States overlooking non-industrial air pollution: business group
Victoria establishes solar energy office and working group
Free CE Daily NGERs webinar
A free CE Daily webinar on NGERs aims to provide organisations obliged to report their greenhouse gas emissions and energy data with tips and techniques to help them through the reporting process.
Led by Ndevr senior environmental consultant Matt Drum, who has worked both sides of the NGERS fence as a senior bureaucrat and as an industry consultant, this free September 22 webinar will cover issues including:
- bedding down business processes to ensure compliance;
- minimising the reporting burden;
- preparing for an NGERs audit; and
- recent legislative changes to NGERs.
See registration details.
Victoria establishes solar energy office and working group
The Victorian Government today announced it would establish a new office of solar energy within the Department of Primary Industry to serve as an initial contact point for businesses, community groups and individuals seeking information about solar projects.
Energy Minister Peter Batchelor also announced a new working group to identify ways to facilitate the roll-out of medium-sized projects.
The group will be chaired by Tony Wood, director of the William J Clinton clean energy program, with other members including Ian Porter of the Alternative Technologies Association, Andrew Blyth of the Energy Networks Association, Dean Mighell of the Electrical Trades Union, Mark Clover of ANZ and Rod Menzies of the Clean Energy Council.
Victoria will also direct $30 million of funding from its ETIS scheme into two sustainable energy programs.
A total of $10 million will go towards a sustainable energy research and development program (SERD 2) and $20 million will go to a sustainable energy pilot demonstration program (SEPD).
States overlooking non-industrial air pollution: business group
States and territories too often focus their air quality efforts on large point-source emitters even though tackling issues like motor vehicle emissions can be more cost-effective, according to the Australian Sustainable Business Group (ASBG).
ASBG's submission to a review of the air quality national environment protection measure (air NEPM) says there is scope for "considerable improvement" in the way that jurisdictions deal with air quality.
"Setting increasingly tighter controls on … industry alone will not address the real problem effectively and result in higher costs," its submission says.
