News

Climate to be hot topic

The Federal Government and the opposition will both be focusing on climate change next week, with the tabling of the troubled Emissions Trading Scheme in Parliament on Tuesday February 2nd, while the opposition will unveil its alternative climate change policy which leader Tony Abbott says will be "much better for the environment".

Mr Abbott said the policy, which will include incentives for farmers and households to be climate-friendly, would not involve any new charges.  The plan, which will be finalised on Friday, will propose to reduce carbon emissions by 150 megatonnes by 2020.

The Greens meanwhile have proposed a two-year carbon tax in an attempt to break the deadlock of the ETS in the Senate.  The interim tax proposed by the Greens would charge industry $23 a tonne for carbon emitted from July, rising to $24 in 2011-12, and lasting for two years.  It would raise $20 billion over the two years, of which $10 billion would be returned to households in compensation and $4 billion given back to trade-exposed industries. Greens senator Christine Milne said yesterday the two-year carbon price would equal an emission reduction of about 2 per cent from 2000 levels by 2012.   The proposal was first raised in the original Garnaut review, which proposed the interim carbon price as a transition to emissions trading.  An economic adviser to the Garnaut review, Frank Jotzo, from the Australian National University, said the proposal would provide certainty for business.

There is international uncertainty around climate action after the failure of December's Copenhagen summit to set greenhouse targets, and the US Democrats lost their majority in the Senate last week, jeopardising plans to pass a US ETS.

The Federal Government has until Sunday to declare its target to reduce emissions by 2020 under the process agreed up at Copenhagen. The target range stands at a 5 to 25 per cent cut by 2020, but could be narrowed.

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Greens move to change Renewable Energy Target

The Greens will move to change the Federal Government's Renewable Energy Target with a Private Member's Bill when Parliament resumes next week.

In a move which is believed to have the support of the Liberal opposition, the bill prevent the government from counting solar hot water systems and solar cells on roofs in accounting for its target of 20 per cent renewable energy use by 2020.

The Greens Deputy Leader and climate change spokesperson, Christine Milne, argues that the accounting system has stymied the development of commercial-scale renewable energy projects, leading to a collapse in the price of renewable energy certificates and undermining potential for development of large-scale commercial alternative energy projects.

"The extraordinary potential to power Australia from the sun, wind, ocean and earth is being undermined by badly designed Rudd Government policy," Ms Milne said.

"It's not just the Rudd Government's climate credibility on the line here, but hundreds of jobs could be lost if the Renewable Energy Target is not urgently fixed.

"We can fix this problem so easily and I challenge Mr Rudd and Senator Wong to look at our proposal and work with us to make sure the renewables sector survives and flourishes."

"It was obvious in the design of the scheme that this would happen, but both the government and opposition refused to heed the warnings and rejected Greens amendments that would have prevented it," Senator Milne said.

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Car emission standards draft RIS released

The Federal Government has released proposed new car emission standards which it wants to introduce from 2012.

The Government says the new standards would cut pollutants from all cars in Australia by as much as 90 per cent.

Compared to the current regulatory regime, the proposed new standards - Euro 5 (from 2012) and Euro 6 (from 2016) - would cut a new vehicle's maximum emissions of:

• Hydrocarbon by up to 50 per cent;
• Oxides of nitrogen by up to 70 per cent; and
• Particulate matter by up to 90 per cent. 

The draft RIS is available at: www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/environment/index.aspx, with public submissions due by 1 March 2010.

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Energy use emissions fall

A new report has revealed that greenhouse gas emissions from energy use in Australia's eastern states have fallen by 1.8 per cent.

The Greenhouse Indicator Annual Report, released by the Climate Group, measures emissions created by electricity and petrol use across the eastern states.

The report shows overall emissions were 5.3 million tonnes lower in 2009 than in the previous year.

The biggest declines are in South Australia, with a 4.2 per cent reduction, and New South Wales, with a 3.1 per cent reduction.  Queensland reduced its emissions by 1.1 per cent and Victoria by 0.5 per cent. 

The biggest contributor to the fall in emissions was a decrease in the amount of electricity produced from coal. Coal generation fell by 3.1 per cent (or 5.5 million megawatt hours) resulting in 4.9 million tonnes less emissions than in 2008. Emissions from petroleum also fell by 0.8 per cent, or by 700,000 tonnes while emissions from gas rose by 240,000 tonnes.

The fall in emissions occurred despite robust population growth in all four states of between 1.2 and 2.6 per cent. Despite the global financial crisis, each state also recorded overall growth in Gross State Product of between 0.2 and 1.4 per cent. However, the rate of growth was significantly less than in previous years, which will have relieved inflationary pressure on emissions levels.

Further information is available at www.climategroup.org

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Climate change to impact Tasmanian water availability

Climate change is expected to reduce both rainfall and runoff in Tasmania by 2030, a report into Tasmania’s future water availability has found.

The CSIRO Tasmania Sustainable Yields report - a snapshot of the expected impacts on Tasmania’s water availability into the future - looked at the impacts of climate variability and expected climate change, catchment development and changing groundwater extraction on the availability and use of water resources in Tasmania.

Surface water and groundwater across almost 50,000 sq km of northern, eastern and central Tasmanian – approximately 72 per cent of Tasmania – was considered for the report.

The report found:

• The recent climate (1997-2007) had been significantly drier than the historical climate.
• By 2030, the projected impact of climate change on rainfall will be a 3 per cent reduction under a median future climate (ranging from an increase of 1 to a decrease of 7 per cent under wet and dry extremes).
• The reduction in rainfall is projected to lead to a 5 per cent reduction in runoff under a median climate (ranging from an increase of 1 to a decrease of 10 per cent under wet and dry extremes).
• Of 150 key ecological sites identified in this project, 71 are potentially impacted by changes in the flow regime due to the recent climate and its significant drought conditions.

The full report is available at: www.csiro.au/partnerships/TasSY.html

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CEO appointed for Energy Pipelines CRC

Professor Valerie Linton has been appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre.

Announcing the CEO appointment, the EPCRC’s Board said Professor Linton - currently Professor of Welded Structures at the University of Adelaide - has been active on the international stage in high pressure energy transmission throughout her 20-year career both in industry and academia.

Her experience covers research, development, standards and management in topics ranging from ground breaking research in materials and welding for transmission pipelines to pipeline integrity and failure.   The board said that Professor Linton’s experience provides a strong foundation for energy pipelines research and her management skills will guide the EPCRC’s progress as it works on research programs spanning the full life cycle of existing and future pipelines in the areas of materials, coatings, design and policy. 

Professor Linton, who will be based in Wollongong to take up the role, said she was very much looking forward to the new challenge.

“Research into the best possible energy transportation for Australia is vital, given this nation’s distances and the expected increase in demand for natural gas as an alternative to coal for power generation,” Professor Linton said.

“In order to safely, effectively, and efficiently transport natural gas, Australia will need to expand the use of current transmission pipelines as well as build new infrastructure over very long distances.

“Our research will also have application well beyond energy transmission. For example, our long-distance pipeline research will also be critical to the success of carbon capture, transportation and storage projects.”

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Announcements

2010 Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards recognise leadership in sustainable business

The Premier’s Sustainability Awards are set to showcase the next generation of businesses that are leading the way in sustainability.

The Awards are receiving submissions until 10 February from organisations working within Victoria that have incorporated sustainability into their core business or service. The Awards recognise innovation and reward outstanding achievement in the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of all Victorians.

Categories open for submission are small business, large business, community, products or services, built environment, local government, state government and the tertiary sector.

Last year’s winners included Sustainable Plumbing Solutions, Yarra Valley Water, Bentleigh West Primary School, mecu Ltd and Lend Lease.

The 2010 awards focus on organisations and people who are rising to the challenge of change and have chosen to act now.

Businesses can get involved in the 2010 awards by: 

• entering one of the eight award categories by Wednesday 10 February 
• sponsoring an award category 
• purchasing a corporate table or individual tickets to the 22 April awards ceremony in Melbourne.

Sustainability Victoria, with Banksia Environmental Foundation, will host an information session in Melbourne for applicants on the 28 January to outline the award submission criteria and how to prepare a winning entry.

To download an application kit and register for the information session visit www.sustainabilityawards.vic.gov.au or call 03 9684 4667.

To receive regular updates on the Awards, email your contact details to psa2010@sustainability.vic.gov.au  

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Further Education

Environmental Management Lead Auditor course

Do you have the expertise needed to conduct Environmental Management Systems audits?

Do you have the capability to maintain environmental standards within your organisation?

BSI can equip you with the skills needed to achieve these outcomes by attending our RABQSA certified ISO 14001 Lead Auditor training course.

We are excited to deliver this course to you in our new 4 day format saving you time away from your busy working environment. Read course description.

Attendees successfully completing this course receive a Certificate of Attainment for each of these RABQSA Competency Units 

• EM – Environmental Management Systems
• AU – Management Systems Auditing
• TL – Leading Management Systems Audit Teams

The course is designed for all Environmental, Quality and Health or Safety managers, or anyone wanting to manage first, second or third party audits.

The next course is being held in Brisbane on 22- 25 February, 2010. To book, please email sales.aus@bsigroup.com, or call 1300 730 134.

BSI also offers courses in understanding and implementing ISO 14001 in all capital cities, for further info, please see our training catalogues at http://www.bsigroup.com.au/upload/Training/Documents/2010/BSI-Training-Catalogue.pdf

For further information about BSI, please go to www.bsigroup.com.au  

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Conferences & Events

2nd Annual Sustainable Supply Chain Forum + Workshop: Melbourne 4 - 5 March 2010

Is sustainable supply chain management an emerging priority for your organisation?

The 3 Pillars Network is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Sustainable Supply Chain Forum. This is a must-attend for anyone involved in supply chain, logistics and procurement for Australian organisations.

Download the full agenda here.

We have brought together leading Australian and International companies to share their knowledge and experiences including Marks & Spencer (UK), Cadbury, Toyota, Woolworths, NAB, VISY, Corporate Express, Fuji Xerox.

PLUS: - Special Keynote presentation by Michael Byrne, CEO, Linfox.

This year’s forum is designed to be practical and interactive for delegates. Find out ‘how to’:

• drive down costs and carbon in your supply chain
• apply best practice to your sustainable sourcing strategy
• manage your downstream supply chain
• apply frameworks and standards to drive sustainable procurement outcomes.

We are also pleased to offer an exclusive carbon life cycle assessment and labelling working, facilitated by Net Balance Management Group. Please CLICK HERE for further details.

Places are strictly limited. REGISTER NOW AND SAVE WITH THE EARLY BIRD RATE! 

For more details, please contact Cheryl Samarasinghe
Email: cheryl@3pillarsnetwork.com.au
Phone: 02 9555 2358
Web: www.3pillarsnetwork.com.au

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3rd Victorian Sustainable Development Conference

The 3rd Victorian Sustainable Development Conference is to be held on May 25-26, 2010, at Zinc, Federation Square, Melbourne.

The Conference will be solution-oriented, bringing together key decision-makers from the private and public sectors, industry leaders, local government, scientists, conservationists and others to discuss ways in which to achieve real and lasting change in areas such as:

• Water
• Waste and resource recovery
• Energy efficiency
• Climate change response
• Planning and urban design
• Land remediation
• Air quality
• Human health
• Sustainable workplaces

Invited speakers include:

• Dr Kate Auty, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
• Richard Bolt, Secretary, Department of Primary Industries
• Kevin Love, Deputy Secretary, Department of Sustainability and Environment
• Prue Digby, Deputy Secretary, Planning and Local Government, Department of Sustainability and Environment
• Rob Freeman, Chief Executive, Murray-Darling Basin Authority
• Professor Chris Davis, Commissioner, National Water Commission
• Dr Kathy Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, City of Melbourne
• Carl McCamish, Executive General Manager, Origin Energy
• Brendan Sydes, Principal Solicitor, Environmental Defender's Office
• Louise Hicks, Partner, DLA Phillips Fox
• Dave Appels, Economist, Frontier Economics
• Erin Simpson, Sustainability Services Manager, Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Professor John Fien, Innovation in Leadership Programme, RMIT
• Les Mathieson, Managing Director, East Gippsland Water
• Dan Atkins, Managing Director, Shaper Group
• Phil Hughes, Principal Consultant: Sustainability and Water Management, Halcrow
• Mike Lloyd, IP Management Consultant, Griffith Hack Patent and Trademark Attorneys

The Conference will also feature best practice case studies in the above areas, as well as addressing challenges of sustainability, and provide advice on how state and local government and business can truly achieve social, environmental and economic sustainability.

The price for registering to attend the two-day Conference is just $695.

Registration information is available at www.halledit.com.au/vsd2010 or contact Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

Platinum Sponsor    

Gold Sponsor

Supporting Partner

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Services & Products

Do you have an interest in research and development issues?

Then subscribe to R&D Info for a regular update on important news and information related to research and development in Australia.

Produced by the publishers of EnviroInfo, R&D Info is a free fortnightly information service for people with a professional interest in R&D, science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurialism and investment.

To subscribe to R&D Info and to view past editions, please go here.

If you are looking for employment opportunities in the research and development sector, you can also subscribe free to ResearchJobs.  For further information and to view the latest employment listings, go to www.researchjobs.net.au

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Positions Vacant

Senior Environmental Consultant - EIA

Molino Stewart is a well established and highly respected environment and natural hazards consultancy based in Parramatta. We enjoy a relaxed, friendly and professional work environment where people are valued and listened to and get to work on a wide variety of interesting projects.

We are looking for a senior level environmental professional with a background in EIA to join our expanding team. This role will involve running major EIA projects, marketing and business development together with leadership responsibilities.

We would like to hear from degree qualified individuals with relevant experience, preferably within a consulting environment. The successful applicant will have excellent communication, interpersonal and project management skills with established networks and contacts preferably within the New South Wales market. Experience in environmental auditing and environmental management systems will be highly regarded. 

Further information is available here.

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Senior Research Fellow in Hydrogeology

Ref 10017

Flinders University is a respected international leader in hydrologic education and research, and is the Administering Organisation for the ARC/NWC Co-funded National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT).The NCGRT is an Australian Government initiative, focussed on research and postgraduate training in groundwater hydrology, with funding of $55M over five years. A four-year academic vacancy is being offered in the area of hydrogeology to complement current research capability within the School of the Environment and the NCGRT.

The successful applicant will work with the leadership of the NCGRT in developing groundwater research projects focused within Program 3 of the centre (see www.groundwater.com.au), which focuses on surface water-groundwater interaction. The position does not have undergraduate teaching responsibilities, but is focussed on postgraduate training, through supervision of Honours and PhD students and Post-Doctoral Fellows.

• School of the Environment
• Available from February 2010 on a full-time, four year basis
• Salary (Level C): $87 545 to $100 945 pa
• (Level D): $105 413 to $116 130 pa
• Plus 17% employer superannuation
• Applications close: 9.00am Monday, 8 February 2010
• Interviews to be held: Mid February 2010

Full details including how to apply on-line can be found at our Jobs@Flinders website: http://www.flinders.edu.au/employment

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Research Fellow in Hydrogeology

Ref 10016

The successful applicant will work with the leadership of the NCGRT in developing groundwater research projects within the Willunga Basin, South Australia. The Willunga Basin is one of five catchments which will be instrumented by the NCGRT through a $15 million grant from the Australian Government's Super Science (Marine and Climate) initiative. The appointee will work on a range of hydrogeological projects in the basin, including studies of surface water – groundwater interaction, and aquifer storage and recovery, and involving both field characterisation and construction of numerical groundwater models.

• School of the Environment
• Available from February 2010 on a full-time, four year basis
• Salary (Level B): $71 468 to $84 886 pa
• Plus 17% employer superannuation
• Applications close: 9.00am Monday, 8 February 2010
• Interviews to be held: Mid February 2010

Full details including how to apply on-line can be found at our Jobs@Flinders website: http://www.flinders.edu.au/employment

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EnviroJobs

EnviroJobs is the leading source for employment positions available within environmental fields across Australia.

Listing over 150 jobs, EnviroJobs is a weekly email and online service which lists employment positions available in the environment management, natural resource, environmental engineering, environmental health and environmental science fields.

This weekly email bulletin, distributed each Monday, is free to receive, but there is a small cost to advertise. 

All jobs listed in the service are available to view on the website www.envirojobs.com.au and you can subscribe to the weekly bulletin via the website.

For advertising queries, please call Blake Duggin on 03 8534 5012 or blake.duggin@halledit.com.au or Nila Wajntraub on 03 8534 5007 or nila@halledit.com.au

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