Responsible investment funds are outperforming their average mainstream counterparts year on year as the market for responsible investment continues to grow in Australia, according to the Responsible Investment Benchmark Report 2017. [ + ]

Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand (SCCANZ) has convened a roundtable to discuss and identify opportunities for ensuring smart cities standards play a necessary role in catalysing and scaling solutions to advance sustainability through technology, data and digital transformation. [ + ]

Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D'Ambrosio has announced the second-round winners of the $20 million New Energy Jobs Fund grants. [ + ]

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is canvassing proposals to secure enough renewable energy to fully offset the energy use of buildings developed under its $1.3 billion City Campus Master Plan program. [ + ]

BayWa r.e., a global renewable energy developer, has sold the 20 MWp Hughenden solar plant to Australian infrastructure investment specialist Lighthouse Infrastructure. [ + ]

The City of Melbourne has become one of only two councils in Australia to run a citywide initiative to recycle millions of cigarette butts into industrial products, according to Lord Mayor Robert Doyle AC. [ + ]

The Living Stage is said to be the world's first recyclable, biodegradable, biodiverse and edible performance space. [ + ]

The 2017 Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo (AWRE) Seminar Series will feature 10 seminar sessions across two days on the latest government policies, best practice case studies and industry hot topics. [ + ]

The Turnbull government has announced several appointments to the board of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). [ + ]

The 2017 Australian Clean Energy Summit saw the presentation of the annual Clean Energy Council Awards, which every year recognise excellence in the clean energy sector in the fields of innovation and business community engagement. [ + ]

UNSW's Professor Matthew England has won the 2017 Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica for his outstanding research, leadership and advocacy for Antarctic science. [ + ]

The COAG Energy Council has agreed to a significant set of reforms, claiming they will help deliver a more affordable and reliable electricity system as part of the transition to a lower-emissions future. [ + ]

The Ministerial Forum on Vehicle Emissions is currently considering implementing new standards surrounding fuel, emissions and efficiency for vehicles sold in Australia, with the forum intending to provide a draft implementation plan to the Australian Government later this year. [ + ]

ARENA has made available $2.49 million to support a three-year project which will explore the potential of tidal energy in Australia to attract future investment. [ + ]

The SA Retailer Energy Efficiency Scheme (REES) exceeded its 2016 target by 40%, according to the REES Annual Report. [ + ]