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Nature-based solutions (NBS) are implemented across multiple cities worldwide and feature as promising solutions in local and global agendas. As solutions that can deal with interlinked urban challenges, NBS are being taken up by cities in different geographies and are considered to be mainstreaming. The process, referred to as mainstreaming, and how this can be achieved needs to be better understood, which is identified as a research gap. In this paper, we examine the roles that actors can undertake that contribute to the mainstreaming of NBS in cities. The aim is to understand the roles that urban actors, especially those within local governments, assume in the process of NBS mainstreaming to mobilise and implement novel and innovative strategic solutions for cities. This topic is explored in a case study of the metropolitan Melbourne region in Australia, where urban forest strategies are gaining traction in local governments for addressing urban resilience concerns. We present how the roles different actors assume contribute to the (re)shaping, building, and/or transformation of institutions to attain climate and ecologically resilient cities. The main contribution of this paper is a pathways framework that illustrates how sustainability norms can move through the mainstreaming process, facilitated by the roles that actors undertake – to champion, advocate, and realise transformative discourses and actions within urban politics and urban practices. Our key findings are framed as success factors of mainstreaming agencies and pathways underpinning transformation, which are: commitment longevity, innovative capacity, collaborative mindset, and on-ground delivery. • Policy, practice, and research actors can facilitate NBS mainstreaming in cities. • Role archetypes describe the mainstreaming actions of specific actors. • The configuration of roles is analysed to explain mainstreaming pathways. • Define mainstreaming pathways framework for actors' roles in NBS mainstreaming. • Success factors are commitment, innovation, collaboration, and on-ground delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Climate change and dynamic government policy is compounding pressure on water resources in farming landscapes creating water scarcity. Successful adaptation to a more sustainable farming system in the face of water scarcity is not a foregone conclusion and requires choosing between short-term incremental change or more transformational options. In this paper, we propose a framework 'unpacking' four pathways that farmers might use to achieve sustainability: absorb, exploit, adapt and transform. Each pathway has specific attributes that relate to the type of farming system change undertaken. The framework is applied to 28 irrigation farmers from southern Murry Darling Basin, Australia, all facing water scarcity from drought and water policy. Using semi-structured interviews, we test the attributes and found they help understand farmers' pathway choices. We show that farmers use all four pathways, either singularly or simultaneously, to achieve a range of sustainability outcomes when facing a water crisis, although some are maladapted, and result in less sustainable outcomes. The study adds to the literature on pathways to sustainability by illustrating the need to clarify attributes that describe what each pathway means to farmers' decision-making and to consider multiple pathways, not just one, e.g. transformation. Policy implications are clear: there are various pathways to, or away from, farm sustainability. Therefore, policy interventions must be 'fit for purpose' and appropriately consider the diversity of farmer capacities and contexts. A focus on a single pathway or single technological fix will fail to deliver farm sustainability. This paper starts to develop a more specific and nuanced understanding of pathways to farm sustainability that reflect real life farming experiences with insight for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residential building sector & transportation sector has received significant attention in recent years due to carbon emissions affecting the livelihoods of humans. Electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to play a vital role in reducing dependency on non-renewable fuels and the transportation sector's environmental implications. Building integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), on the other hand, will be able to cut down the energy requirements and contribute to building sustainability. This paper evaluates the energy, economic, and environmental performances of BIPV with EV charging system systems for a building in Canberra, Australia. BIPV with EV charging can assist in fulfilling building energy needs, charging electric vehicles, and reducing grid reliance. Different load scenarios were studied to optimize system size. Different panel layouts with orientation have been studied for the 5.0kWp BIPV system, each module rating 355kWp. The annual energy output of the BIPV system was found to vary between 8.56 MWh for layout one and 7.08MWh for layout 3. It was found that the payback back of the proposed BIPV system is 4.46 years, LCOE of 0.074AUD/kWh and EV charging cost of 0.95AUD/100 km. The BIPV with EV charging system could save approximately 160,198 kgCO 2 e in GHG emissions over its lifespan. • The estimated annual energy for the BIPV system with Layout 1 is 8.56MWh. • The energy supplied to the grid was found to be positive in the BIPV system. • The performance ratio of the proposed layouts for the BIPV system is 81.7 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four spheres of confluence are found between the modern market economy and diverse economies. • Ecovillages may be places where speheres of confluence between economic approaches may be incubated, experienced and experimented. • Mixed methods research is used to study a recently formed Australian ecovillage. • Community is identified as the principle motivation for living in an ecovillage, this is reflected in the social economic transactions enacted. The practices of ecologically-minded alternative communities illuminate differing perspectives on what might constitute an economy. This paper explores the extant literature and presents a framework for considering four spheres of confluence between the modern market economy and diverse economies: economic production practices, attitudes towards growth, environmental responsiveness and the socialrelational context of transactions. Drawing on evidence from an Australian ecovillage, the paper adopts the framework presented as a means of understanding the experiences of cooperatively negotiating various practices necessary to establish an intentionally sustainable community economy. Through this analysis, the paper provides insights into ways ecovillages may operate in the context of the modern market economy without adopting all of its practices. Ecovillages may indeed be places where convergence between economic approaches may be incubated, experienced and experimented, and through closer trading with the local external communities opportunities for the diffusion of such practices may ensue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major metropolitan airports in Australia have become increasingly congested, resulting in substantial increases in operational costs and waiting time at these airports. This paper assesses the effectiveness of subsidy programs in shifting airfreight from metropolitan airports to regional airports assuming the vehicle routing problem approach is used to optimise the downstream (i.e., road) logistics. We analyse the freight distribution network structure and logistics decisions under two (government) subsidy scenarios. We develop a mixed integer linear programming model incorporating the time-window and release-time constraints. A case study in Australia is used to illustrate the application of the proposed framework. The results show that introducing subsidies can effectively reduce the total costs from the prospective of industries involved in the airfreight distribution. The subsidy program under a non-linear subsidy provides a better performance from the economic and delivery time perspectives. However, if the primary goal is to reduce the volume of cargo traffic at the metropolitan airport, a linear subsidy program is preferred. • Subsidy programs are proposed to shift airfreights from metropolitan airports to regional airports. • The vehicle routing problem model is used to evaluate the effects of the subsidy schemes. • A case study of Australia is presented. • A non-linear subsidy provides a better performance from the economic and delivery time perspectives. • A linear subsidy is preferred to reduce cargo traffic at metropolitan airports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that attempts to transform Australia's urban environment into a sufficiently sustainable one has been misdirected. The 'green rating tool,' industry's adherence to relevant standards and governmental policies represent the primary means of effecting the sustainability transition. However, only high-profile commercial building owners seem interested in being green-rated; the actual end-users of buildings are far less committed (e.g. employees ensconced in commercial buildings and residential home occupiers). Through a systematic review of 103 journal articles published on the topic of end-users and sustainability transition, original findings are presented. The findings reveal that most residential end-users do not purchase green homes and without their 'buy-in,' sustainability transition across Australia will continue to fail. This paper offers a critical analysis of the status-quo, identifying where the effort to generate a sustainable urban environment has been misdirected, what challenges prevail, and why residential end-users have been overlooked. In looking for a way forward that engages end-users, the paper proposes that financial incentives for the purchase of low-carbon buildings must be introduced into the residential real-estate market. And the modeling for this rebate is discussed in terms of emissions trading schemes or carbon tax. • Attempts to transform Australia's urban environment into a sufficiently sustainable one have not generated desirable outcomes. • A systematic review of 103 journal articles is conducted on the topic of end-users and sustainability transition. • Residential end-users do not purchase green homes and without their 'buy[HYPHEN]in,' sustainability transition will fail. • Financial incentives for the purchase of low-carbon buildings must be introduced into the residential real-estate market. • The modeling for the rebate is discussed in terms of emissions trading schemes or carbon tax. [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]

• Municipal authorities' nature-based urban sustainability strategies include composting household food waste. • Deleuze and Guattari's assemblage thinking is employed to better understand why households compost. • A composting sensory ethnography mapped the affective intensities that enhanced or diminished composting. • Pleasures of composting were enhanced by following scientific guidelines of the nutrient cycle and ecosystems. • Experimentation arose from a heightened sense of self from the discomforting sensations of breaking scientific guidelines. This paper seeks to better understand urban sustainability experimentation with reference to the bodily sensations of composting household food waste. Taking our lead from Deleuze and Guattari, we argue that experimentation is not just the result of the scientific knowledge of how to compost, but the sensations of bringing together materials, human, non-humans, and ideas into a working arrangement. We draw on Deleuze and Guattari's notion of molar, molecular and rupture lines to offer a way to envisage experimentation as an affective dimension that emerges from the opposing forces that dissolve and support bodily capacities to care for compost as working socio-material arrangements that make, remake, and unmake composting bodies and spaces. Based on a sensory composting ethnography conducted with 21 individuals of European ancestry and tertiary education in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, we provide two significant insights. First, we argue that implications for the bodily capacity to care for compost are discerned from the sensations of molar lines of scientific household food waste management. The subjectivities and backyard territories created by the affective intensities of composting occur along molar lines of environmental citizenship that are narrated as pleasure, satisfaction, and love. Second, we illustrate how composting experimentation involves a heightened sensation of the self in backyards, through molecular lines generated by the presence of certain smells, temperatures, food waste, plants or animals that challenged the liveable order of backyards. We advance geographical scholarship by bringing new ways of approaching household sustainability transitions by conceiving of experimentation from the perspective of molar and molecular lines and how these may be used to apprehend sensations which stabilise, or undo, a sense of self and place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial economic opportunities have been identified in many Australian fisheries but may remain unimplemented due to the perception that the role of government is to ensure harvests are biologically sustainable, while economic decisions should be left to the commercial industry. This paper explores the role of government in driving changes that increase revenue and profit from fisheries (termed economic benefit). Australian fisheries resources are managed by eight different jurisdictions. While each have separate legislation, there is invariably a responsibility to manage on behalf of, and to the benefit of the public, who are the owners of the resource. This paper uses case studies to explore how government can struggle to determine the public interest, separate this from private interests and then implement management changes to ensure the public utility is maximised. Common problems were: (i) overarching economic objectives, which define who should benefit, were often ambiguous and open to interpretation; (ii) the public interest was usually abstract and often under-represented in decision-making processes, (in contrast to industry, who have direct representation); (iii) special interest groups were often able to lobby against changes; and (iv) government was often reluctant to seize opportunities to increase economic benefit when there was significant industry opposition to management changes. In drawing attention to these challenges and how they have been overcome historically, it is argued that government has both a role and requirement under their legislative objectives to take the lead in implementing measures that increase the economic benefit from Australian fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oceans and coasts provide important ecosystem, livelihood, and cultural values to humans and the planet but face current and future compounding threats from anthropogenic activities associated with expanding populations and their use of and reliance on these environments. To respond to and mitigate these threats, there is a need to first systematically understand and categorise them. This paper reviewed 226 articles from the period 2010–2020 on threats to Australia's oceans and coasts, resulting in the identification of a total of 307 threats. Threats were grouped into three broad categories — threats from use and extraction; environmental and human-induced threats; and policy and socio-political threats —then ranked by frequency. The most common 'threats from use and extraction' were recreational activities, non-point source pollution, and urban development; the most common 'environmental and human-induced threat' was increased temperatures; and the most common 'policy and socio-political threat' was policy gaps and failures (e.g., a lack of coastal climate adaptation policies). The identification of threats across all three categories increased over time; however, the identification of 'threats from use and extraction' increased most rapidly over the last four years (2017–2020). Threats were most often described for their impacts on environmental values (68%), followed by economic (14%), socio-cultural (12%), and Indigenous (6%) values. Only 45 of the 226 papers (20%) discussed multiple threats. The threats facing Australia's oceans and coasts are rising, cumulative, and multi-faceted, and the inherent tensions between varied uses, along with intensification of uses that derive short-term anthropogenic benefit, will continue to degrade the ecological sustainability of ocean and coastal systems if actions are not taken. [Display omitted] • Threats to Australia's oceans and coasts described in the academic literature from 2010 to 2020 were systematically reviewed. • 307 threats were identified across three categories, with most threats in the group "environmental and human-induced threats". • Threats were described as impacting environmental (68%), economic (14%), socio-cultural (12%), and Indigenous (6%) values. • Only 45 of the 226 papers (20%) discussed multiple threats. • Findings highlight the cumulative and multi-faceted threats facing Australian oceans and coasts that must be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance flow analysis (SFA) provides a helpful tool for the study of the industrial metabolism of a certain substance within a regional level. This paper presents SFA of steel in four countries, namely Australia, Brazil, China and India. These countries are traditionally economically mineral dependent and are major contributors in global iron ore production. For example, in 2010 together these countries produced 81% of world iron ore. Based on the analysis it was found that Australian and Brazilian iron ore stocks will deplete rapidly while China and India are accumulating. This paper then presents a discussion on sustainability issues related to substance flows of steel stocks. The study is aimed at providing better understanding of stocks and flows and to inform the policy making for achieving the industrial metabolism and consequently leading to better management of resources and recycling of steel in the countries under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Can sustainability and adaptability be integrated in a single decision tool for designing future buildings? Indeed, it is not possible to know what lies ahead for future buildings but, using current research on sustainability and the impact on natural resources and climate, it is possible to forecast the connection between built environment activity and sustainability. This paper demonstrates that the assessment of future adaptation in newly designed building is achievable by using the adaptSTAR model. This new design-rating tool, based on detailed analysis of 12 award-winning adaptive reuse projects in Australia, will assist designers in making decisions to achieve optimum efficiency and useful life from their creations. This paper reports on the second and last stages of the research used in the development of the rating tool. The use of the adaptSTAR model can empower designers of buildings to make critical decisions that contribute to improving longevity and future reuse, thereby ensuring that future building adaptive reuse will foster sustainable built environments. In order to validate the tool, results are compared to Langston's ARP model. It is found that both models are strongly correlated. Furthermore, when improvements to the case studies are proposed, lower ARP scores are computed since the buildings are expected to become obsolete later in their life cycle than a design reflecting poorer performance. It can be observed that the improved designs for each case study out-perform the as-built designs, as indicated by the higher adaptSTAR scores, while the relationship between adaptSTAR and ARP is strengthened. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Building adaptive reuse plays a critical role in emissions reduction and supports global climate protection. Thus, the designing of future buildings with embedded adaptive reuse potential is a useful criterion for sustainability. This paper describes the development of a new rating tool known as adaptSTAR, which offers holistic and unified design criteria suitable for assessing the adaptive reuse potential of future buildings. The findings show that criteria can be identified and weighted according to physical, economic, functional, technological, social, legal and political categories to calculate an adaptive reuse star rating. In addition, this paper reports on the first stage of the research methodology used in the initial development of the rating tool and concludes with some preliminary observations from 12 selected successful case studies in New South Wales (NSW) and Melbourne, Australia. The use of adaptSTAR in designing future buildings will lead and help promote low carbon built environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Peak oil is the term used to describe the point at which global oil production will peak and thereafter start to decline. Recognising that transport uses a significant portion of global energy, the shortage of fossil fuel in post peak oil era will pose a global challenge in the transport sector. The paper presents an assessment of international research to illustrate the possible time frame of peak oil. It investigates the key implications of the oil shortage that threaten to render the urban transport system of Australia ineffective. Synthesis of documented research evidence suggests three major implications in the urban transport sector: (1) a reduction of mobility for individuals, (2) an increase of transport disadvantage, and (3) a disruption of urban freight movement. In addition, the paper explores strategies to cope with the devastating effects of the shortage of the fossil fuel in the post peak oil era. A number of strategies to achieve sustainable mobility in the future urban transport system are presented. These strategies are summarised into three main themes: (1) a mode shift to alternate transport modes, (2) an integration of land use and transport planning, and (3) a global technical effort for alternate fuels and vehicles. It is expected that a concerted global effort in this regard can have a far-reaching effect in achieving sustainability in urban transport mobility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tillage might be unnecessary for crop production, but no practical mechanised system can avoid field traffic, usually by wheels. Wheels can cause soil damage, but this can be limited to a small proportion of field area by restricting all heavy wheels to permanent traffic lanes. Widespread adoption of controlled traffic in Australia, and permanent raised beds in Mexico has demonstrated the effectiveness and practicability of Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) systems in very different cropping environments. This paper considers the system impact of wheel traffic on productivity and sustainability of mechanised cropping, citing comparisons between CTF and conventional “random traffic” cropping systems where possible. Evidence of the extent and effects of wheeling on soil structure is summarised in terms of hydrology and crop performance. Soil erosion and broader environmental effects are considered briefly. Tillage and traffic effects on greenhouse gas emissions from cropping are discussed, including emissions from fuel, herbicide and fertiliser inputs. Soil emissions are considered in some detail, citing evidence from soil compaction studies, and where emissions have been monitored from wheeled and non-wheeled soil. Outcomes have been encapsulated in a spreadsheet comparison of emissions from cropping systems using tillage with random traffic, no-till with random traffic and CTF no-till. Using data from extensive grain production systems in Australia this indicates that CTF could provide a major reduction in cropping emissions. CTF can improve productivity, and all measures of sustainability; it also overcomes some important constraints to the adoption of conservation agriculture. As precise guidance becomes progressively cheaper, machine system width compatibility remains the only major impediment to a significant improvement in food security and the environmental footprint of cropping. Width compatibility is simple in principle, but complex in practice, and will occur only with the active engagement of the farm machinery industry. The paper urges ISTRO to join with regional farmer CTF groups to draw attention to this issue and provide a forum for the development of compatibility standards. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In some remote parts of Australia, mining companies have positioned themselves as central actors in governing nearby affected communities by espousing notions of ‘voluntary partnerships for sustainability’ between business, government and community. It is argued in this paper that the nature and extent of mining company interventions in nearby communities constitutes a new problematic for these corporate actors. Drawing on research conducted in two remote areas in Australia, this paper undertakes an analytics of government to ask how mining companies have become leading actors in determining the future of local, mine-affected communities. It is suggested that their interventions arise from two processes: industry priorities for securing a ‘social license to operate’ by making a positive contribution to affected communities; and the restructuring of the state which has created an institutional void in these remote localities. As a result, mining companies are ‘filling the gaps’ in local service delivery through a mode of governing that takes the form of patronage rather than partnership. This raises questions about the future viability of these communities once the mines eventually close, and new challenges of governing for corporate actors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Green buildings are synonymous with environmental sustainability; however, it is unclear what role its occupants, specifically employees, play in promoting sustainability in green office buildings. This paper proposes that Green Human Resource Management (HRM), underpinned by Social Identity Theory (SIT), can maximize the potential of green behaviors to improve employees' outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction and work-related flow) in green office buildings by creating positive workplace behaviors (i.e., green behaviors). We collected multisource data from 549 employees and 91 managers working in 17 organizations in green office buildings across Australia. We confirm the double mediation effects of Green HRM, green behaviors and organizational identification on the relationships between organizational readiness, job satisfaction and work-related flow. The paper makes theoretical contributions by advancing the concept of Green HRM and green behaviors within the realm of SIT, thus taking a multidisciplinary stance in the built environment and sustainability literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes a case study in Australia''s national research laboratories, which brought together a technology team and a social research group to understand the context of, and ultimately shape, the development of a coal mining technology. Two theoretical frames, social constructivism and ecological modernisation, orient the discussion about science and technology and the case study experience. The paper summarises the participatory action research approach taken, the structure of participation and interaction, and the form and outcomes of the evaluation. Organisational factors were found to be significant, especially in terms of the perceived place, role of social issues, and research. Overall, the dominance of eco-modernist understandings within the organisation, while open to a technocratic critique, at least represented a partial addressing of sustainable development issues. The case study serves to emphasise the constraints upon choice in technology development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Coastal lakes are ecosystems of significant value generating many ecological, social and economic benefits. Increasing demands resulting from urban development and other human activities within coastal lake catchments have the potential to result in their degradation and can lead to conflicts, for example between lake users and upstream communities. There are many techniques that can be used to integrate the variables involved in such conflicts including system dynamics, meta-modelling, and coupled component models, but many of these techniques are too complex for catchment managers to employ on a routine basis. The overall result is the potential to compromise the sustainability of these important ecosystems. This paper describes research to address this problem. It presents the development of an integrated model framework based on a Bayesian network (Bn). Bns are used to assess the sustainability of eight coastal lake-catchment systems, located on the coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The paper describes the potential advantages in the use of Bns and the methods used to develop their frameworks. A case study application for the Cudgen Lake of northern NSW is presented to illustrate the techniques. The case study includes a description of the relevant management issues being considered, the model framework and the techniques used to derive input data. Results for the case study application and their implications for management are presented and discussed. Finally, the directions for future research and a discussion of the applicability of Bn techniques to support management in similar situations are proffered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introducing reclaimed water as an alternative to the traditional mains water supply involves change in practices as well as technology. Therefore, the social effects of innovative solutions to sustainable water management need to be carefully considered. This paper will present findings from research undertaken in California and Florida, USA, and Australia. What is the community response to recycling reclaimed water? Are there ways of involving the public so that the change involved in introducing reclaimed water achieves sustainable outcomes? Results from a series of case studies where indirect potable reuse has been planned will be considered along with the findings from a range of industry surveys, mainly conducted in the USA. In relation to non potable reuse, this paper will cover acceptance of some of the main uses, and householder''s experience of recycling water for residential use. The resulting analysis suggests that the shift from traditional, centrally controlled water supplies to innovative alternatives, requires a corresponding shift in resources to support what is essentially a social transformation in water service delivery and management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The replacement of perennial grass species by undesirable annual grass weeds not only results in lower productivity but also contributes to a range of external costs. In particular, shallow rooted annuals result in greater deep drainage and therefore a greater potential for development of salinity and acidity, and greater volumes of runoff of poor quality water to streams. In this paper an economic framework for examining the sustainability issues of a perennial grazing system on the New South Wales Central Tablelands, Australia, is presented. This involves a combination of simulation and dynamic programming models, with the state of the system represented by variables for the perennial grass composition and soil fertility. The paper examines a range of management strategies that increase the perennial grass composition in terms of net income from grazing, and the impact upon the externalities. The paper determined that economic benefits are derived from the adoption of a grazing rest technology that increased the optimal level of perennial grass composition. There were also associated reductions in deep drainage, runoff and soil loss with this increase in perennial grass composition. However, the imposition of policy options aimed at reducing the external costs associated with grazing management did not influence the optimal grazing decisions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Queensland grazing industries operate in one of the world’s most variable climates and face enormous challenges to achieve profitability and sustainability. To assist grazing enterprises, the Queensland Government has developed an operational online information system – FORAGE, to facilitate best management practice for grazing land. The FORAGE system provides land managers with property-scale information relating to rainfall, ground cover, soil erodibility, land types, tree density, seasonal climate outlooks and pasture growth simulated using the GRASP grazing system model. This information is site-specific and tailored to facilitate on-ground management decisions common to Queensland grazing enterprises. The FORAGE system makes complex remotely-sensed data, information from a range of databases and pasture growth models more accessible and relevant to land managers. This paper describes the structure, resources (e.g. software, databases and models), information generating processes, delivery mechanisms and information products of the FORAGE system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Role of indicators in measuring sustainability is critically evaluated. • Role of SDI in solving the shortcomings of indicators is discussed. • UADI has been developed using Ontology as a core component. • Selected transport sustainability indicators are quantified manually and using UADI. • Indicators quantification by user and UADI are compared considering 5 technical lenses. This paper examines capabilities of a new Spatial Data Infrastructure called Urban Analytics Data Infrastructure (UADI 1 1 Spatial Data Infrastructure called Urban Analytics Data Infrastructure), through deriving and evaluating transport sustainability indicators. The UADI was developed in Australia to support multi-disciplinary and cross-jurisdictional analytics to overcome the challenges related to model generalisation, data accessibility, data integration, data heterogeneity and city performance benchmarking. In this paper, the UADI were evaluated through 5 technical lenses of: data accessibility; integration; harmonisation; data reliability and model reliability. The paper shows that using open geospatial standards in UADI enabled transport sustainability indicators to be derived through accessing and integrating different spatial data layers and the process of mapping data to ontology facilitated data harmonisation. In addition, the input data, tool processing, and output of ontology-based transport sustainability indicators could be traced in UADI, which addresses the challenge of model and data reliability. The paper highlights the role of spatial data infrastructures in decision support systems for uncertainty analysis and promoting smart cities and resilient environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

· A definition and framework for regional circular economy. · Circular economy systems-approach of 23 processes with boundaries and impacts. · A self-sufficient economy within regional and planetary boundaries. · Circular economy definitions reviewed on 15 ontological criteria. · Circular economy assessment frameworks reviewed on 15 ontological criteria. The burgeon concept of Circular Economy (CE) has fundamental issues hindering clarity and comprehensive assessments. This paper uses established ontological criteria to review and improve the CE definition and (assessment) frameworks. The review reveals that mainstream CE definitions and assessments are fuzzy, shift problems, oversimplified and not synchronized. This causes many loopholes that not lead towards sustainability. Therefore, an improved definition and framework is proposed, specifically for CE of XL to XS regions (scales from planetary to neighborhoods). A CE should strive towards self-sufficiency on each scale to avoid problems shifting to other regions or future society. The framework elaborates on a comprehensive systems-approach, which connects the triple bottom line across nine ecosystem processes, eight societal processes, and six economic production processes. The proposed definition and framework are demonstrated in an assessment of regional pressures and their impacts of Australia with 2020 data. The framework aims to better inform decision-makers on trade-offs between vital processes to minimize unintended problem shifting. The definition and framework have improved universal application for meaningful comparisons and optimization towards a sustainable CE in any region. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapidly warming planet provides a significant challenge to the design, delivery, and maintenance of habitable housing across Australia. Information on the adequacy of current measures for cooling Indigenous houses in regional and remote communities in relation to climate change and rising energy consumption costs is lacking. Such information is needed to better protect low socio-economic status householders, people with pre-existing health conditions, and people living in climatically exposed regions. This article models the thermal performance of both existing and 'improved' (built to current national construction code standards) housing stock in relation to various occupancy density, cooling system, and ventilation practice scenarios. This modelling was undertaken for housing in Australia's tropical, arid, and hot/mild climate zones, matching the sites where most discrete Indigenous communities are located. Results show that retrofitting existing housing stock and even building new stock to meet recommended standards are not adequate measures for current or future climate changes. This paper challenges current knowledge, policy, and practices regarding Indigenous housing, demonstrating that significant reform is necessary to maintain habitable conditions and improve energy resilience. [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]

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]

The community is the basic unit of urban development, and appropriate assessment tools are needed for communities to evaluate and facilitate decision making concerning sustainable community development and reduce the detrimental effects of urban community actions on the environment. Existing research into sustainable community rating tools focuses primarily on those that are internationally recognized to describe their advantages and future challenges. However, the differences between rating tools due to different regional conditions, situations and characteristics have yet to be addressed. In doing this, this paper examines three sustainable community rating tools in Australia, namely Green Star-Communities PILOT, EnviroDevelopment and VicUrban Sustainability Charter (Master Planned Community Assessment Tool). In order to identify their similarities, differences and advantages these are compared in terms of sustainability coverage, prerequisites, adaptation to locality, scoring and weighting, participation, presentation of results, and application process. These results provide the stakeholders of sustainable community development projects with a better understanding of the available rating tools in Australia and assist with evaluation and decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the environmental impacts of conventional and modular housing by applying measures of 'absolute environmental sustainability'. It seeks to determine 1) the environmental performance of typical housing across different geographic boundaries, in this case Australia and Denmark, to explore whether such buildings can be deemed to achieve absolute sustainability within the planetary boundaries, and how factors related to location impact this, and 2) whether modular buildings perform better in terms of absolute environmental sustainability. The research measures lifecycle environmental performance of four case study buildings (conventional and modular, in Australia and Denmark), across seven impact categories. Normalisation references are determined based on the carrying capacity of earth by allocating a percentage of its limited resources to housing. A building would be considered to achieve absolute environmental sustainability if its environmental burden is less than its allocated share of the carrying capacity. The results found that none of the four buildings met this criterion. The two Australian buildings exceeded their allocated capacity in six of the seven impact categories, with figures of 700–36,000% above capacity. The two Danish buildings did so in five of the seven categories, with figures of 200–3700% above. Modular buildings generally had lower environmental impacts across all categories, but still exceeded their allocations. The primary contributor was the operational phase of the buildings' lifecycle. However, even when this was excluded, all four buildings' impacts remain above their allocated limits, suggesting that environmental reductions are necessary across both embodied and operational stages. • Environmental impacts of conventional and modular housing, applying measures of 'absolute environmental sustainability'. • No studied case satisfied allocated absolute environmental sustainability measure across all included impact categories. • Modular case study building designs perform better, relatively compared to the conventional counterpart. • Comparison between countries helps highlight different issues in need of focus. • Economic household or dwelling allocation performed should be further developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Wide Web can enhance the communication of social and environmental issues, commonly referred to as sustainability communication. This paper explored the factors that influence the use of the web for sustainability communication. Previous literature identified economic factors, internal organisational factors and external stakeholder influences as particularly influential. This case study, in the context of three Australian mining companies, and through the use of interviews and website monitoring, expands upon the literature by confirming these factors and by identifying two additional factors that impact the corporate use of the web for sustainability communications. These are referred to as the “double-edged sword” and organisational restructuring. This study, through a focus on a particular communication medium, the web, and a socially and environmentally sensitive industry, the Australian minerals industry, highlighted that the impact of the medium used for sustainability communication requires conceptual insights that extend beyond the current understanding of sustainability accounting and reporting. In addition to this theoretical contribution, this study contributes to the emerging web-based sustainability communication literature, and provides insights to companies and their stakeholders into future use of the web for communication of social and environmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Community garden research has focused on social aspects of gardens, neglecting systematic analysis of what food is grown. Yet agrodiversity within community gardens may provide health benefits. Diverse fruit and vegetables provide nutritional benefits, including vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. This paper reports research that investigated the agro-biodiversity of school-based community gardens in Brisbane and Gold Coast cities, Australia. Common motivations for establishing these gardens were education, health and environmental sustainability. The 23 gardens assessed contained 234 food plants, ranging from 7 to 132 plant types per garden. This included 142 fruits and vegetables. The nutritional diversity of fruits and vegetable plants was examined through a color classification system. All gardens grew fruits and vegetables from at least four food color groups, and 75% of the gardens grew plants from all seven color groups. As places with high agrodiversity, and related nutritional diversity, some school community gardens can provide children with exposure to a healthy range of fruit and vegetables, with potential flow-on health benefits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Australia is a major supplier of minerals globally, but the country’s ability to meet both projections for future demand and sustainability goals is hampered by a range of environmental and social issues associated with traditional modes of minerals production. At a time when society’s expectations for the environmental and social performance of companies are becoming more stringent, mineral production in Australia has become more difficult and expensive – issues that are often disguised by (and overlooked as a result of) high resource prices and an outwardly buoyant economy. Difficulty and expense are characterised not by the absence of resources, but by declining ore grades, substantially increasing mine waste, rising energy consumption, and falling multi-factor productivity. Together, social changes and production challenges are reinforcing the recognition that business as usual cannot deliver on the sustainability imperative. Technological development has been an important focus in seeking to address many of the challenges facing the Australian minerals industry, but this alone has not been adequate, and may not be the panacea of the future. Research exploring the future of minerals production and its implications for society and the economy must be accompanied by foresight into the long-term strategic challenges, future scenarios, social, economic and regional contexts where these implications will play out. This paper documents how foresight methods were used to facilitate a conversation between mining industry stakeholders and experts on the future of the industry in Australia, and to develop a shared vision of the future and recommendations for how to achieve a sustainable mining industry and one which contributes to a sustainable Australian economy. We articulate the implications of sustainability for the mining sector in Australia with respect to a vision to 2040, and discuss mechanisms to secure long-term national benefit for Australia from its finite mineral resources. We demonstrate that realising benefits from a mineral endowment over several decades requires considered and forward-looking resource governance, including a National Minerals Strategy. It should be characterised by innovative policy decisions and business models that engage communities, government and the private sector in not only the rhetoric, but also the business of sustainability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Neighborhood sustainability assessment tools have become widespread since the turn of 21st century and many communities, mainly in the developed world, are utilizing these tools to measure their success in approaching sustainable development goals. In this study, seven tools from Australia, Europe, Japan, and the United States are selected and analyzed with the aim of providing insights into the current situations; highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures; and making recommendations for future improvements. Using a content analysis, the issues of sustainability coverage, pre-requisites, local adaptability, scoring and weighting, participation, reporting, and applicability are discussed in this paper. The results of this study indicate that most of the tools are not doing well regarding the coverage of social, economic, and institutional aspects of sustainability; there are ambiguities and shortcomings in the weighting, scoring, and rating; in most cases, there is no mechanism for local adaptability and participation; and, only those tools which are embedded within the broader planning framework are doing well with regard to applicability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As a consequence of local population ageing, which is more pronounced in rural areas, the issue of maintaining a positive quality of life for rural older people is attracting significant attention. While environmental psychology theory has advocated the role of place identity in defining the self, there has been little applied research exploring how this occurs in later life. This exploratory, qualitative study (n =16) utilises Breakwell’s (1986, 1992) identity process theory to investigate how rural older Australians (retirement migrants and long-term residents) use place to sustain and build a sense of self at a time when many are susceptible to age-related loss. The paper draws on the concepts of distinctiveness, continuity, self-esteem and self-efficacy in order to explore how place identity is supported and maintained. Findings suggest that rural places are beneficial in terms of identity maintenance, with differences between long term and more recent rural residents. Furthermore, findings also highlight that place-related change or growth can potentially threaten older people’s identification as a ‘rural’ person. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Australia has a long history of mixed farming. This paper examines the integration of Australian cropping and livestock production from three perspectives: as a factor in land use change, a consequence of individual management practices and a means of meeting farmers’ multiple objectives. Since about 1995, the proportion of cropped land has increased on Australian cropping farms while livestock numbers have decreased. Land use in the north-eastern, central and south-western regions of the cropping zone have diverged. Despite these changes, mixed farms still dominate Australia’s broadacre farming regions. Previous accounts of the dimensions in which farming enterprises are integrated can be simplified for Australian broadacre agriculture. For most purposes it is sufficient to consider a nested set of four integration options: “specialization” (not integrated organizationally), “separation” (integrated organizationally only), “rotation” (integrated organizationally and spatially, but not temporally) and “synchronization” (integrated in all three dimensions). We illustrate these integration options with a short survey of agronomic practices that affect crop–livestock integration. We review the farmer objectives that enterprise integration can meet and the constraints that limit it, seeking to balance social, economic and agronomic factors. We use a dynamic simulation model to make a first quantification of the economic risk reduction provided by enterprise diversification. Constraints imposed by limited labour, capital, and management attention cannot be overlooked; this is especially relevant in Australia where labour is increasingly in short supply. We characterize our surveyed set of agronomic practices with respect to the farmer objectives they affect. We find that farmers generally have the option of meeting a particular objective through different practices that affect different dimensions of integration. Practices that result in closer integration in time and space generally require greater management attention; practices that do not integrate in space typically require an increase in external inputs. History suggests that current commodity price ratios may be sufficient to slow or reverse the overall land use trend away from livestock production. In the longer term, forecast increases in worldwide demand for meat, energy costs and soil resource constraints will all encourage Australian cropping farmers to maintain mixed systems; however reduced availability of labour relative to capital will push land use toward specialized systems. Valuing the benefits and costs associated with differing degrees of enterprise integration is a major research challenge that will require insightful application of both biophysical and economic models. [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: In Australia, airports have emerged as important sub-regional activity centres and now pose challenges for both airport operation and planning in the surrounding urban and regional environment. The changing nature of airports in their metropolitan context and the emergence of new pressures and problems require the introduction of a fresh conceptual framework to assist the better understanding of these complex roles and spatial interactions. The approach draws upon the meta-concept of interfaces of an ‘airport metropolis’ as an organising device consisting of four main domains: economic development, land use, infrastructure, and governance. The paper uses the framework to further discuss airport and regional interactions and highlights the use of sustainability criteria to operationalise the model. The approach aims to move research and practice beyond the traditionally compartmentalised analysis of airport issues and policy-making by highlighting interdependencies between airports and regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There is growing consensus worldwide against the conventional centralised approach to water management, and a ‘soft path’ for water management has emerged as a sustainable alternative. A ‘soft path’ for water management emphasizes the optimization of end-use efficiency, small-scaled management systems, incorporates fit-for-purpose water use, and recommends the use of diverse, locally appropriate and commonly decentralised infrastructures. However, large-scale desalination plants are currently being built for almost all metropolitan centres in Australia to ensure water supply security. Unlike ‘soft path’ for water management, large-scale desalination plants embody the traditional urban water supply approach. In spite of knowledge and values relating to the water cycle having shifted towards ‘soft path’, the old organisational framework is believed to be hindering its adoption. Perhaps, therefore major water utilities in recent times have opted for the ideologically easier option of large-scale desalination conforming to the existing framework, instead of choosing a ‘soft path’ for water management with potential for decentralised management. This paper critically reviews the urban water management direction in metropolitan Australia and puts forward a ‘gradualist approach’. It incorporates a comprehensive non-potable water reuse program necessary to build the familiarity and trust in water reuse, as a first step before introducing the idea of potable reuse. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines how traditional farm productivity analysis can be extended to produce a performance measure from the perspective of society. A biophysical model is used to measure inputs from the environment which are combined with conventional marketed inputs to develop an environmentally sensitive Malmquist productivity index to determine social productivity growth. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to analyze data collected from selected farms in South-East Australia and includes a measure of leaching and run-off as a proxy measure of the impact the application of fertilizers has on ground and surface water. The results show measured productivity growth increases for some farms and decreases for others when environmental factors are considered. [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]

This paper presents a policy framework aimed at sustainability in Australia''s wood-based industry. It commences with a historical overview to illuminate how culture and environment combined to fast-track Australia''s plantation establishment. This maturing estate is now generating new choices about meeting wood needs and the future for native forests. The essence of the forest problem lies in the nature of commodity production where cost reduction, essential for the firm''s survival, comes at the expense of native forest ecological integrity. The framework explicitly includes Australia''s plantation wood resource that, by definition, is excluded from the ‘multiple use’ approach to managing native forests for wood production. Three systems are identified—native forests as self-regenerating ecosystems, wood production systems to meet human material needs and rural socio-economic systems—and a dual strategy developed to enhance their persistence capacity. This strategy combines shifting commodity wood production from native forests to plantations and adding value by domestic processing. The strategy works in a complementary way across the three systems, meaning that trade-off is avoided at this level. Native forest ecosystems cease to be threatened by the intensification pressures inherent in commodity production and relatively labour-intensive wood products manufacturers enhance their competitiveness by processing agriculturally grown wood. A highly integrated regional industry can enhance the economic viability of wood growing that helps buffer agricultural land against the price-cost squeeze of commodity production. The policy framework may not be economically efficient if, after removing government subsidies and props to the older and less competitive native forest based sector, further measures are required to stimulate investment in plantation processing. Under these conditions, a specific wood industry policy can be argued on environment grounds. Trade-off is between market interventionist industry policy and general economic efficiency—fundamentally different to the native forest conservation versus industry trade-off commonly understood. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years the Australian government has dedicated considerable project funds to establish public Internet access points in rural and regional communities. Drawing on data from a major Australian study of the social and economic impact of new technologies on rural areas, this paper explores some of the difficulties rural communities have faced in setting up public access points and sustaining them beyond their project funding. Of particular concern is the way that economic sustainability has been positioned as a measure of the success of such ventures. Government funding has been allocated on the basis of these rural public access points becoming economically self-sustaining. This is problematic on a number of counts. It is therefore argued that these public access points should be reconceptualised as essential community infrastructure like schools and libraries, rather than potential economic enterprises. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• We model the effect of good-provider norms on food waste across two countries. • For Australians, good-provider norms suppress intentions to avoid food waste. • In an individualistic culture, good-provider norms override moral norms. • For Singaporeans, good-provider norms do not suppress waste avoidance intentions. • In a long-term-oriented culture, good-provider norms do not override moral norms. One-third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted, which has negative consequences for societies and the environment. Thus, curbing food waste is critical to securing human well-being and protecting the environment. This study examines the drivers of household food waste decisions by investigating the activation and deactivation of moral norms and introducing the concept of the 'good provider' in an augmented norm-activation model (NAM). A survey of 643 consumers in Australia and Singapore explores the 'good provider' norm as a driver of food waste behaviours in both cultures. For Australians, 'good provider' norms suppress intentions to avoid food waste, most likely to provide for the immediate family, which can be a motive that overrides moral concern about food waste in an individualistic culture. For Singaporeans, 'good provider' norms do not suppress food waste intentions, possibly due to the value placed on thrift by a long-term-oriented culture. The paper significantly extends the previous research on norms, culture and sustainable consumption and provides policy and practical implications for curbing food waste in different cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 5%–7% of global Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) emissions can be attributed to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), which has traditionally been used as the primary binder in concrete. Geopolymer concrete has been widely claimed to have lower global warming potential than OPC concrete, and this claim has formed the basis of many studies examining mix designs and mechanical properties of geopolymer concretes. A major limitation with the vast majority of existing studies is a lack of the direct quantification of the global warming potential of the materials developed. That is, the underlying assumption in the majority of these studies is that geopolymer concrete is more sustainable than OPC based concretes. The aim of this paper is to quantify the CO 2 equivalent (CO 2-eq) emissions associated with production of a large number of previously developed mix designs (1404 mix designs from 110 studies) including the impacts of curing, allocation and transportation and allowing for variation in energy grid source and the production of the activator solution. When considering the impact of transportation, a case study based on five major capital cities in Australia is presented and the critical transport distances at which the manufacture of geopolymers becomes more emissions intensive than conventional concrete is identified. The results show that the relative CO 2-eq emissions of geopolymer and OPC based concretes of the same strength, are highly dependent on the system boundary for analysis, the type of allocation scenario and material transportation distances and mode, and further, that depending on these factors geopolymer concretes can either have significantly lower, or significantly higher CO 2-eq emissions than OPC concretes of the same strength. It is expected that the findings of this work can aid in specifying the optimal concrete types for reducing CO 2-eq emissions considering the intended use of the concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CO 2eq emissions of alkali- and lime-activated rammed earth (RE) were measured. • Recycled materials can be incorporated, reducing waste. • Use of a local base material is essential to reduce transport-related emissions. • Best material choices may vary with time and location. • Adopting alkali-activated RE could reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. As the Paris Agreement target year of 2030 draws nearer, it is becoming increasingly evident that neither Australia nor many other nations are progressing at a rate sufficient to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets. One area in which to improve performance is in the use of low embodied energy construction materials. Rammed earth (RE) is often considered to be one such material. However, many modern RE variations incorporate cement: a significant contributor to global CO 2 emissions. RE materials with low greenhouse gas emissions have been developed as replacements for conventional construction materials. In this series, we examine the strength development, durability and sustainability, via life cycle assessment, of these new materials. This paper explores the cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emissions of RE materials incorporating recycled waste (crushed brick and concrete), industrial by-products (ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash and silica fume) and either NaOH or hydrated lime. These are then compared to construction techniques conventionally used in Australia (cavity brick and brick veneer). Attributional life cycle assessments were carried out for hypothetical building envelopes suitable for climate zones 1–7, assuming construction in metropolitan Perth and 600 km inland (Kalgoorlie, WA). Results showed that greenhouse gas emissions per vertical square metre of wall could be reduced by 73% or 57% respectively when compared to traditional cavity brickwork or brick veneer. This is in contrast to RE incorporating cement, which produced a saving of just 15% compared to brick veneer. If this construction technique were adopted across Australia for new, detached dwellings constructed during 2021–2030, this could represent a greenhouse gas reduction of 11.3 million tonnes CO 2eq , or 1.2–1.3% of the cumulative emissions reductions required in 2021–2030 to meet Australia's Paris Agreement targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certification schemes respond to increasing environmental and social concerns about sustainability by encouraging consumer demand for 'sustainable' products. Such schemes have been a focus of much media coverage and the seafood sector is no exception with many seafood sustainability issues, including those related to both fisheries and aquaculture management, being widely reported on. This paper analyses how the certification schemes of the two best-known seafood sustainability standards organizations, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification, were presented in news media coverage during a period of conflict surrounding the sustainable production and management of seafood in Australia. Employing a content analysis of Australian online and print news media published between 2015 and 2018, we find that the MSC label was used to highlight the sustainability of fisheries all around Australia, while the ASC label was mainly used in the context of the Tasmanian salmon aquaculture industry, with both labels presented as 'gold standards'. While we also find that ASC certification was used by ENGOs to attack the Tasmanian salmon industry and to question the validity of the ASC label, our data highlight that ASC and MSC certification was primarily used by industry as a tool to demonstrate its sustainability credentials, with the specifics of the certification schemes themselves receiving very little media attention. • There are very few studies investigating media representations of fisheries certification. • The MSC and ASC certifications are mainly used to defend the seafood industry. • Both certification schemes were referenced as being the 'gold standard'. • How schemes are governed received almost no media attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]