NSW Sustainability Award winners announced, meat lobbyists attending COP28 in droves, progress at Terrascope, and more.
Banksia Foundation’s NSW Sustainability Award winners
The Banksia Foundation last week announced the recipients of its NSW Sustainability Awards. Graz van Egmond, chief executive of the Banksia Foundation, said, “As we face global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequity, these awards demonstrate that we have the knowledge, innovation, and determination to overcome these obstacles.
“The 2023 NSW Sustainability Award winners are not just leaders in their respective fields; they are the torchbearers of a sustainable and resilient future for New South Wales. I encourage everyone to learn more about their remarkable work and draw inspiration from their achievements.”
Notable awards and winners included:
- Circular Economy Award: The Reconnect Project
- Climate Technology Impact Award: SIMPaCT (Smart Irrigation Management for Parks and Cool Towns)
- Large Business Sustainable Leadership Award: Port of Newcastle
- Minister’s Young Climate Champion Award: Belltrees Public School
- Net Zero Action Award: Rheem Australia
- Primary Industries and Regional Development Award: Oceanfarmr
- Responsible Supply Award and Sustainable Leadership Award: Underwear for Humanity
Lobbyists attend COP28 in droves
Who went to COP? According to DeSmog among the throngs were 340 lobbyists from industrial agriculture companies and trade groups, triple the number that attended COP27. The journalist and activist website claims that many agri-businesses are championing solutions that distract from the fundamental changes needed to cut emissions from food and adapt.
Among DeSmog’s more salient points are that attendees included:
- Representatives from the world’s largest agribusiness firms include JBS, fertiliser giant Nutrien, Nestlé and pesticide firm Bayer – and powerful industry lobby groups.
- Meat lobby groups included the North American Meat Institute, which has a history of denying climate science. Delegates attending under the umbrella of the US non-profit Animal Agriculture Alliance, which has said meat had been “villainised” in climate debates.
- Ahead of the summit, DeSmog and The Guardian reported that industrial meat and dairy companies and their affiliated lobbying groups were preparing a major campaign to convince policymakers that meat was good for the environment.
Ben Lilliston from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy said:
“With greater scrutiny over emissions from meat and dairy companies, it is not surprising they are stepping up their game to head off any COP outcome that might hinder their operations. Even so, a tripling of delegates is alarming – it drives home the urgent need for reforms that limit corporate influence at UN climate meetings.”
A.G. Coombs
Building services provider A.G. Coombs writes some very good advisory notes. Among its offerings this year it noted in a recent email blast – and will be worth a look – were key topics for our sector:
- Net Zero 101 for facility management
- Electrifying buildings for Net Zero – Opportunities & issues
- EV charging in buildings
- The importance of data classification & structure.
Measuring FLAG emissions gets easier
The Singapore based Terrascope has announced a new feature that allows clients to measure and reduce forest, land, and agriculture or so called FLAG emissions.
The company is a software as a service decarbonisation platform that allows enterprises to measure and reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions through artificial intelligence powered data science, machine learning and sustainability expertise.
The upgrade will make the platform one of the first SaaS platforms to incorporate FLAG emission capabilities for clients seeking to achieve accurate carbon accounting and sustainability objectives.
The company claims FLAG is the world’s first standard for companies in land intensive sectors to set science-based targets (SBTs), including land-based emissions reductions and removals.
Terrascope chief executive officer Maya Hari said: “Integrating FLAG capabilities into our platform is pivotal in enabling large enterprises to identify and act upon these land-related emissions more effectively.”
The company also recently announced members for its new Sustainability Advisory Council, which will include a number of sustainability veterans, such as UK Minister for Energy and Clean Growth, Claire O’Neill, the former vice president and global head of environment of Swisse healthcare company, Novartis, Karen Coyne and co-founder and CEO of SDG Impact Japan, Mari Kogiso.
Property Council is calling for skilled migrants
The Property Council is throwing its weight and jumping behind calls for a “sharper focus” on increasing the mix of construction-skilled migrants coming into Australia “to ensure the industry has the labour capacity to deliver the 1.2 million new homes demanded by the National Cabinet”.
Property Council CEO Mike Zorbas said that market capacity and labour scarcity are the key construction cost drivers to the end of the decade, and these could not be solved by training and apprenticeships programs alone.
“Adjusting up the mix of skilled migrants in a smaller intake with a greater emphasis on construction trades is vital for building Australia’s future homes,” Zorbas said.
“We have one shot at getting our housing crisis under control.
Jobs news
It didn’t take Dexus long to announce a replacement for its departing chief executive of 11 years Darren Steinberg who said he was stepping down a month ago. Taking on the role is Ross Du Vernet the company’s group’s chief investment officer who has been an executive team member since he joined in 2012. Prior to Dexus, he had been the head of strategy and corporate transactions at CFSGAM Property for 10 years.
Steinberg is credited with significant change for the company largely as a result of the pandemic with greater diversification of its portfolio, lowering exposure to offices and growing its asset management business.
Among the big news of recent times was the company’s purchase of the $4 billion Commonwealth Property Office Fund in 2014, Perth’s Jandakot Airport and taking control of the “bulk of AMP Capital’s $28 billion platform of commercial property and local infrastructure, bringing with it exposure to renewable energy assets. It has also led a strong push into healthcare real estate, an emerging sector tipped for strong growth”, an article by The AFR said.
City of Gold Coast has appointed Alex Graham as its new executive general manager of environment, heritage, and resilience.
Graham has a huge breadth of experience. She’s been executive director – Landscapes, Water and Natural Capital for the Department of Environment and Science, Queensland, where she worked on the climate change and sustainable future portfolio. And she was a director Greater Sydney at the NSW Department of Industry, Planning and Environment for two years, a green home program manager with the Australian Conservation Foundation.