve Dahl said that far from being self-absorbed, today's graduates were environmentally and socially idealistic, and would choose employers with similar values.

Read the full article

Green Pages Eco Runway Show

2007-11-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

Sydney, November 9th: Green Pages founder Katie Patrick launched her Green Pages 2008 magazine -- a directory of 6000 sustainable products and services.

For the launch, the 27-year-old environmental engineer put together the first eco-runway show with leading fashion designers Akira, Camilla Franks and Lisa Gorman among a small elite group of 11 eco-conscious designers who only use organic fabric, natural fibres, recycled silk and vegetable dyes in their clothes.

Patrick came up with the idea after she’d realised that she could not buy an organic skivvy anywhere in the city.

"Fashion is lagging behind the green movement. To convince them to be more eco-friendly, it is important to make going green fun and vibrant," Patrick says.

The greatest hurdle to the green movement in the fashion industry is cost – buying organic textiles will increase the cost of clothes by around 35%.

"But increasingly, Australian customers are prepared to spend $400 for garments made with natural fabric, although the vast majority will only spend $100."

Read the full article