Green wine picks up gold

Third-generation family winery Taylors Wines has picked up the only Australian gold medal at the 18th annual Chardonnay du Monde international wine competition held at the Pasteur Institute, Saint-Lager, Burgundy, France, March 2011.

New national board for recycling industry body

The recent Annual General Meeting of the Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) elected a new National President and Deputy President following the retirement of its former National President Mike Haywood.

GLG GreenLife paves the way in sustainable education

GLG GreenLife Group has partnered with nationally recognised horticultural organisation Sustainable Gardening Australia (SGA) to develop the country’s first accredited course for the commercial landscaping industry.

Call for better labelling to support ethical consumption

Research has shown that it’s not cost that stops consumers from buying according to their conscience, it’s simply a lack of clear information on the product label.

Next step in carbon farming

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, announced on Friday 11 March 2011 another step in implementing the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI), a carbon offsets scheme which is designed to provide new economic opportunities for farmers, forest growers and landholders, and help the environment by reducing carbon pollution.

Consultation paper released on National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme

Under the National Waste Policy: Less Waste, More Resources, the Australian Government agreed to develop and enact national legislation to support voluntary, co-regulatory and mandatory product stewardship and extended producer responsibility schemes.

Linking funding for cleantech companies

The CleanTech Angels Network has been recently launched to link cleantech companies seeking investment with angel investors seeking investments in the sector.

United Utilities Australia launches new name

Water utility solutions provider United Utilities Australia Pty Ltd has unveiled its new name, Trility Pty Ltd, and new brand identity.

How to understand environmental certification

Environmental certifications can be a good way for organisations to understand, monitor and select suppliers and manufacturers who are committed to reducing their impact on the natural environment. For many people, however, environmental certification proves to be a confusing non-core area of business. There seems to be a continual stream of new terminology, new labels or certifications that need to be understood and either adopted or ignored.

BOC signs $1 billion contract with Perdaman Chemicals & Fertilisers

BOC has announced that it has secured a long-term industrial gas supply contract to the value of an estimated one billion Australian dollars with Perdaman Chemicals & Fertilisers, which is planning to use clean energy technology to enrich the world’s crops with urea.

EcoForum keynote speakers

The EcoForum Conference & Exhibition in Sydney on 9-11 March will have some excellent keynote speakers. Here is a snapshot of some interesting talks.

Global green building ratings committee appoints chair

The Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), Romilly Madew, has been appointed chair of a new committee tasked with overseeing consistent standards for global green building rating.

RS to edit

Energy management standard for publication

ISO has announced a third quarter 2011 target for publication of its ISO 50001 International Standard for energy management. ISO 50001 will help organisations to improve their energy performance, increase energy efficiency and reduce climate change impacts.

OnVu ICE time temperature indicator

The OnVu ICE time temperature indicator can be used on food packaging to monitor the cold chain for chilled and deep-frozen food. Manufacturers, retailers and consumers will be able to tell at a glance whether ice-cream, pizza, fish or any other products were kept constantly deep-frozen or should rather be discarded because the cold chain was interrupted significantly.