New sustainability expo to help Australia transition to net zero

A newly launched sustainability trade show and multi-stream conference, named NET ZERO EXPO, has been designed to showcase tools and solutions for businesses, councils, property developers and households to cut emissions, reduce energy costs, prepare climate reports and meet evolving customer expectations. The event will run twice in Australia in 2025: first in Sydney on … Read more

As Extreme Weather Intensifies, FEMA Needs Competent Leadership and Funding

On January 10, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their annual analysis finding that 2024 was the hottest year on record globally and that global average temperatures likely surpassed an increase of 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels. On the same day, NOAA released its US Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters analysis … Read more

Extreme weather ran amok in 2024, report

A report produced by World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central finds that 2024 was quite a year for extreme weather events fuelled by climate change. Several trends manifested and strengthened throughout the year, with extreme weather dominating from the beginning to the end, which scientists say is the warmest ever recorded. The impacts are … Read more

CEFC invests $100 million in affordable, greener housing

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has invested $100 million in a new affordable build-to-rent (BTR) strategy managed by AXA IM Alts, which aims to bring the benefits of clean energy technologies to sustainable, affordable homes across Australia’s largest cities. In its initial stages, the strategy is targeting as many as 3000 apartments in key worker … Read more

Vertical axis wind turbine design set to reduce operating costs

A pioneer wind turbine tower design is set to be put on trial south of Adelaide in a novel research collaboration between Flinders University and startup company VAWT-X Energy. Supported by state and federal funding, the research team constructed and tested a 6 KW vertical wind turbine prototype to install at a field site on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The low-maintenance … Read more

Australian Open set to reduce plastic waste by 400 kg

Sustainability Victoria is serving up reusable cups at Australian Open 2025 to reduce single-use plastic waste and encourage people to reuse. Tennis fans will be able to sip sustainably during AO 2025 with 38,000 reusable cups from Sustainability Victoria replacing single-use cups in selected bars around the precinct. It’s projected 50,000 single-use cups will be avoided … Read more

Storing CO2 in construction materials

New research out of the University of California, Davis and Stanford University has found that storing carbon dioxide in building materials could hugely reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The study, conducted by civil engineers and earth systems scientists, has been published in the journal Science. “The potential is pretty large,” said Elisabeth Van Roijen, who … Read more

B-cycle launches holiday battery safety campaign

B-cycle is drawing attention to a risk in Australian homes and waste collections that increases over the holiday season: the issue of improperly stored and disposed-of used batteries. With many gifts — including toys, gadgets and decorations — relying on loose or portable batteries, homes across the country are left with a large number of … Read more

2024 Thought Leaders: Cuong Vo

What growth opportunities do you predict for your industry in 2025? As industries evolve, there will be a growing demand for effective and highly customisable automation solutions. Manufacturers will seek solutions tailored to their unique operational needs, allowing them to quickly adapt to changing consumer demands. This trend will drive modular automation solutions, where systems … Read more

Advanced method to detect harbour sewage

Macquarie University researchers have investigated the level of sewage pollution in 18 global harbours, with concerning results. Their work was part of an international study using a special DNA technique that the researchers say is more targeted than traditional methods. The team’s findings have been published in Nature Water. In contrast to other approaches, which … Read more