Latest NCS News
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Sustainable Consumption Seminar, Hawthorn Town Hall, 17 June
The City of Boroondara in partnership with the National Centre for
Sustainability, Swinburne University, is presenting a seminar on
Sustainable Consumption on 17 June, 7pm, at Hawthorn Town Hall.
The seminar features a great lineup of speakers:
Jason Clarke, problem solver, innovator and lateral thinker, and one of Australia's most sought after creative thinkers. Jason is the founding father of Minds at Work (www.mindsatwork.com.au), a commercial collective of professional thinkers determined on changing the world for the better.
Giselle Wilkinson, President of the Sustainable Living Foundation, and author of the Conscious Cook. Find out how to view and appreciate food not only from the point of personal health and taste, but also through the lens of the global sustainability movement working to reduce our impact on our very stressed planet.
Nick Ray, from the Ethical Consumer Group, runs Shopping with a Conscience supermarket tours, and produces the Ethical Guide to Supermarket Shopping. Find out about food miles, genetic engineering, multinational ownership, fair-trade, packaging and more!
Anne-Marie Spagnolo, from Ethical Investment Services, is a financial advisor and author of The Ethical Investor. Find out how to make money and feel good about it.
People can register to attend by phoning 03 9278 4889 or online:
http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/environment/environmenthome/
susliving/workshops/individual
Monday, 18 May 2009
Funding Available for Sustainability Training in the Victorian Fibre and Textile Industry
The International Fibre Centre (IFC) has recognised that sustainability
issues are becoming an increasingly important consideration for
the Victorian textile industry with significant implications for
longer-term viability and global competitiveness. The Victorian
textile and fibre industry has been hard hit by the global economic
downturn with delays and cancelling of contracts from trading partners
translating into plant closures and job losses. In addition, the
combined spectre of climate change, peak oil, and an increasing
regulatory environment for carbon accounting are increasingly impacting
on the industry. The ‘lean and green’ approach is the right model
at the right time and will build innovative and competitive capacity
in response to the global economic and environmental challenges.
Read the full article and the key dates for application submission.
Please go to the Application Form (PDF download). Assistance in completing the application form is also available from Brooke Farrugia on 03 9214 8604.
Monday, 27 April 2009
NCS advertises in WME magazine
2009 Boroondara Living for Our Future Festival
The NCS participated in the 2009 Boroondara Living for Our Future
Festival on Saturday 21 March. The festival, coinciding with the
Farmers' Market, attracted a large and diverse crowd. There was
much interest shown for Swinburne's Diploma and Graduate Certificate's
of Sustainability. The NCS has worked with the City of Boroondara
for the past several years in project managing and delivering
the Living for Our Future workshops and seminars to the Boroondara
community. The previous seminar on Watersmart Gardens attracted
over 100 residents. A seminar on Sustainable Consumption featuring
a great panel of presenters made up of Jason Clarke (Minds at
Work), Giselle Wilkinson (Sustainable Living Foundation), Nick
Ray (Ethical Consumer Group) and Anne-Marie Spagnolo (Ethical
Investment Services) is planned for the evening of 17 June 2009
at Hawthorn Town Hall.
NCS Commentary
The NCS has commenced a commentary series that provides a viewpoint on current issues that are topical to NCS business, including sustainable education, behaviour change, and carbon accounting and sustainability.
Click here to our NCS Commentary page.
NCS Annual Report 2008
The National Centre for Sustainability is pleased to release the 2008 Annual Achievements Report. Click here (pdf 880kb)
NCS comment on the proposed National Carbon Offset Standard
In February 2009, the Department of Climate Change invited interested stakeholders to comment on the proposed approach to a national carbon offset standard. The standard will provide guidance on what constitutes a genuine, additional voluntary offset credit, set requirements for the verification and retirement of such credits, and provide principles for calculating the emissions of an organisation, product or service which could be offset.
Read the NCS response, which advocates change to the CPRS and seeks to support organisations, individuals, households and community groups who want to voluntarily reduce aggregate greenhouse gas emissions here.
Renewable Energy Target scheme - NCS comment on exposure draft legislation
In February 2009, the NCS submitted a position paper to the Department of Climate Change regarding the exposure draft legislation on the design of the expanded national Renewable Energy Target scheme. The purpose of the submission was to urge the Commonwealth Government to reconsider the proposed amendment regulations to the implementation of the expanded commitments within its Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme. Read the NCS comment here.
Media Releases
- April 2009:
Cheap and efficient solar energy on the horizon - November 2008:
NCS Swinburne goes Hybrid - October 2008:
$12.6 Million National Sustainability Centre Opens - August 2008:
Changing the climate online
Swinburne introduces Australia's first accredited carbon accounting course
Water conservation game makes ATOM awards finals - July 2008:
Shrinking Australia's growing ecological footprint: new book charts the way
Farm water management software wins international student IT prize - May 2008:
Entrepreneurship students win major business award for renewable resources company