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This paper explores the skills landscape of the emerging green hydrogen industry in Australia drawing on data collected from a study that gathered insights on training gaps from a range of hydrogen industry participants. A total of 41 industry participants completed a survey and 14 of those survey respondents participated in industry consultations. The findings revealed widespread perceptions of training and skilling as being very important to the industry, but under-provisioned across the sector. Data were analysed to consider the problem of skilling the green hydrogen industry and the barriers and enablers as perceived by industry stakeholders. In this paper we argue that urgent cross-sector attention needs to be paid to hydrogen industry training and skill development systems in Australia if the promise of green hydrogen as a clean energy source is to be realised. • Cross-sector collaboration is needed to support education and training on hydrogen energy. • Insufficient training is available to support skill development in hydrogen energy. • Training on electrolysers, fuel cells, hydrogen storage and refuelling stations is most needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is considered a key energy vector and carrier for the decarbonization of global energy systems. However, the economics of green hydrogen systems hinder their widespread application. This paper presents a techno-economic analysis of a green hydrogen production system using high-temperature water electrolysis integrated with a concentrated solar power system (CSP-SOEC) for Western Australia. Real-time solar resource data with 30-min resolution for a typical meteorological year were used to assess the performance of the entire system. The intermittent nature of solar resources is accounted for by integrating the system with a thermal energy storage medium and performing the analysis in off-design mode. The validity of the electrolysis stack model is crucial for overall system performance, which was confirmed through experimental testing conducted on a 15-cell stack. The system was designed to generate a 1 MWe output, and the results showed that a field area of 29,000 m2 and thermal energy storage capacity of 382,500 kWh can fulfil the design criteria. The system generates 0.86 tonne/day of hydrogen at a cost of 8.87 US$/kg-H 2 with a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 13.80 %. The cost breakdown revealed that the storage medium has the most significant contribution. Moreover, the sensitivity of the system to the production capacity was analyzed, which showed that larger-scale hydrogen production systems have the potential to further reduce the cost. An 8 MWe system has the capacity to produce 7.18 tonne/day of hydrogen at a cost of 6.1 US$/kg-H 2. The molten salt is currently utilized only 39.3 % for the hydrogen production process. To optimize resource utilization, a cogeneration system is devised and assessed for simultaneous steam and hydrogen production. The results reveal that the cogeneration system can achieve an LCOH reduction of 9 % by reaching 8.07 US$/kg-H 2. These findings are invaluable for academic and industry stakeholders in making informed decisions and fostering the green hydrogen sector in Australia. • A techno economic assessment of green H 2 production for Australia is done. • The electrolysis model is corroborated using experimental results. • The cost of green H 2 for such system in Australia is 8.87 US$/kg-H 2. • Higher production capacity favors the system economics. • The cogeneration system reduces the cost by 9 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging industries and technologies are made up of objective, practical requirements and ideas that encompass broad hopes for what future newness might enable. The bioeconomy is one such emerging industry. Its recent evolution has involved a complicated and dynamic mix of promises, reality checks and subsequent ambivalences. This article frames and investigates the emerging algae-based bioplastics industry as one niche within this broader system envisaged for social, technological, economic, political and ecological change. As such, our paper presents two categories of knowledge that in practice interrelate: 1) specific and practical recommendations that can assist a future algal-based bioplastics industry to develop in Australia in ways that are conscious of socio-ecological and socio-cultural dimensions, and 2) critical extensions that go beyond the attributes of newness, impact, suddenness and universality often emphasised in both popular and scientific research into emerging green technologies. In particular, our analysis highlights the importance of specific temporal, tonal and spatial factors when framing the contextual factors associated emerging industries, technologies and the different pathways for change they might help support. • Pathways and enabling factors for a algal-based bioplastics industry in regional Australia are presented. • The 'social idea' of the bioeconomy is analysed with reference to algal-based bioplastics. • The algal-based bioplastics industry is contextualised in relation to transition pathways literatureon the bioeconomy. • Themes and recommendations are synthesised from literature review and semi-structured interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neo-endogenous rural development is driven by local people from the ground up but enabled and steered by policy actors from the top down; the balance of driving and steering, or where the power in the relationship lies, is thus a key point of enquiry. This paper interrogates contemporary theorisations of rural development using recent empirical evidence from Australia. We analyse a recent development process in the rural region of North West Tasmania, Australia: the "Regional Futures Plan", conducted over the period 2019–2021. The Regional Futures Plan was a locally led development initiative that brought together regional actors across sectors in a structured process to address employment, population, and sustainability challenges. It received limited State government funding or support. In this paper we ask: to what extent is this locally led rural development process an empirical example of neo-endogenous rural development, classic endogenous rural development, or something else? Analysis through an anthropology of development lens deepens current theorisations of neo-endogenous rural development by revealing the logics and strategies local actors use as they work together for change in dialogue with external actors and the State. The analysis concludes that the Regional Futures Plan experience can be understood as a form of disarticulated neo-endogenous rural development whereby local actors seek to drive local development outcomes in dialogue with, but in the absence of formal relationships with more powerful governing institutions and the state. The existence of locally led but disarticulated rural development suggests both opportunities and challenges for future rural development policy. • This paper interrogates contemporary theorisations of neo-endogenous rural development through an anthropology of development lens, drawing on recent empirical evidence from Tasmania, Australia. • The analysis using Most Significant Change (MSC) method reveals the logics and strategies local actors used to work together for sustainable rural development outcomes. Findings demonstrate how local action strengthened partnership-building and empowered locals with confidence to change, yet local actors lacked resources or support to implement change initiatives. • This process can be theorised as disarticulated neo-endogenous rural development, whereby local actors seek to drive rural development outcomes unsupported by, state-led exogenous development agendas. The state's failure to resource and support local efforts is a missed rural development opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper profiles Australian universities’ website communications about sustainability initiatives, especially relating to Talloires Declaration signification and the ten recommended actions. The research involves a content study of Talloires signatories’ websites and their semiotic and signaling theory aspects across time. The source is publicly available information (time period 2014 and 2015 respectively) in context with education for sustainable development (ESD) in society and the transaction model in communication theory. It is found that some of the signatory universities in Australia exemplify a few of the Talloires ten agreed actions in their public communications, but each point is not emphasised with equal priority. The variance may be due to divergent underlying objectives; such as public communication of Talloires toward genuine benefit for the environment, or to create a strategic positioning tool to signal the university as an environmental champion within the broader society. Focusing upon secondary data from signatory university websites in Australia, the paper provides a study of higher education signification of Talloires. It assists the initial understanding of signaling theory in the public communication transactions that promote Talloires action and implementation. The findings encourage further studies of related communication issues in universities in other countries. The paper also deepens local and global understanding of perceptions of sustainability and contributes to the body of comparative literature of sustainability in higher education as a development component of strategic management of ESD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In Australia, co-benefits have rarely entered policy discourse and have so far failed to gain traction in climate change-related policy debates. This is partly due to the dominant perception about the difficulties associated with identifying, quantifying and incorporating co-benefits into decision-making frameworks. There is also limited understanding on the part of policy-makers about the profound policy implications of a ‘co-benefits approach’ as a paradigm that can address multiple policy goals, including addressing climate change impacts, achieving sustainable development, and enhancing health, wellbeing and liveability. Objectives Our paper addresses this gap by contributing to current understandings of the ‘co-benefits approach’ as a means of integrating climate concerns into local planning and development control in general. At a more specific level, the paper provides an insight into the Australian local government policy context to illustrate how to plan, generate and purposively promote co-benefits in planning urban built environments. Methods A desktop review of NSW councils’ web sites and their climate change-related policies was undertaken. A comprehensive online survey was subsequently conducted to investigate the extent to which councils have adopted a ‘co-benefits approach’ in their low carbon policies. Results Major barriers to integrating co-benefits in the policy process were identified in this research. They include: (i) local government's current practice of single-sectoral policy development; (ii) absence of an integrated and co-ordinated ‘whole-of-government approach’ to address climate change impact; (iii) over-reliance on quantitative decision-support frameworks; and (iv) over-emphasis on short term and readily quantifiable monetary consideration of benefits. Conclusion Local government's over-emphasis on readily quantifiable ‘monetary considerations’ in targeting benefits from climate change policies excludes a wide range of environmental, social and health benefits from incorporation in policy. This limits the achievement of optimal policy outcomes across multiple sectors using a co-benefits approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency of domestic refrigerators has markedly improved over recent years. Despite these improvements, low-income households in Australia still tend to own older and less energy-efficient refrigerators. Replacement of old refrigerators with energy-efficient appliances presents an important opportunity to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and the electricity bills of households for sustainable development. This paper presents the measurement and verification of energy savings from a sample of 16 household refrigerator replacements under the Appliance Replacement Offer of the New South Wales Government, Australia. In-home monitoring and laboratory testing were conducted for both old and new refrigerators. A key challenge for this study was to estimate the energy savings of the replacement in each household based on limited in-home monitoring data. The annual energy savings from the refrigerator replacement in the households were estimated using the artificial neural networks (ANN) models for indoor air temperature prediction and the empirical models for the refrigerator energy consumption estimation. The experimental and estimation results both showed that most of the households achieved substantial energy savings from the replacement. The average annual energy cost savings and the average payback period of the refrigerator replacements were 53% and 4.3 years, respectively. It was also found that the energy savings could be compromised if the size of the new refrigerator was much larger than the old unit or if the efficiency of the old refrigerator was reasonably good. • Energy savings from 16 household refrigerator replacements were presented. • Both in-home monitoring and laboratory test were conducted to determine energy savings. • Artificial neural network models were used to predict indoor air temperature. • The average annual energy cost saving of the refrigerator replacements was 53%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological risk is challenging the modern societal development approach that has dominated thought and practice for centuries. Due to incomplete assumptions about the ecological risk inherent to modern systems, the very nature of societal actions and reactions are being brought into question, such that the dominant development heuristic is no longer sustainable. Hegel's dialectical analysis has strongly influenced conceptions of development. He stated that societies progress through actions that correspond to theses about how humanity should best live and produce, and correct or mediate any limitations or crises by formulating antitheses, which eventually lead to syntheses or alternatives, which in turn become the new norm. That process has never fully incorporated all environmental constraints and as a result, risk is destabilizing modernity, including the agricultural systems that focus this paper. As a remedy to a First modernity that generates intractable risks as a necessary companion to development, Beck framed the concept of an alternative Reflexive modernity, where multiple, simultaneous cosmopolitan paths generate sophisticated, sustainable development forms. Contemporary knowledge of the importance of nature for societal development have shown that risk can be incorporated into decision-making at local, national and global scales to allow an ecological dialectic to account for the externalities of modernity. In this review, Australian agriculture exemplifies how risk has been generated through an inappropriate development path and how an antithesis is beginning to enable a reconceptualization of risk. To learn to anticipate and respond to risk, agricultural communities could be supported to engage with the best available knowledge on future risk and assisted through research, training, mutual learning and policy settings to adapt effectively. To generate a response of sufficient scale in a timely manner, the theoretical Hegelian development framework must evolve to include key ecological principles to order to present a comprehensive, critical antithesis to all modern societal systems. • Hegelian lessons of societal progress are insufficient to account for risk. • Ecological risk is invalidating the path of Australian agricultural development. • First modernity critiques of agricultural development are not leading to sustainable pathways. • Incorporating ecological risk into Hegelian dialectics would transform societal decision-making. • An ecological rights regime could frame a Reflexive modern development approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food tourism events have become a large focus for economic development in rural and regional areas. Tourism has been a key driver of food festivals, where they play a role in attracting visitors and generating expenditure in the local economy. While these types of events are generally badged as enhancing sustainability, the criteria and tests for these claims are rarely specified. In this paper we explore how the sustainability of food tourism festivals can be considered and evaluated in economic terms, using a case study of the Truffle Festival — Canberra Region in Australia. A zonal travel cost analysis was conducted to measure consumer surplus, providing potential inputs into individual economic welfare and public good evaluation tests. The results estimate that the event generated consumer surpluses of $754/person and more than $8 million overall in 2016, highlighting the importance of artisan food experiences for tourism events. To further implement food experiences as an economic development strategy further consideration and linkages with agriculture, environment and community are required to ensure they are sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exponential growth of water demand and a decrease in usable freshwater due to various climate, environmental and anthropogenic events make rainwater harvesting a useful practice. According to Australian health regulations, drinking rainwater is low risk, if the roof catchment, collection system and storage are well maintained. The CSU Engineering building, which has received an architectural award for its sustainable design, produces its drinking water (3.7 L/person/day) within the premises. Rainwater is collected from the roof catchment, stored outside the building and treated on demand at a fully transparent water treatment plant installed at the entrance of the building. The water treatment facility is fully powered by solar panels installed on the roof. The treatment process consists of several operations, including aeration, sand filtration, GAC adsorption and UV disinfection. The performance of the CSU Engineering water treatment plant for the past 30 months is discussed in this paper. Primary and secondary water quality parameters of treated water were well within Australian drinking water quality standards and showed better results than municipal water available in the host town. The aeration unit improved secondary water quality standards (odor and taste) and the adsorption process was effective for elimination of metals. The result of this experiment indicated that this process could be a promising solution for providing safe drinking water in remote Australia, including sessional demands in rest areas and caravan parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Australia is behind in the race of solar power generation. • The usual energy payback period of a solar panel is about 10–15 years. • Large portions of energy are wasted because of the low quality invertor. • A selection procedure should be followed to choose BIPV systems. • Reducing initial capital costs and raising public awareness are necessary. Buildings consume a large quantity of energy. In May 2010, the European Union (EU) reported that around 40% of their energy consumption was related to building sectors, which is similar to the proportion of 39% in the United States. In Australia, buildings count 20% of its total energy consumption. Experts across the globe have been working in the development of new technologies, which not only reduce the building energy consumption but also harness energy from renewable sources. Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system is one of the most popular techniques towards constructing a net-zero energy building through the utilisation of solar energy. In this review, we focus on the BIPV applications in Australia, where BIPV has not been prevailed as widely as might be expected despite the high solar irradiation in the country. This paper discusses recent advancements in BIPV systems and challenges that Australia is facing in order to adopt this technology. In addition, the current carbon emission issues in Australia are presented to build awareness among people, which will contribute towards adopting this technology. A range of experimental and numerical studies have been reviewed to identify the effectiveness of BIPV on building performances. This study also reports on the sustainability and economic feasibility of BIPV systems in terms of energy payback time and economical payback time, respectively. Based on this review, it is argued that BIPV is technically and economically feasible for Australia and its implementation might be started with solar roof tiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value-added trade has increased rapidly in recent decades in the context of globalisation. This paper aims to measure the energy embodied in the value-added trade and the ecological relationships in the networks of the international construction industries. A hybrid method which combines ecological network analysis and the input–output method has been adopted. The direct energy intensities in most countries ranged from 0 to 3.0 trillion joules per million US$ and the dominant relationships were control and exploitation in the selected 15 years. For the construction sector, the negative relationships were dominant at 63.9% in Australia and 79.19% in China. The ratio of positive relationships increased from 24.3% to 31.5%, while the ratio of negative relationships declined from 75.7% to 68.5% over the 15 years. The mutualism index ranged from 0.72 to 0.98 over the 15 years, maintaining a value less than 1. In contrast, the synergism index had an increase of 12.2 over the 15 years. The results indicate that both direct energy intensity and the value-added ratio are important factors in relation to the energy embodied in value-added trade. Sectoral influence on the national industrial system has been interpreted in this paper to stimulate further research. • The energy embodied in the value-added trade of the international construction industries. • The combination of ecological and economic connections in an analysis of value-added trade. • The influence of specific construction sectors on the network depending on flow capacity. • The exploitation and control relationships that dominate the value-added trade system. • The balance between the value-added ratio and energy intensity in sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The concept of net zero energy and zero emission home has been a goal for those involved in the sustainable building industry. It is now becoming a reality in many parts of the world with an integrated approach of passive design, energy efficient appliances and local renewable generation. The paper describes the activities in Australia focussing on reducing energy use from the housing sector. It describes the regulatory approach of energy performance for housing which involves developing a house energy rating tool covering the building envelope as well as major energy consuming appliances. It also describes the implementation process which comprises gradually more stringent regulations coupled with financial inducements. The paper describes a world leading new Australian housing development where net zero energy homes are being built and enjoyed. It tells the story of how this outcome is being achieved starting with the planning process and developing environmental guidelines. The paper describes the innovations being used in order to achieve net zero energy homes and reports on energy monitoring results and feedback from householders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the nature and causes of vulnerability to bushfires in the Wulgulmerang district of East Gippsland, Victoria, in south-eastern Australia. In 2003 bushfires devastated the small population of this isolated farming district, destroying homes, agricultural assets and public infrastructure. The fires also adversely affected the health, livelihoods and social lives of many local people. The paper examines: (i) how and why people were exposed to hazards during the bushfires; and (ii) how and why people were differentially capable of coping and adapting to the fires'' impacts. Qualitative methods were primarily used to investigate these questions, including semi-structured interviews with residents and landholders of the district and others who responded to the fires in an official or unofficial capacity. Vulnerability is shown to arise from the circumstances of people''s everyday lives, which are shaped by factors both within and beyond their control. Local pressures and challenges – such as drought, declining farm incomes, depopulation, and the inaccessibility of essential services – are shown to increase people''s exposure to hazards and reduce their capacities to cope and adapt. The paper demonstrates the fundamental importance of sustainable livelihoods and regional economic vitality to the long-term goal of vulnerability reduction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The combined impacts of the financial crisis and climate change are driving the evolution of sustainable business and changing the way that governments plan for development. Markets are emerging for a range of environmentally orientated products and services as societies move (or lurch) towards reducing impacts and adapt to changing conditions. National governments are actively formulating policy and providing investment to develop green economies as one of the responses to the global financial crisis. Many of the political and economic drivers have been focused at the international and national scale, and while critical for setting the national framework for development, it often neglects the key role that regions and localities can play in ecological modernization. This paper explores two regional case studies in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, that are initiating shifts towards networks of sustainable businesses and communities and offers recommendations for further policy development. The focus of this paper is on the evolving regional sustainability market and its relationship to other social institutions including governments, communities and the individual. The unifying concept is the idea of the ‘natural advantage’, a model that integrates innovation and sustainability as a part of the regional development policy agenda. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the method and results of a survey of 27 of the 33 Australian universities teaching engineering education in late 2007, undertaken by The Natural Edge Project (hosted by Griffith University and the Australian National University) and supported by the National Framework for Energy Efficiency. This survey aimed to ascertain the extent of energy efficiency (EE) education, and to identify preferred methods to assist in increasing the extent to which EE education is embedded in engineering curriculum. In this paper the context for the survey is supported by a summary of the key results from a variety of surveys undertaken over the last decade internationally. The paper concludes that EE education across universities and engineering disciplines in Australia is currently highly variable and ad hoc. Based on the results of the survey; this paper highlights a number of preferred options to support educators to embed sustainability within engineering programs, and future opportunities for monitoring EE, within the context of engineering education for sustainable development (EESD). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper argues that it is time for ecological economists to bring the employment impacts of sustainable development policies to the forefront of the research agenda. Important conservation efforts continue to founder because of their perceived employment effects. The paper examines the evidence on the employment impacts of sustainable development policies and argues that maintaining or even increasing employment depends critically on appropriate policy design and attention to the political economy of implementation of policies. The paper concludes that a better understanding of these issues, fair labour market and structural adjustment programs, and especially forward planning to anticipate problem areas, must replace the piecemeal, ‘knee–jerk’ reactions to environmental issues, such as were evident in Australia during the last federal election. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Optimization model for the integrated assessment of the green ammonia value chain. • Case study for ammonia trade between Australia and Germany in 2030. • Sensitivity analysis on ammonia prices for technical and economic parameters. • Cost comparison of conventional and green ammonia production. This paper contributes to understanding the transformation of global energy trade to green energy carriers, focusing on green ammonia as the foreseeable first green hydrogen carrier. We provide a comprehensive overview of today's ammonia trade and assess scaling options for the trade of green ammonia. To that aim, we develop an optimization model for the integrated assessment of the green ammonia value chain that covers all steps from green ammonia production in an exporting country, up to delivery to a harbor in an importing country. The model endogenously chooses among different technology options and determines cost minimal operation. In a case study, we apply the model to the large-scale import of ammonia from Australia to Germany in a scenario for 2030. The results show that green ammonia can reach cost parity with gray ammonia even for moderate gas prices (but not necessarily with blue ammonia) if CO 2 prices are high enough. We also provide a sensitivity analysis with respect to the interest rate and other key technical and economic parameters and show that cracking ammonia to provide pure hydrogen comes at a 45 % cost markup per MWh at the destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green roofs and green walls are gaining popularity as a means of mitigating a range of environmental impacts associated with urbanisation. Although this technology has been widely implemented in some parts of the world, uptake within Australia has been slow. This might be attributed to a range of factors, including a lack of awareness; a scarcity of urban green infrastructure policies; a lack of examples to give urban designers confidence in the technology; and perhaps also a limited number of professionals capable of installing green infrastructure systems. This paper researches the distribution of green wall and green roof projects in urban Australia, and the possible influence of local government policies and guidelines that have been designed to promote the increase of green infrastructure in Australia's cities. Differences were observed among project distributions and frequency, both within and between cities. In addition, councils that offered policy instruments and guidance tended to have more green wall and green roof projects than those which have no such policies in place. Compared to successful examples seen internationally, further policy implementation in Australia could increase the frequency of green infrastructure projects, indicating that governmental influence may play a substantial role in encouraging green infrastructure installation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a strong desire for an organisational design that aligns with the operational environment and is sustainable, many institutions suffer from the combined effects of systemic factors and other elements associated with rigidity and resistance to change. These factors conspire in unusual ways to delay and hinder those important developments that represent the critical transformation to effect meaningful change. These have become known as ‘wicked, messy’ problems and must be attended to with alternate planning approaches. This paper presents the use of General Morphological Analysis as a method to identify, investigate and successfully manage those systemic factors within a broader effort aimed at resetting the conditions. The research centred on Australian government support to a major nation in the South Pacific and its efforts to establish and maintain security and law enforcement capabilities alongside other nation building endeavours. The organisational design analysis exposed the principal factors that were central to achievements and detailed their associated conditions; it allowed precise specification of the current conditions; it contrasted these with the desired conditions; and it enabled planners to map a series of achievable changes to get from ‘here’ to ‘there’. Several ‘tipping’ points were also revealed that encouraged planners to sequence their efforts and set the pre-conditions for more ambitious undertakings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the audit findings of the waste management practices at 30 construction materials testing (CMT) laboratories (constituting 4.6% of total accredited CMT laboratories at the time of the audit) that operate in four Australian jurisdictions and assesses the organisation’s Environmental Management System (EMS) for indicators of progress towards sustainable development (SD). In Australia, waste indicators are ‘priority indicators’ of environmental performance yet the quality and availability of waste data is poor. National construction and demolition waste (CDW) data estimates are not fully disaggregated and the contribution of CMT waste (classified as CDW) to the national total CDW landfill burden is difficult to quantify. The environmental and human impacts of anthropogenic release of hazardous substances contained in CMT waste into the ecosphere can be measured by construing waste indicators from the EMS. An analytical framework for evaluating the EMS is developed to elucidate CMT waste indicators and assess these indicators against the principle of proportionality. Assessing against this principle allows for: objective evaluations of whether the environmental measures prescribed in the EMS are ‘proportionate’ to the ‘desired’ (subjective) level of protection chosen by decision-makers; and benchmarking CMT waste indicators against aspirational CDW targets set by each Australian jurisdiction included in the audit. Construed together, the EMS derived waste indicators and benchmark data provide a composite indicator of environmental performance and progress towards SD. The key audit findings indicate: CMT laboratories have a ‘poor’ environmental performance (and overall progress towards SD) when EMS waste data are converted into indicator scores and assessed against the principle of proportionality; CMT waste recycling targets are lower when benchmarked against jurisdictional CDW waste recovery targets; and no significant difference in the average quantity of waste diversion away from landfill was observed for laboratories with ISO14001 EMS certification compared to non-ISO14001 certified laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, various concepts with similar underlying philosophies have evolved within the urban water sector calling for a more integrated, sustainable, and adaptive management approach. Whilst many advocate this idea, the process of transitioning to sustainability-focused water management seems to proceed slowly. There are sector-specific characteristics that generally bring a level of conformity within the sector, but various national and regional drivers and constraints also shape each utility's option space. Business models can be useful catalysts for change by providing a more holistic view of potential options and transition pathways. This paper outlines the concept of business modeling for use in Sustainable Urban Water Management (SUWM). A literature-based comparative assessment was undertaken for two cases: Melbourne, Australia and the Emscher Region, Germany. We demonstrate the practical relevance of the proposed framework for understanding enablers and inhibitors of change and identifying strategies for sustainability within the urban water sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The River Torrens Catchment in Adelaide has suffered from poor water quality and flooding for decades. To address these challenges, a green infrastructure project, specifically a Linear Park, was created within the catchment. Although the project has functioned reasonably well since its implementation, its complex nature poses several management challenges. Despite the scale of this project, there is little scholarly literature available. Hence, to analyse these management challenges, this paper reviews the original project documentation, as well as regulations and policy documents together with findings from interviews with key project informants. The aim is to investigate the key drivers for implementation; the major stakeholders involved; and the challenges emerging from the multidimensional attributes of the project. The challenges relate to the inconsistent and informal management structure, the involvement of multiple stakeholders, and pressure from surrounding development. The challenges are further grouped under four main themes, including communication and collaboration, project design goals, institutional and political frameworks, and planning and development regulations. This paper argues that green governance is the key to the successful implementation and management of sustainable green infrastructure projects. The findings from this case study can inform policymakers, planners and researchers to propose appropriate scenarios to manage urban stormwater and to reclaim neglected waterways. • Linear parks have emerged as an increasingly valuable green space typology. • The morphology of a linear park can present complex issues relating to governance. • The River Torrens Linear Park exhibits such complexities. • Green governance is essential for sustainable development of linear parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If engineers are to provide sustainable innovations for future societies, engineers should be able to think and act beyond pure technical competence. This is stressed in political and accreditation frameworks all over the world, and universities are trying to respond to this demand. However, in many cases, sustainability practices seem fragmented and there is a lack of knowledge of strategies and few clear examples of good practice. In this paper, activities to integrate sustainability in two engineering institutions, one in Denmark and one in Australia, are systematically compared to provide an understanding of different kinds of activities and their internal as well as external enablers. A conceptual framework to provide overview of education for sustainability activities and their enablers has been proposed, where activities are related to actors and resources at both university and national levels. The conceptual framework has been developed iteratively – moving back and forth trying to find a suitable structure to capture the contextual pillars of the activities in the two cases, using state-of-art within the research field of education for sustainable development to fill out potential blind spots in the case-material and, finally, continuously shaping the storylines in the two cases to provide the needed overview and understanding of the similarities and differences of the approaches. The interplay between the framework and the case-stories provides a platform for change, as the framework does not only create an overview of activities, it also points out potential routes not taken, and the case studies provide examples of activities, which can be transferred with careful consideration to the internal as well as external context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal firewood collection has a series of unintended environmental, economic, and public safety impacts associated with harvesting undermining the development of a sustainable firewood industry. In this paper, we present Tasmanian firewood consumers with a labelling system and explore their willingness to pay for labelled firewood. We employ a discrete choice experiment with 239 potential firewood consumers. We estimate consumers' willingness to pay for different sources of firewood, coming from different distances, and whether it is important for a share of the proceeds to be invested in social or environmental priorities. To account for preference heterogeneity, we estimate a two−class latent class model and mixed multinomial logit model. The results from the first class of the latent class model and mixed multinomial logit model suggest that consumers are willing to pay a premium for repurposed wood, firewood sourced from agroforestry−based operations, proceeds invested in wildlife conservation, or the firewood comes from sites closer to their residence. The second class from the latent class model is characterized by consumers who are concerned only with the cost. Our survey respondents prefer their firewood to be accredited and regulated by independent non − profit bodies such as the Firewood Association of Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, environmental conservation directives are mandating greater inclusion of Indigenous people and their knowledge in the management of global ecosystems. Colonised countries such as the United States of America, New Zealand and Australia have responded with an array of policy and programs to enhance Indigenous involvement; however, balancing Indigenous and non-Indigenous priorities and preferred management methods is a substantial challenge. Using Australia as a case study, we investigate past documentation and use of Indigenous biocultural knowledge (IBK) and assess the main contributions to ecosystem science and management. Focussing on the terrestrial environment, this innovative paper presents an integrated review of IBK documentation (IBKD) by conducting a spatial, temporal and content analysis of the publically available literature. A spatial analysis of the place-based documents identified Australian IBKD hotspots, gaps and opportunities for further collaboration. Sixty percent of IBKD has occurred off the Indigenous estate with only 19% of the total coinciding with current Indigenous Protected Areas. We also found that IBKD hotspots were different to Australia’s biodiversity hotspots suggesting opportunity for development of integrated biological and cultural hotspots. A temporal analysis of IBKD showed exponential growth since the 1970s and typical involvement of non-Indigenous researchers. Indigenous authorship remained negligible until the 1990s when there was an obvious increase, although only 14% of IBKD to date has acknowledged Indigenous authorship. Working through Australia’s broad biological conservation priorities, we demonstrate how IBK has and can be used to inform research and management of biodiversity, threatened species, aquatic ecosystems, fire, invasive species, and climate change. We also synthesise documented suggestions for overcoming cross-cultural awareness and communication challenges between Indigenous people and biologists, environmental managers and policy makers. Lastly, we suggest that inclusion of both tangible and philosophical engagement of Indigenous people in national conservation agendas may promote more holistic socio-ecological systems thinking and facilitate greater progress towards addressing the Indigenous engagement directive of international conservation agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Global Financial Crisis the public indebtedness of Australia's States and Territories has risen significantly due to sizeable fiscal deficits. This paper examines the stability of sub-national governments' indebtedness before gauging the fiscal effort needed to scale back public debt to GSP ratios to ten-year average levels. To do this, we first derive key debt sustainability formulae which are then applied to relevant sub-national data. The analysis reveals that under macroeconomic conditions and fiscal settings in 2012-13, debt levels were unstable for all State and Territory general governments. Moreover, virtually all sub-national governments in Australia need to turn existing primary budget deficits into substantial surpluses to restore public debt to levels experienced on average over the previous decade. This is not in prospect without even more substantial fiscal consolidation than currently envisaged in State and Territory budgets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource-dependent communities in hinterland regions of Australia, Canada and elsewhere are rapidly aging, yet many features that distinguish them (e.g., geographic remoteness, small populations, infrastructure built with younger persons in mind) also pose significant challenges for healthy aging. These challenges can lead to substantial gaps in access to formal health and social services, with negative implications for older residents aging-in-place and the development aspirations of resource frontier communities. In this paper, we explore the efforts of voluntary sector leaders to transform resource communities into more livable and supportive places for older adults. We offer a case study of two small towns in Canada's aging resource frontier; one forestry-dependent and the other dependent on coal mining. Our findings suggest that place integration develops through volunteer work and explains how voluntarism works as both a process and outcome of 'placemaking'. We argue that greater attention to place integration is needed to bring into focus the transformative potential of the voluntary sector in creating supportive and sustainable environments for healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities must transform in order to address the challenge of climate change and to achieve societal ambitions such as the sustainable development goals. However, a key impediment to achieving transformation is underdeveloped understandings of how key actors and sectors within the built environment work together to achieve goals. This paper addresses these gaps by developing and visually presenting a process map to describe: the key processes involved in producing the built environment across its life stages; key sectors of the built environment, their key actors, and the activities coordinated between them. The process map was peer reviewed by an expert reference group of built environment professionals active in Australia and the UK. The motivation for developing this process map is to facilitate future research to identify and expedite opportunities for coordinated action to address significant societal challenges such as climate change action, and the sustainable development goals – which require transformative action in cities. • Cities must transform to address climate change • We develop a process map to describe the production of the built environment • Process map describes fundamental activities for producing the built environment • Process map spans built environment life stages; identifying activities and interactions of key sectors and actors • Can be applied to inform transformative action targeted at challenges such as climate change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Encouraging sustainable behaviour among fishers is an increasingly popular, but poorly understood approach to fisheries management. While examples of self-management and co-management offer some insights, there is a need to develop a better account of how diverse factors interact to affect behaviour. This paper explores factors contributing to variation in levels of self-management in five Australian abalone fisheries, using data from interviews, management workshops and surveys. A conceptual model of fishery self-management is developed from these data. Of central importance were the groups’ capacity to cooperate and their perceptions of the state of the resource. These factors were, in turn, influenced by a range of other interrelated conditions. In particular, management forums needed to be perceived by industry members as fair and open, helping to build trust. Trust was built and eroded through feedback loops, meaning mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement were essential. As industry groups struggled with self-enforcement, this was a key area where government provided support. Leaders were also central to these interactions, creating relationships, bearing costs and guiding decisions. The study demonstrates the complexity of such systems and highlights the diverse opportunities for policy makers and managers to improve fishery outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Today''s global society is economically, socially and culturally dependent on minerals and metals. While metals are recyclable, terrestrial mineral deposits are by definition ‘non-renewable’ over human timescales and their stocks are thus finite. This raises the spectre of ‘peak minerals’ – the time at which production from terrestrial ores can no longer rise to meet demand and where a maximum (peak) production occurs. Peak minerals prompts a focus on the way minerals can be sustainably used in the future to ensure the services they provide to global society can be maintained. As peak minerals approaches (and is passed in some cases), understanding and monitoring the dynamics of primary mineral production, recycling and dematerialisation, in the context of national and global discussions about mineral resources demand and the money earned from their sale, will become essential for informing and establishing mechanisms for sustainable mineral governance and use efficiency into the future. Taking a cross-scale approach, this paper explores the economic and productivity impacts of peak minerals, and how changes in the mineral production profile are influenced not only by technological and scarcity factors, but also by environmental and social constraints. Specifically we examine the impacts of peak minerals in Australia, a major global minerals supplier, and the consequences for the Asia-Pacific region, a major destination for Australia''s minerals. This research has profound implications for local and regional/global sustainability of mineral and metal use. The focus on services is useful for encouraging discussion of transitions in how such services can be provided in a future more sustainable economy, when mineral availability is constrained. The research also begins to address the question of how we approach the development of strategies to maximise returns from mineral wealth over generations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Residential water consumption reductions resulting from water efficiency measures has received much research attention in recent years; however, research into the contribution of such measures in reducing hourly water demand and subsequent benefits to urban water service infrastructure efficiency is still in its infancy. In an attempt to address this issue, this study examined the degree of influence that differing water stock (e.g. taps, shower heads, clothes washers) efficiency in 191 households, participating in an Australian smart metering study, had on average day (AD) diurnal consumption patterns. Sub-sample clusters used for analysis were formed by a weighted household water stock efficiency star rating classification method. Results showed a statistically significant reduction in AD peak hour water consumption in households with stock of a higher composite star rating. Paired comparison between households with a composite efficiency rating greater than or equal to (≥) three stars and those of a composite rating less than (<) three stars showed a reduction in AD morning and evening peak hour consumption of 1.9L/p/h/d (15.35%) and 1.55L/p/h/d (16.64%), respectively. The paper concludes with a discussion on pipe network modelling and capital infrastructure efficiency implications derived from a better understanding of the likely reductions in AD peak hour water demand, due to residential water stock efficiency measures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The introduction of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Australia has resulted in an increase in the number and total area of ‘no-take’ zones. The resulting closures impact all forms of commercial and recreational fishing in and around them despite international recognition indicating that Australian fisheries were already well managed according to ecological sustainable development guidelines. Furthermore, it is recognised within Australia that most MPAs are not designed to provide protection from the full suite of known threats that can affect biodiversity and long-term ecosystem viability. By directing MPA management disproportionately towards comprehensive no-take zones that affect fishing practices that are already required by state and federal legislation to adhere to sustainability requirements, the suite of threats affecting both protected and unprotected areas can be left inadequately and/or inappropriately managed. It is shown in this paper that the modified definition of the Precautionary Principle, which was developed specifically for the MPA process in Australia, is not in keeping with accepted international definitions and guidelines for the use of precaution. It is argued that the development of a definition of precaution to justify a predetermined output (MPAs) devalues the sound use of scientific principles and diminishes the conservation outcome. Furthermore, by distracting efforts from determining and managing the full suite of recognised threats, the value of what protection is provided in Australia''s marine protected areas is eroded further. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Regional and global geopark networks are rapidly expanding internationally. A key impetus for their establishment is local community development through geotourism, or tourism that is based on sites of geological interest. Geotourism can be a powerful tool for sustainable development but, if not managed effectively, can constitute a direct threat to geoheritage resources. This paper articulates the characteristics and challenges of geotourism by examining two iconic geosites in Taiwan and Australia. Management challenges of Yehliu Geopark (Taiwan) are many, the most prominent ones being congestion, depreciative visitor behaviour and excessive management footprint. Depreciative behaviour is also a significant challenge to Pinnacles Desert (Australia), though congestion is not yet an imminent problem. These two cases illustrate that achieving sustainable visitor use at iconic geosites can be challenging despite the presence of infrastructure, site hardening and interpretation. The importance of visitor management at geoparks and implications for geotourism are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Concerns about the difficulties in securing water have led the Australian coal mining industry to seek innovative ways to improve its water management and to adopt novel strategies that will lead to less water being used and more water being reused. Simulation tools are essential to assess current water management performance and to predict the efficiency of potential strategies. As water systems on coal mines are complex and consist of various inter-connected elements, a systems approach was selected, which views mine site water management as a system that obtains water from various sources (surface, groundwater), provides sufficient water of suitable quality to the mining tasks (coal beneficiation, dust suppression, underground operations) and maintains environmental performance. In this paper, the model is described and its calibration is illustrated. The results of applying the model for the comparison of the water balances of 7 coal mines in the northern Bowen Basin (Queensland, Australia) are presented. The model is used to assess the impact of applying specific water management strategies. Results show that a simple systems model is an appropriate tool for assessing site performance, for providing guidance to improve performance through strategic planning, and for guiding adoption of site objectives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Scenario planning is a common tool used for dealing with uncertainty in rapidly changing situations. The aim of this paper is to create a practical framework for developing sustainable land use scenarios that has direct policy relevance. The framework was created and tested in a peri-urban area, Rocky Point in South-East Queensland, Australia. The framework, which is driven by participatory processes and consists of an iterative combination of three steps: context assessment, decision structuring and decision analysis. The participatory process involved a range of actors engaged through steering committees, public meetings, focus groups, questionnaires and interviews. The outputs from these activities were four landscape scale scenarios which were sustainably assessed by an impact matrix and equity matrix (relating to a dendrogram of coalition). Critically, these outputs also identified the possible formation of three new social alliances amongst key local actors considered necessary for the manifestation of any of the future scenarios. Application of this framework demonstrated its usefulness to inform policy by outcomes already being included in current policy documents. Additionally, the framework will inform future scenario developers by including: (i) a flexible participatory process able to respond to local contextual needs; (ii) capability to identify ‘triggers for change’ by actors to delineate alternate scenarios; and (iii) development of ‘enabling policies’ as part of the participatory process, to move towards target scenarios. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Valuation metrics, which quantify the environmental benefits of services supplied by farmers, are essential for the effective operation of stewardship programs. Metrics can be used to select stewardship sites/projects in light of budget constraints. This paper describes the design, application and policy relevance of the Tamar Sustainability Index (TSI). The TSI was developed through on-farm field trials of 21 properties and 154 stewardship sites in northern Tasmania in Australia. Multiple criteria analysis (MCA) is used to model investor preferences over multiple services. Combinatorial optimisation procedures are employed to identify the optimum portfolio of stewardship sites. Community preferences were captured through a stakeholder panel of 32 persons who helped to select and weight indicators. We examine the methodological challenges of capturing community preferences, segregating private versus public benefit, incorporating cost and structuring the decision problem. We suggest that our approach can provide an effective means of quantifying benefits of environmental stewardship and guiding investment decisions. A transparent approach that explicitly identifies, and weights, evaluation criteria can improve stakeholder acceptance and investor confidence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Much effort is expended toward planning for conservation, natural resource management and sustainable land use in agricultural landscapes. Although often not explicitly stated, the aims of these efforts are often to restore natural capital for the provision of ecosystem services and stimulate multifunctionality in landscapes. However, the scarcity of resources for, and the potential economic impact of, ameliorative actions that restore natural capital necessitates the identification of cost-effective geographic priorities, or hotspots, which provide multiple ecosystem goods and services. This requires the integrated spatial modelling of multiple environmental and economic processes accompanied by clear goals and performance indicators. Identification of hotspots provides guidance for highly targeted land use change that cost-effectively adds to the stocks of natural capital in a landscape. Additionally, the multifunctionality of the landscape can be increased through the provision of multiple ecosystem goods and services. This paper begins by examining data requirements for identifying geographic hotspots for land use change. This study integrates traditionally disparate landscape-scale biophysical and economic data and models. The elements of natural capital considered here are species and ecosystems, soil and water resources, and the atmosphere. It is demonstrated that locating ameliorative actions towards hotspots will be more cost-effective at restoring natural capital and stimulating landscape multifunctionality than a random targeting approach. We calculate these efficiencies using a small set of indicators for assessing aspects of multifunctionality. The focus of this study is the agricultural landscapes of the Lower Murray region of south-eastern Australia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The reef line fishery (RLF) in eastern Torres Strait (ETS) is unique in that it has both a commercial indigenous sector and a commercial non-indigenous sector. Recently, concerns have been expressed by all stakeholders about the long-term sustainability of the fishery. These concerns have been exacerbated by the lack of detailed catch and effort information from both sectors, which has precluded any formal assessment of the fishery. In this paper, we characterise the harvest patterns and effort dynamics of the indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the ETS RLF using a range of data sources including commercial logbooks, community freezer records, voluntary logbooks and observer surveys. We demonstrate that bycatch is a significant component of the catch for both sectors and identify substantial differences in harvest patterns and effort dynamics between the sectors. Differences between sectors were observed in species composition and spatial and temporal patterns in catch, effort and catch per unit effort. These results highlight the inherent variation in catch and effort dynamics between the two commercial sectors of the ETS RLF and provide valuable information for the development of future assessments and appropriate management strategies for the fishery. The more reliable estimates of harvest patterns and effort dynamics for both sectors obtained from observer surveys will also assist in resolving issues relating to allocation of reef fish resources in Torres Strait. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This special issue of Continental Shelf Research contains 20 papers giving research results produced as part of Australia''s Torres Strait Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) Program, which was funded over a three-year period during 2003–2006. Marine biophysical, fisheries, socioeconomic-cultural and extension research in the Torres Strait region of northeastern Australia was carried out to meet three aims: 1) support the sustainable development of marine resources and minimize impacts of resource use in Torres Strait; 2) enhance the conservation of the marine environment and the social, cultural and economic well being of all stakeholders, particularly the Torres Strait peoples; and 3) contribute to effective policy formulation and management decision making. Subjects covered, including commercial and traditional fisheries management, impacts of anthropogenic sediment inputs on seagrass meadows and communication of science results to local communities, have broad applications to other similar environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Property ownership rights are well managed and understood in developed countries. They are backed by long-standing theoretical, legal and institutional frameworks. In contrast, many new property interests created by governments in response to concerns for sustainability are often poorly managed and understood. If we are to achieve sustainability objectives, the design and administration of these interests must improve. To do this effectively, a shared understanding of property interests and their role must first be developed. This paper introduces the property object, a tool for describing, comparing and classifying all interests in land and natural resources using five key attributes: the objective, actions regulated, spatial extent, duration and the people impacted. The tool provides a system for structuring and ordering information about land in the virtual environment to better deliver sustainable land management. The concept of the property object was developed by analysing all the legislated land interests within the three levels of government in Australia, but it is universally applicable. It builds on existing theories and approaches to understanding and managing land rights and recognizes the substantial changes in property theory since WWII. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Wik people on Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia, have been granted native title over 18,500 km2 of customary land. This was seen as a coup by Wik people and it appears that they have a relatively unencumbered right to manage a large proportion of this land, including for commercial timber production. However, economists of the private property rights tradition are of the view that the inalienable and communal nature of native title presents an obstacle to economic development in remote indigenous communities that will prevent the land from being managed in an economically and ecologically efficient manner, and preclude the land from realising its full market value. This negative view has risen to prominence in Australia and privatisation of the indigenous land estate is being debated. In this paper, it is argued that privatising Australian native title land will not suddenly provide conditions where indigenous enterprise will flourish, nor will it necessarily maximise resource use efficiency where cultural and ecological values are important. For the Wik and other indigenous Australians, factors such as their low Western education and skill levels, poor health, limited financial resources, complex social environment, the remoteness and low productive capacity of their land, and the high importance of non-pecuniary land management objectives, are more important impediments to economic development than the broad type of property right held over natural resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The objective of this special issue is to showcase what Cleaner Production (CP) practitioners and scholars in Australia and New Zealand have accomplished to date, and how they hope to progress in the coming decades. The contributions to this special issue have been grouped under three main categories: sectoral, regional, and CP methods and tools. These contributions suggest that the CP debate has moved on from anecdotal justification of CP through case studies to diffusing and broadening CP practices so that they fulfil their role as effective components of a viable, sustainable society. The continued evolution of CP methods and tools in Australia and New Zealand is a good indicator of such a trend. Papers in all three categories identify and present responses to the challenges faced in ensuring that CP activities are both linked to and informed by policy-making and that they support and enhance decisions made in pursuit of sustainable production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The normative implications of participatory research imply ongoing social learning that ought to lead to personal and institutional transformation. Sustainability science also requires reflexive scientific practice in order to enable the co-generation of solutions that take account of uncertainty and multiple forms of knowledge. However, there is little published peer-reviewed material on how to assess to what degree the rhetoric regarding the benefits of participatory research are achieved in practice, particularly with regard to participatory research for sustainability. This paper outlines how linking the rationales for participatory research and for sustainability science to the principles of evaluation can deliver a conceptually coherent evaluation framework for assessment. The approach for evaluating participatory research in this context consists of framing the evaluation, i.e., setting boundaries on the subject within its social, political, environmental and institutional context and selecting appropriate criteria, methods and data sources. The application of the framework, using a summative evaluation of participatory research for sustainability in north-east Australia, illustrates its strengths and weaknesses, concluding with a consideration of its applicability to further participatory sustainability science. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In 2002, the state of Victoria, Australia increased its “no-take” marine protected areas (MPAs) 100 fold to cover over 5% of its coastal waters in a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of marine national parks and sanctuaries. Given the ambitious targets set for MPA establishment globally in 2003 at the World Summit for Sustainable Development this apparently remarkable achievement could be an example to other nations and states attempting to establish substantial MPA systems. This paper describes and discusses the factors that contributed to the establishment of the Victorian system and the relevance of these factors to other jurisdictions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper responds to challenges made by Castree [Castree, N., 2004. Environmental issues: signals in the noise? Progress in Human Geography 28 (1), 79–90] and Sneddon [Sneddon, C., 2000. ‘Sustainability’ in ecological economics, ecology and livelihoods: a review. Progress in Human Geography 24 (4), 521–549] for human geography to clarify its contribution to environmental debates and engage with recent formulations of sustainability as informed by the ‘new ecology’. This approach focuses on resilience, functional diversity, flexibility and complexity, here used to examine housing sustainability within an industrialised sub/urban context in terms of design philosophy, ownership, management bases, community engagement and funding mechanisms. This framework highlights areas of concern for enhancing the functional diversity of housing systems, echoing recent assertions that challenges for sustainability arise more from trust and power sharing issues, than from physical design and maintenance issues. It is argued that it is precisely human geography’s place-by-place consideration of power, embeddedness, scale and politics that can lend new ecology the social relevance it requires. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In responding to the demand for major review of teacher education to meet the needs and challenges of the twenty-first century, the Faculty of Education at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia is in the throes of a major review of its primary teacher education program. This review is taking place in the midst of University wide debate on the nature and scope of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). While consensus exists of the importance of ESD, debate continues regarding programs, policies, and practices. Education staff members feel strongly that new programs should encompass knowledge, issues, perspectives, skills, and values central to ESD, but remain uncertain about how this could best be achieved. The “strengths model” where every discipline and every staff member and student can contribute is being utilised by the working parties and is likely to be adopted as a means of ESD. To determine a benchmark for inclusion of components of ESD, and as one stage of including students in the decision-making process, a survey was conducted in February 2004 that sought to determine general environmental attitudes, specific practices and perceptions of a need to change. The survey indicated that a large portion of the students enrolled in preservice teacher education at this University were very concerned about environmental issues and felt that their preparation as teachers should include aspects of teaching about sustainability. The survey also indicated however, that the knowledge base regarding environmental issues was minimal and insight into the social, cultural and economic complexities of ESD was quite superficial. Students openly expressed a lack of confidence in their ability to make wise decisions or take appropriate action. This paper describes the context and strategies of the current restructure/reorientation of the preservice teacher program, highlighting the current and potential impacts of student involvement in the process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Eco-industrial parks (EIPs) provide a basis for applying the concept of industrial ecology. In Australia, eco-industrial parks are new and are being considered by state governments as a way of achieving more sustainable industrial development. However, for many firms, local government and communities, industrial ecology is a concept that is misunderstood and treated with suspicion. This paper uses research undertaken to investigate the application of industrial ecology to ensure more sustainable industry development in the State of Queensland, Australia, to develop a set of principles and planning guidelines for use by governments to facilitate the development of eco-industrial parks. Synergy Park, 22 km west of Brisbane, is Australia’s first planned eco-industrial park to be built. The planning and development of this eco-industrial park was a significant challenge to the developer and public agencies concerned with this project. The case study presented in this document provides useful lessons and advice for planners and developers involved with the planning and development of eco-industrial parks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the coming decades, a large portion of the world population is expected to embrace urbanization. The demand for thermal comfort in populous and congested urban centres, especially in developing countries across the globe, is expected to rise many folds. Alternates to conventional air-cooling systems are water-based evaporation cooling. Recently introduced efficient multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling using the Maisotsenko(M)-Cycle has shown success with improved performance by theoretically reaching the dew-point of the incoming air. However, the impact of large-scale use of such cooling devices shall inadvertently leave huge strains on the urban useable water resources. On the other hand, cooling, as usual, is not sustainable with the global demand for air cooling units shall grow many folds up to 5.0 billion units over the next decade compared to currently 1.3 billion in service units. Alternates of high electricity consuming air cooling, such as Maisotsenko cycle based devices are part of the solution only if the water impact can be brought to minimal in an efficient manner. A key development in this regard is the utilization of water recovery systems from waste air streams leaving air coolers. A few studies and models have shown their successful working and predictions. This paper initially analyzes the global impacts of air-cooling devices using the commercially available product designed to work on the Maisotsenko cycle. Moreover, the impact of these devices on the global scale in terms of utility as well as their water footprints are estimated. The results produce a grim picture since most favourable zones/regions in the globe for indirect evaporative cooling are also labelled as high on the water stress index. Secondly, global assessment of water recovery unit in terms of reduction in water footprint and combined cooling and recovery system Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) are also assessed. Based on the assessments and predictions of global economic parameters, a wholesome Levelized Cost of Electricity of combined air cooling and water recovery system is estimated for each zone across the globe favourable for the Maisotsenko cycle based air cooler. The hypothesis postulate that the global projections of the energy-efficiency-ratio should be improved while diminishing its water footprints at a lower Levelized cost. The prime purpose of the research is to evaluate the technological advancement presented in the commercial M50 air cooler for energetic, economical, and water-related indicators with the consideration of global projections in similitude to the social contexts of the region. Our hypothesis is verified with our assessment and the principal results have suggested that recovering the water from M-50 cooler, a commercially available device working on M-Cycle, yields in the reduction of specific water usage per ton of air cooling by ~63% while the EER improved by ~26% as compared to the conventional air cooling and the Levelized Cost of energy is 0.014 USD/kWh which is much lower than the conventional air conditioning systems. The findings of this article have concluded that proposed technological advancement has better performance indicators, suiting the complicated local context, and it is suggested/recommended to the governments (especially the Middle East, South Asian, Central Asian, North African, and Australia) to include such natural air coolers (particularly M-Cycle machines) in the national energy efficiency plans to meet the global sustainability targets of United Nations. Image 1 • Maisotsenko air cooler can be a possible sustainable and futuristic air-cooling device. • Global and mass scaling of these machines can generate water-energy nexus. • An energetically-efficient method to decrease the water footprints is demonstrated. • Global projection of thermoeconomics and water footprints are plotted. • The findings can help policy-making bodies to decide the sustainable future of air-conditioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian affordable rental housing sector has historically faced barriers to green building (GB) adoption due to issues of split-incentives, despite financial support from the commonwealth. This paper explores how a recent shift towards bond-based funding mechanisms offer an opportunity to integrate green building practices, and influence regional social, environmental and economic outcomes. A novel system dynamics model is developed to forecast a business as usual (BAU) and green-building scenario framed around the recently introduced Australian Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator (AHBA) policy framework. The purpose of the model is to examine how a mandate on green building standards together with the use of green versus conventional bonds impact social, environmental and economic outcomes of the framework over a 20-year horizon, within the South East Queensland metropolitan area of Australia. The study determined that the green building framework would deliver 2.37% less housing overall due to higher initial capital costs. However, offers substantial long-term energy and water efficiency benefits, improved affordability for tenants due to reduced utility costs, deferred water and energy infrastructure benefits, and considerable contributions towards Australia's carbon emission reduction targets. Tenants are expected to benefit from a 45–59% reduction in energy and a 27% decrease in water bills. Moreover, a shift to affordable green building policy could contribute to 2.9% of Australia's Conference of Parties (2030) carbon emissions reduction target if applied nationally. The study concludes with a sensitivity analysis to reveal policy refinement recommendations that would yield the benefits of green affordable housing without sacrificing the small reduction in housing stock delivered by the proposed program. • A System dynamics model is applied to determine affordable housing policy outcomes. • A business as usual versus green building policy scenario are compared and analysed. • Three policy recommendations are presented to improve the GB scenario. • GB policy benefits are substantial therefore developer grant scheme is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]