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Impact assessment as a discipline continues to evolve and search for ways to address challenges that are wicked, systemic, and unconventional. More guidance however is required on integrating multi-disciplinary and novel approaches without losing the richness of impact assessments. This paper explores integrating the causal network approach, underpinned by a community well-being framework, into environmental and social impact assessments. We do this by using a hypothetical scenario of large-scale green hydrogen industry in Australia and engage an interdisciplinary team of experts representing a broad experience across the social, economic, and environmental sectors, via interviews and a workshop. The result is a complex detailed causal network, depicting both environmental and social risks and opportunities associated with the hydrogen industry. We discuss using simple and complex versions of causal networks as both are needed to when communicatng with all relevant stakeholders. We found that the causal network approach is useful for the initial scoping of potential social and environmental impacts, especially for a multi-disciplinary team. Three areas were identified to further strengthen such an approach to facilitate a fully-fledged impact assessment in a real case. First, causal relationships need to be evaluated to assess the magnitude of the impacts and identify mitigation measures and incentives. Second, stakeholders, including local communities, should be involved throughout the assessment process, beginning from the conceptualisation of such assessments. Third, the causal network approach presented in this paper is likely to benefit from incorporating ecological frameworks (or similar) to expand environmental pathways in the network. • Structured mapping of cause-and-effect relationships of complex systems. • Use of a community well-being framework for social and biophysical dimensions. • Value in developing complex and simplified representations of reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Qualitative outcomes of energy poverty across Australian climate zones are compared. • Outcomes influenced by energy costs and local energy, housing and welfare policies. • Measures of energy poverty and policy responses need to reflect local contexts. Academic interests into energy poverty have been growing since the 1990s. These have ranged from quantitative measures and qualitative reflections, as well as ones that aimed to provide more nuanced definitions. These studies have, however, typically focused on single jurisdictions or across national borders, with very few examining the issue across different climatic and policy contexts within the same nation. This paper aims to address this gap by focussing on differences in climate conditions, local policies and quality of the housing stock across Australia and reflects on how these factors each played a role, to varying degrees, in the prevalence of energy poverty amongst lower-income households across eight metropolitan and regional settings conducted as part of a recent study in Australia. Through a review of focus group, interview and workshop data, it especially highlights the more qualitative impacts of energy poverty, and how each of these factors come to influence the extent to which lower-income households experience energy poverty and the support they were able to access. Additional to the need for more contextualised measures of energy poverty, this paper calls for localised responses to alleviate the negative outcomes reflected by our participants in regard to both energy and housing policies. [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]

This paper explores the ways in which economic regulation accommodates uncertainty through an examination of experience of regulation in Australia against a background discussion of literature on regulatory risk and principles for good regulation. Regulation, typically in the form of incentive based price caps, often applies to aviation infrastructure, such as major airports and air navigation services. At the same time, the demand for aviation infrastructure services is uncertain and subject to external shocks. Two case studies in economic regulation of aviation infrastructure are examined. They cover a period of volatile demand associated with the collapse of a major domestic airline which coincided with the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. One case study involves the application of price caps to newly privatized airports during 1997–2002. The other case study examines the development of a long term price path for air navigation services over 2002 to 2004. The case studies illustrate the important role played by regulatory design. The paper concludes that the design of the regulatory framework has an important role in ameliorating the risks associated with uncertainty. [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]

Accurately predicting estuaries water quality is essential to support immediate intervention to water quality problem management. Deep learning is used to improve forecasting of water quality parameters in many aquatic systems. However, it is frequently constrained by low data frequency and quality. High-frequency, continuous monitoring using integrated in-situ water quality and environmental sensors can be an input to deep learning models resulting in highly accurate water quality and environmental predictions. This paper proposes a novel approach to improve forecasting of water quality and environmental variables. The results of the real-world data from the Swan Canning Estuary sites show how well the suggested model works. With different sizes of training and testing sets, the model can still predict the increased number of hours in high scores. Eliminating highly correlated variables impact the model's performance, emphasising the usefulness of strongly correlated variables in scarce data scenarios. • This article proposes a framework to enhance water quality variable forecasting. • The framework reframes the time series problem as a supervised learning problem. • The results on the set of data from the estuary show how well the framework works. • The approach is envisaged to support management in detecting water quality issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional glass bottles are the wine industry's major source of carbon emissions. Those wishing to reduce the carbon footprint embedded in wine have been looking to alternative packaging, such as PET, aluminium cans, and bag-in-box (BIB) to mitigate the impact. However, these alternative formats pose challenges with consumer acceptance and knowledge of the eco-benefits of each format. This paper uses a discrete choice experiment and latent class analysis to investigate the possible effects of message content and style (abstract vs concrete) on wine purchase in the context of brand size, brand prestige, and pricing. The analysis reveals the presence of two customer segments, which highly emphasise the pack format. Of the four non-glass packs tested, BIB and flat glass lookalike PET bottles score the highest preference after glass bottles. Message content and appeal type score low in their ability to alter preferences, whilst mid-to-low prices increase the chances of alternative packaging to be chosen. • Packaging format is a key choice driver for wine. • Glass is still the most preferred packaging format. • Bag in Box and low-carbon alternatives that look most like glass have the most potential for uptake. • Message content and appeal have little impact on choice. • Alternative packaging is more likely to be chosen for mid-to-low-priced wines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon reduction has become one of the most significant challenges for economic growth. This paper presents the preliminary analysis of undesirable output reduction targets and emission schedules in temporal–spatial comparisons based on Data Envelopment Analysis. The reduction targets of undesirable outputs are investigated, including the maximum, input, technical and ideal reduction targets. Four Data Envelopment Analysis models that are based on a sequential benchmark technology and variable returns to scale are introduced to measure these reduction percentages. In order to formulate the optimal emission schedule of undesirable outputs, an optimal model is provided without inflation. Data from the Australian construction industry from 2000 to 2010 are employed to develop the models. The results of the analysis indicate that the Australian Government could achieve its promised carbon reduction targets in the construction industry. Most Australian regions' construction industries possess carbon mitigation potential and some of them could increase their desirable outputs if carbon were decreased. This paper suggests that policymakers can benefit from formulating various suitable undesirable output reduction objectives and schedules through the models developed. The research method can be replicated for other sectors and regions focussing on undesirable output reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Activism has a substantial role within the specialization of Indigenous Australian public relations. • Indigenous women working in public relations utilize their activist skill set in their personal lives. • There are unique cultural connections between the concepts of Indigeneity, professional activism and personal activism. • Indigenous Australian public relations strategies can involve activism through fashion. The role of activism is important in the field of Indigenous Australian public relations as a strategy for creating change and giving back to Indigenous people and communities. However, there is a dearth of information on how, when, and why Indigenous women employed in public relations engage in activist practices. This paper aims to help fill this gap by exploring the activist practices used by Indigenous women working in public relations in their personal lives. By considering personal activism from the perspectives of Indigenous women in public relations, we can further conceptualize activism within the profession. Through the critical lens of Indigenous women's standpoint theory, and utilizing an Indigenous yarning method, five Indigenous women discuss their definitions of activism and the various ways in which they engage in activism within their personal lives. This paper builds upon the ideas of activism within public relations and demonstrates the power of public relations in terms of influencing social change for Indigenous people and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Presents a typology of emergent risk that highlights the iterative and inter-related nature of climate change risk, and propensity for impacts, such as legal action and reduced debt access, to emerge subsequent to, yet far removed from, initial physical impacts. • Highlights current practice and gaps in local government risk management concerning emergent risk. • Highlights the potential and need for local government to consider, the application of risk transfer mechanisms such as catastrophe bonds in the face of historical and conceivable climate change-perpetuated reduced access to, and increased cost of, traditional mechanisms such as insurance. • Provides insight into barriers and enablers to local government agencies gaining an appreciation of the potential application of alternative risk transfer mechanisms. Insurance represents an integral part of local government risk management strategy. As climate change progresses, increased loss and risk related to extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, could motivate insurers to withdraw from certain markets. In some regions, such a withdrawal represents an emergent risk that, when coupled with increasing populations and other climate change impacts, could leave local governments and ratepayers particularly vulnerable. This paper investigates such a scenario and its ramifications in the context of a region particularly vulnerable to climate change, through an exploration of the degree that consideration of emergent risks, such as loss of insurance, and the potential application of insurance alternatives influence Queensland local government risk management. The study finds little appreciation amongst government officials of emergent risk implicit in extreme weather events such as cyclones, little understanding of the nuances of risk transfer mechanisms beyond familiar traditional insurance and disaster funding mechanisms, and by default, a lack of appreciation of the relationship between the two. A lack of resource and leadership with respect to emergent risk, and an absence of dialogue between insurance brokers and local government concerning climate change risk arise as the main reasons for this result. This research is significant because it challenges current local government risk management practice through an exploration of the risks inherent in the process itself. This has potential social, economic and ecological ramifications in drawing attention to aspects of possible "uninsurability" and prospects of alleviation thereto. Further research is recommended to consider the insurance industry's part in this study's findings in order to inform current industry practice and thinking and further enlighten the causes of local government disengagement in this critical area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Direct and indirect effects of sectors on net energy consumption are analysed. • Level effect is identified as the major driver for increasing energy consumption. • Manufacturing has the largest energy consumption reduction potential. • How to decrease net energy consumption has been offered to policy-makers. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of Australian net energy consumption between 2004–05 and 2014–15. Results from environmentally-extended input-output (EEIO) analysis show that the Transport sector has the largest direct effect on net energy consumption in industrial sectors, which decreased by about 35% for net energy consumption per million $AUD in the period. The Export sector has the largest direct net energy consumption while Households consumption results in the largest net energy consumption embodied in different categories of Final demand. The structural decomposition analysis (SDA) decomposes the change of net energy consumption into five drivers, in which net energy intensity mainly reduces Australian net energy consumption by about 8000 Petajoules, while the level effect of Final demand increases it by about 10,000 Petajoules. Analysis of forward and backward linkages highlights the Manufacturing sector as the key industrial sector with the largest energy consumption reduction potential via minor changes in its input and Final demand. This indicates that more attention should be given to the reduction of energy demand from the consumption patterns of Households consumption, the improvement of energy intensity, and the application of cleaner technologies in the Transport and Manufacturing sectors. The Australian Environmental-Economic Accounts is combined with Australian input-output tables to construct the EEIO tables for net energy consumption. The combination of economic and environmental data sets provides a depth of understanding their potential to inform environmental policy decisions. The novelty of the research is the combination of economic and energy data sets, the application of EEIO model, the implementation of the additive SDA method, and the use of forward and backward linkages for the Australian energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A heatwave can be a devastating natural disaster to human health, and elderly people are particularly vulnerable. With the continuing rise in earth's surface temperature alongside the world's aging population, research on the mortality burden of heatwave for the older population remains relatively sparse. The potential magnitude of benefits of averting such deaths may be considerable. Objectives This paper examined the short-term mortality displacement (or “harvesting”) of heatwave, characterized the heatwave-mortality relationship, and estimated death burden and health costs attributable to heatwave among the elderly in Australia. Methods We collected daily data on the temperature and deaths of people aged ≥75 years in the five largest cities of Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide), totaling 368,767 deaths in different periods between 1988 and 2011. A total of 15-tiered heatwave definitions, based on intensity (95th to 99th percentiles of temperature distribution) and duration (two or more consecutive days), were used to quantify heatwave effects, using time-series regression and random-effects meta-analysis. We calculated attributable deaths for each city and by different types of heatwave. Potential economic benefits in monetary terms were also estimated, considering that heat-related deaths are avoidable. Results Among the Australian elderly population, we found significant associations between heatwave and deaths, with raised mortality immediately in the first few days followed by lower-than-expected mortality. In general, heatwave was associated with an average death increase of 28% (95% confidence interval: 15% to 42%), and greater increases were mostly observed for more intense heatwaves across multiple megacities. During the study period, there were dozens to hundreds of deaths attributable to heatwave for each city, equating to an economic loss of several million Australian dollars every year. Although the estimated attributable deaths varied by heatwave intensity and duration, the pattern was not consistent across cities. Conclusions Heatwave caused harvesting effects on mortality in the elderly population of Australia, and contributed to a substantial amount of death burden and indirect financial costs. To lessen the health impacts of heatwave in the affected regions, effective heatwave early warning systems and interventions targeted at the elderly population could be beneficial, both now and in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a range of evidence, Cook (2019) concluded that increased erosion and sedimentation followed the movement of Europeans into new regions of Australia soon after A.D. 1788. Woodward (this issue) takes issue with this position, based largely on the interpretation of lake sediment records from a single study site on the New England Tablelands of eastern Australia. Many of Woodward's comments (and their singular focus) are beyond the aims and scope of Cook (2019), which examined the evidence for human impacts on soils and erosion in early colonial Australia. This paper addresses the following issues raised by Woodward: (1) that there is no evidence of environmental impacts from the first half century of 'illegal' settlers and land use in Australia, and (2)that other historical and scientific records of increased erosion and sedimentation before 1840 cannot be relied on. Further, this paper corrects other errors and inaccuracies found in Woodward's reply. This paper draws on many datasets to expand the argument that European land use, resource extraction, and agriculture resulted in landscape disturbance before 1840 in Australia. Finally, this reply demonstrates why Woodward's claim of no major impacts from illegal Europeans before 1840 in Australia is, for many locations, improbable based on the evidence available, and for large swathes of eastern Australia, difficult to support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the observed impacts of COVID-19 on the behaviour of a cross-section of the general aviation (GA) community in Australia. It specifically observes the nature of management decision making observed in the sector, and the financial impacts of such choices. This paper highlights a lack of financial acumen in the Australian GA community which is likely to inhibit resilience in the sector and limit its ability to learn from the economic shock COVID-19 represents. Finally, the paper proposes several initiatives to improve the quality of management decision making in the sector's leadership, with a view to improving its financial outlook and visibility to policy makers. • COVID-19 a challenge to General Aviation in Australia. • Operators ill-prepared due to lack of business continuity planning. • Problems acerbated by lack of policy insights into the GA community. • New dimensions of cost are yet to be mapped, including staff welfare. • Remodelling of oversight needs to focus on acumen and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use a form of discourse analysis to explore the ‘activity’ that three quite different sustainability reports set up as companies communicate their social and environmental performance. Our aim is to show what sustainability reports ‘do’ – in order to offer insights about what they ‘could do’. We show that the companies are using sustainability reporting strategically, and that sustainability is embedded in to the company's strategic priorities. Where they mostly narrate and argue a point of view, sustainability reporting can offer additional benefits by transiting towards dialogue. Dialogue provides stakeholders with the means to engage substantially with companies, and also introduce new discourses that may open up new directions in how companies contribute to sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental issues are becoming more urgent. Biodiversity loss, climate change, extreme events and global pressures on resources place increasing importance on decision making about how natural resources should be managed. Natural capital accounting (NCA) is gaining popularity as a systematic approach to recognise the full value of natural resources such as soil, vegetation, animals, water, and biodiversity. To understand perceptions and opportunities for awareness and behaviour change relating to the use of NCA, we conducted a discourse analysis of 57 interviews with stakeholders across Australia. Our aim is to promote discussion and reflection about perceptions of natural resources as forms of capital, and the role of NCA to underpin management practice change and support sustainability. We identify four key areas of contestation that relate to values, complexity, digital technology, and the desired future vision of NCA in society. Findings include conflicting views around whether NCA should have a diversity of tailored approaches or a consistent approach for all and that digital technology has and will continue to shape the way NCA is conducted. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to take a discourse analysis approach to perceptions of natural capital accounting. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assess the uniqueness of stakeholder engagement activities in air route development (ARD) and identify what leadership and governance attributes are more relevant in the four critical stages of ARD. Our context is the Australian aviation market, analysing the differences in this process when developing routes to airports of different sizes. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used as the primary data collection tool. Twenty-two ARD experts from airports, airlines, and tourism authorities (TAs) shared their views on ARD and stakeholder engagement. Our results are presented using the four stages of ARD (i.e., development of route objectives, market research, route development activities, and route implementation) and key leadership and governance attributes identified in each of these stages. In a tourism sector heavily dependent on air transport, where Australian airports operate under a light-handed regime with little competition among major airports, we have identified strong partnerships between the involved stakeholders. While the airport often leads the ARD process, airports of different sizes engage differently. TAs play a significant role, particularly for regional and emerging airports. The results of this study analyse the ARD procedures and strategies used by airports, airlines, and TAs. • Australian aviation market encourages unique stakeholder engagement in ARD. • One of a few qualitative ARD studies used in-depth interviews. • Airports of different size engage differently in the ARD process. • Tourism authorities play key role for regional and emerging airports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable mitigation efforts, global emissions from the electricity sector continued to grow in recent years. In Australia, the electricity sector is the largest CO 2 -emitting industry, contributing 35% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions. The Australian government targets an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 relative to 2010. With a large variety and quantity of renewable energy resources, it is technically feasible and seems indispensable that Australia's electricity sector be largely decarbonised by 2050 in order to achieve this target. In this paper, scenario-based hybrid Life-Cycle Assessment is applied to calculate the economy-wide carbon footprints of seven electricity generation technologies in scenarios with differing renewable electricity penetration. This work is the first to apply a full life-cycle approach to scenario analysis of electricity generation in Australia. The findings are at the higher end of previously reported carbon footprint intensity ranges and above median values. However, even when taking into account indirect emissions along the technologies' life-cycles, the results indicate that the employment of different renewable energy technologies can potentially save a considerable fraction of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. This makes renewables an essential option for climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the emergence and co-production of ‘connectivity conservation’ in Australia. Connectivity conservation seeks to restore ecological connectivity at a landscape scale through collaborative conservation. Claims that connectivity conservation will connect landscapes and communities resonate powerfully throughout the Australian conservation community. This metaphor is part of a broader science narrative that shifts connectivity from a descriptive ecological concept to one imbued with normative claims about the inherent value of collaboration and large intact landscapes. In a relatively short period, this narrative has taken hold. The Federal Government developed a National Wildlife Corridors Plan and there are now connectivity initiatives in every Australian state. When stabilized in the Australian landscape, the concept of connectivity as come to embody much more than the original scientific interpretation of the terminology. This expanded focus has been core to the popularization of the practice of connectivity conservation, however it has raised concerns within certain academic communities about the scientific rigor underpinning these new efforts. This article analyses ‘connectivity’ as a boundary object, and an emergent science narrative that has united diverse and conflicting perspectives. In this case, the interplay between science, policy, and practice produced significant policy outcomes despite a somewhat contested debate about the relationship between connectivity science and the practice of connectivity conservation. As connectivity science and practice co-evolve, there are growing calls to support collaborative knowledge production. This paper draws on Jasanoff's critical analytical understanding of co-production to highlight the importance of understanding the social and normative dimensions in instrumental efforts to co-produce knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead is a persistent pollutant and the subject of many environmental studies, yet, in Australia, the extent of atmospheric lead emissions from the use of leaded petrol is unquantified. This paper details the first comprehensive account of leaded petrol sales and its lead concentrations over the 70 years of use in Australia. The resulting atmospheric lead emissions are calculated to provide the most complete understanding of the volume of lead released to the Australian continent from the consumption of leaded petrol. Atmospheric emissions of lead to the entire Australian continent from leaded petrol are calculated to total 240,510 tonnes over seven decades of use, peaking at 7869 tonnes in 1974. Total emissions for individual states and territories range from 1745 to 67,893 tonnes, with New South Wales responsible for the largest emissions. The effect of regulations on allowable concentrations of tetraethyl-lead additives are observed in the reduction of lead emissions in New South Wales and Victoria. The consequences to human health and the environment of leaded petrol consumption in Australia's populous cities are examined against historical air quality data and blood lead levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the Public Relations Institute of Australia's introduction in 1991 of a national accreditation programme for university courses. Drawing on an analysis of previously unstudied industry archives, it identifies four themes significant for industry perspectives of education: public relations knowledge; industry expectations and experience; public relations curricula; and academic legitimacy. While university education was perceived by institute members to demonstrate the professional standing of public relations, the findings reveal divergent understandings of its role and content and identify considerable resistance to the institutionalisation of public relations knowledge. At the same time, the expansion and marketisation of higher education led to the introduction of new, vocational courses such as public relations. The significance of this study is it offers new insights into the development of Australian public relations education and the role of the professional association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the emissions implications of co-combusting imported ammonia in coal-fired power stations. The study adopts a supply chain approach, estimating the emissions reduction potential of 20% ammonia co-combustion in coal-fired power stations in the country of use, and the emissions associated with ammonia production in the country of origin. The paper considers the emissions implications of using different ammonia production technologies: Haber-Bosch (HB) ammonia production with hydrogen generated from steam methane reforming using natural gas (SMR), with and without carbon capture and storage (CCS); Haber-Bosch ammonia production with hydrogen generated from renewable sources; and fully renewable electricity generated ammonia. The empirical setting of the study is an ammonia supply chain encompassing Japan and Australia. The results show co-combustion of ammonia produced with SMR-HB provides no net benefit for the combined country emissions, as ammonia production related greenhouse emissions in Australia are equivalent to the emission reductions in Japan. In contrast, co-firing ammonia produced from fully renewable sources reduces emissions in the two countries in 2030 by 43 MT per annum. SMR-HB processes with varying levels of CCS reduce annual emissions by 16–34 MT. Based on the results, different policy options are suggested for managing the emissions associated with a Japan-Australia ammonia supply chain. • Japan actively pursuing ammonia/coal co-combustion to reduce power sector greenhouse gas emissions. • An Australia-Japan ammonia supply is examined at a country boundary emissions basis. • Choice of ammonia manufacturing approach has significant impact on emissions. • 40 MT pa saving in Japan offset by 39 ± 11 MT pa increase in Australia from Best Available Technology. • Only a fully renewable ammonia manufacturing process reduces emissions in both Australia and Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wine industry has been dedicating increasing efforts to considering the sustainability of the environment. Various approaches have been implemented to reduce the industry's carbon footprint. With over 40 million wine tourists globally, cellar door operations have become an important distribution channel, especially for the financial sustainability of small and medium-sized wineries, but this component has not been addressed in existing environmental life cycle assessments. This paper presents a methodology for measuring the carbon footprint of wine tourism and cellar door sales based on a combination of the bottom-up and the top-down approaches. In the case of Australia, we find both domestic and international wine tourism lead to substantially higher carbon emissions than the standard wine distribution channels. The difference can be more than 100 fold per bottle of wine. In addition, the benchmarking analysis indicates that cellar door sales may become the most carbon intensive component across all life cycle stages of wine. This information offers an opportunity to evaluate the environmental trade-offs that maybe involved in obtaining the numerous benefits of wine tourism, and to consider ways of minimizing wine tourism-related carbon emissions in the future. • A method for assessing the carbon emissions of direct-to-consumer "cellar door" sales to wine tourists is proposed. • The impacts of domestic and international wine tourism in Australia are evaluated and benchmarked. • Selling wine to tourists has a much larger carbon footprint than distributing through retailers. • Wine tourism and cellar door sales may be the most carbon intensive component across all wine production and consumption stages. • This methodology is a useful tool for predicting and monitoring the economic and environmental trade-offs of wine tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant models of adaptive thermal comfort are derived from observations largely drawn from commercial and non-residential buildings. The appropriateness of these models for application in the evaluation or specification of residential thermal performance, however, remains largely untested and emerging work suggests that people within their own homes—with more opportunities for adaptation—have markedly different comfort preferences. This study draws on a substantial database of observations from Australian residential thermal comfort field studies, comprising of over 50,000 observations contributed by occupants of over 300 houses and apartments. We develop a new analytical procedure for the derivation of adaptive thermal comfort models. This paper describes the methodological issues and presents the derived model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an estimation of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) products put-on-market (PoM), electronic-waste (e-waste) generation and the stock of EEE products in Australia from the year 2000–2047, considering seven categories that encompass 51 different types of product. Holt's double-exponential smoothing and dynamic lifespans (using the Weibull distribution function) are applied to compute past and future PoM and in e-waste generation, respectively. With the estimation, it is found that EEE PoM was increased from 470 kilo tons (kt) to 2135 kt in a timeframe of 2000–2015. On the other hand, e-waste generation was 115 kt in the year 2000, which then increased to 485 kt in the year 2010. For the projected period (2018–2047), the annual average growth of e-waste generation will be around 3%. E-waste generation will increase, particularly for large household appliances (LHA), small household appliances (SHA) and consumer equipment (CE), in terms of weight. This study evaluates the potentially recoverable material and revenue potential of regulated products (e.g., computer, televisions and other IT peripherals currently considered under the national television and computer recycling scheme (NTCRS) and mobile phones) and e-waste generated outside of the current product coverage. The gap between revenue generation from regulated and non-regulated products is quantitatively assessed for the first time and reported in this paper. Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis performed by Monte Carlo simulation showed the robustness and accuracy of this study. This quantification will provide invaluable insights to policymakers, including products in future legislative reform as well as the development of the recycling industry in Australia. Furthermore, this study presents a transparent process of calculation for time-series data that can be used for e-waste generation estimation for other countries, as well. • E-products put-on-market, e-waste generation, and stock in Australia were estimated. • The potentially recoverable material and revenue potential were evaluated. • The revenue generation gap between NTCRS and unregulated e-products was assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]