Queensland's Supreme Court will for the first time rule on whether the state's Environmental Protection Act obliges the environment department to consider emissions from coal burning, in a dispute over approval of Hancock Coal's Alpha mine.
Directors on the majority of public boards lack sufficient knowledge of environmental risk and are failing in their obligations in this area, says JB Were chairman Mark Joiner.
Companies risk costly failure if they don't design projects in a way that earns public trust, says businessman and activist Geoffrey Cousins, a leader of campaigns that blocked the Gunns pulp mill and Woodside's James Price Point LNG development.
A new international report specifies eight key climate change risks for Australia, while a draft federal report says warming will 'dramatically affect' biodiversity across the continent.
Decisions by state regulators make it clear that approvals for coal mines and infrastructure won't consider emissions from coal burning, despite calls from activists.
Legislative changes in Queensland and recent Federal Government decisions have undermined efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef, says a WWF report to the World Heritage Committee.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt has postponed next Thursday's meeting of environment ministers, which was scheduled to consider matters including a container deposit scheme.
Proponents of projects that could affect the Great Barrier Reef will face more stringent offset requirements and greater scrutiny of their cumulative impacts, according to a draft strategic assessment released today.