Vic minister warns of dangers of carbon price that's too low; IAG chief warns of government underspending on adaptation; CDP5 finds many Australian companies have emissions strategy in place, but GHG disclosure poor.
Queensland outlines proposed offsets policy and offsets exchange; (with video) Rudd releases YouTube climate ad; ’Solar assist’ the most promising high temperature solar thermal option; Sugar mill fined over effluent breaches.
The EIS for Queensland’s proposed 153,000ML Traveston Dam “has clearly determined that Traveston Crossing is not only an appropriate site for a dam [it] is the best site in south-east Queensland for a dam,” Premier Anna Bligh told Parliament yesterday.
The ACT will in future routinely quiz companies on their environmental, social and governance practices when making decisions on $1.4 billion in share investments managed by the ACT Treasury.
Governments in Australia have generally paid little attention to environmental risk issues when making decisions on how to invest the superannuation and other funds they manage, says a report prepared for the ACT Government.
Queensland has flagged the prospect of a “performance-based” landfill levy and raised the possibility of container deposit legislation and a new waste statute in a paper discussing possibilities for a revamped state waste strategy.
Announcing November 24 as election day, PM John Howard has promised a re-elected Coalition would deliver environment policies that “tackle in a balanced way the great challenges of climate change and water security”.
Gore and IPCC share Nobel Peace Prize (with video); Turnbull names Gunns mill expert panel; Woodside gets clearance for Pluto LNG plant on Burrup; NSW seeks comment on Gosford alternative waste treatment plan.
A major LNG processing facility planned for an island off WA that is a class A nature reserve has cleared its final environmental hurdle, with Federal Environment Minister yesterday granting EPBC Act approval to Chevron Australia for its Gorgon gas development.
Australia could reduce its 2020 emissions to more than 30% below 1990 levels without resorting to carbon capture and storage or nuclear power, but only if it employs “potentially controversial” measures such as slashing beef consumption and requiring aluminium smelters to offset their emissions.