Data centres currently consume about 1.3% of global energy produced though this figure is projected to grow as capacities are expanding at an accelerated pace to cater to shifting of computing capabilities onto the cloud. To minimise the impact of the growth, public and private efforts are required, such as the Singapore government’s introduction of green building rating system for data centres, and BMW’s shifting of some applications to a renewable energy-powered data centre. Read more

By Eugene Tay in Green Business Times (10 October 2012):

The new Green Mark for Data Centres was launched today by Ms Grace Fu, Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources and Foreign Affairs at the opening of the International Green Building Conference and BEX Asia, which are anchor events of the Singapore Green Building Week. The new dedicated green building rating system for data centres is jointly developed by Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA).

As Singapore’s commercial data centre space is projected to increase by 50% from 2010 to 2015, it is important to look at how green and sustainable data centres are, given their heavy use of energy. It is estimated that a typical large data centre in Singapore consumes energy equivalent to 10,000 households. Energy cost for data centres is also currently estimated to make up 50% of operating costs. There is thus potential for significant savings for data centres too if they were to go green.

The scheme covers both data centres that may occupy a purpose built data centre building or are part of a larger building. It assesses data centres based on five key criteria – energy efficiency, water efficiency, sustainable construction & management, indoor environment quality as well as other green features. Based on the combined scoring, the data centres will be awarded Platinum, GoldPLUS, Gold or Certified status.

Data centre operators are embracing the new Green Mark scheme. The pilot project saw three data centres being awarded Green Mark ratings – Credit Suisse Regional Data Centre (Platinum), Equinix SG2 Data Centre (GoldPLUS) and Singapore Tourism Board Data Centre (Gold).

Rated Platinum, Credit Suisse Regional Data Centre’s winning features include an efficient air-conditioning system, the use of energy efficient IT equipment and virtualisation technology to reduce overall IT equipment power demand. Such features enabled the data centre with 10,000 square feet of net IT space to achieve energy savings of 3.85 million kilowatt hours annually. This translates to annual cost savings of $1 million. A typical similar size data centre in Singapore consumes an average of 18.1 million kWh annually.

On the latest addition to the Green Mark scheme, Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA said: “While the original Green Mark scheme started off with a focus on building owners, we are now shifting the focus to occupants. Placing greater emphasis on users will help instill in them a sustainability mindset and allow them to play a greater role in Singapore’s green building movement.”

IDA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ronnie Tay said, “Companies are looking to host their strategic IT operations and data centres in Singapore, which offers a secure and resilient infocomm infrastructure, a thriving and vibrant infocomm industry and highly skilled infocomm manpower. As the demand for data centre increases, there is a need to ensure the sustainable development of data centres. To this end, the Green Mark for Data Centre scheme aims to encourage better management and improved energy efficiency of data centres in Singapore.”

The BCA-IDA Green Mark for Data Centres is the result of a two-year collaborative effort between BCA and IDA, with supporting partners from Energy Research Institute @ Nanyang Technological University (ERI@N) and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs (LBNL) in US. It is an extension of the successful BCA Green Mark for buildings scheme launched in 2005.

Source: www.greenbusinesstimes.com

By Energy Manager Today Staff (11 October 2012):

BMW expects to cut the cost of powering its high-performance computing as much as 82 percent by moving some of these applications to Verne Global’s 100 percent, dual-sourced renewable-powered data center campus in Iceland.

According to the UK-based data center developer, the deal will see BMW move a number of its power-hungry applications, including crash simulations, aerodynamic calculations and computer aided design and engineering, to the Verne Global facility.

High-performance computing is traditionally associated with high power consumption and carbon emissions because of the need to both power and cool the high-density servers required to run these applications. By moving 10 of its high-performance computing clusters (consuming 6.31 GWh annually) from its German facilities to Iceland’s zero-emission data center, BMW will reduce annual carbon emissions by 3,570 metric tons, Verne Global says.

BMW made the Carbon Disclosure Project’s 2012 top five list of the world’s best companies in terms of climate change disclosure and performance, Environmental Leader reported.

In other recent efforts to make data centers more energy efficient, Intel has partnered with South Korean telecom company KT Corporation to develop energy-efficient technology to reduce power consumption at data centers. The new system, if applied to every KT-owned center, would save 8.6 billion won ($7.6 million) annually. Implementing the new system in every data center in South Korea would save up to 44.8 billion won ($39.6 million).

Intel has also tested Green Revolution Cooling’s oil-based coolant for server storage, and last month, the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory selected Hewlett Packard and Intel to provide what it says will be the world’s most energy efficient data center.

Source: www.energymanagertoday.com

With buildings consuming up to 40% of energy produced, they are also one of the biggest potentials for savings through improvements in energy efficiency. Regulatory frameworks are now coming into place to promote the development of green buildings, with Singapore introducing valuation guidelines to make tangible the economic benefits of going green for building owners and tenants. These are initiatives are receiving increasing adoption as nations, and developers like Lend Lease are moving towards making green buildings part of the recipe for global environmental sustainability. Read more

By Jenny Marusiak in Eco Business.com (16 October 2012):

Properly pricing green buildings

Singapore’s building industry is finally putting a price on the benefits of green buildings with the introduction of a new valuation guideline announced on Friday.

The Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV) and building regulator, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), announced the new guidelines on the final day of last week’s three-day International Green Building Conference at a breakfast briefing for 250 high-level professionals from the industry.

The new green building valuation guidelines will be included in a revised version of the SISV’s industry guide to be released next month and will provide information on how to evaluate the cost benefits of green features such as energy and water efficiency.

“The new valuation guideline assists to keep valuers up to date and ensures that they adopt a more consistent approach when recognising the full value of energy-efficient buildings,” said the head of Valuation Advisory Services for global property firm Jones Lang LaSalle, Tan Keng Chiam, in a statement.

Singapore’s property sector has had no standard way to reflect the impact of green building features on property values until now.

Recent studies, including one published last year by BCA and the National University of Singapore, have shown that renovating commercial buildings to make them more energy efficient leads to an increase in their asset value because of their lower operating expenses.

The SISV’s president of Valuation & General Practice, Doctor Lim Lan Yuan, said that the industry needed ways to accurately identify, evaluate and price such benefits because of the increasing number of green buildings on the market.

He noted that developers incurred higher costs when adding green features to buildings, saying, “The issue is whether these costs will be offset by improved occupancy, higher rents or savings in operating expenses associated with an energy-efficient green building.”

Of the many studies that have been done globally, “practically every one indicated an increase in sales premiums,” he said, citing one study of office buildings in the United States that found double digit increases in both rental prices and occupancy rates for energy-efficient buildings.

The SISV, which lists nearly 1,500 individual professionals on its website database, said it would provide workshops and updates to its members to improve their understanding of green building valuation. In addition, BCA will be providing training programmes for valuers.

BCA chief executive Dr John Keung said at the briefing that the valuation guidelines would have a big impact on valuers and building owners alike.

“It will also further drive home the message that green buildings can enhance asset value and make economic sense,” he added.

Source: www.eco-business.com

Green buildings can be norm, says property boss

By Cheryl Lim In Straits Times (13 October 2012):

ECO-friendly buildings that benefit tenants and the wider community are here to stay, said the regional boss of one of Australia’s biggest developers.

Mr Rod Leaver, chief executive of Lend Lease’s Asia operations, said sustainability has long been a fundamental part of the firm’s business outlook and has shaped its projects in Singapore as well.

Lease has several developments here, including Parkway Parade and Jem,a mall in Jurong slated for completion next year.

One of its best-known projects is the 313@Somerset shopping mall, which Mr Leaver cited as an example of an eco-friendly property that can help change attitudes towards the environment.

We educated the tenants about the lighting and power consumption… and we work with them to identify innovative new products and help them to understand that you don’t have to have the brightest shop in the mall,” he added.

While encouraging the adoption of new technology is one way to change mindsets, Mr Leaver also highlighted the company’s Green Lease tenant programme.

He said: “The tenants are obliged under the lease to deal with their waste by separating it or sorting it. Other than minimising waste, we monitor each shop’s energy consumption and work with the tenants and incentivise the through lower energy costs.”

He also noted there were intangible advantages to green buildings. He described how the company’s internal research has found that workers in buildings with access to fresh air fall sick less often than workers in older, less eco-efficient properties.

While more developers are constructing greener buildings, Mr Leaver noted that there needs to be a proper framework to motivate all players in the market.

He said: “In Australia and the United Kingdom, it’s a very advanced market in green buildings. You just would not be able to not build a green building because that’s the standard now.

“If we want to end up with all the buildings in Singapore rated as Green Mark Platinum buildings, it’s going to need more than just a small handful of developers; it needs the Government framework to drive that.”

He also noted that Singapore is leading in the green-building sector within the region.

He said: “The other countries are playing catch-up now but they have the right intentions and they are putting in place regulatory frameworks now.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

Having passed away after a long battle with cancer, the legacy of Fiona Wain – former CEO of Sustainable Business Australia – lives on with her pioneering work on raising awareness of the environmental challenges that businesses face today. Ken Hickson remembers the forceful but always kind leader who didn’t hesitate to encourage and support businesses – small and large – in their journey towards sustanability. She was tough on Government Ministers who were slow to realise the urgency of dealing with climate change and in addressing major environmental probelms. Quick on recognising the important part sustainability plays in national competitiveness, Fiona tirelessly championed the cause on both national and international levels. Here, a fitting tribute, from no less than the one to fill her over-sized shoes. Read more

By Richard Collins (11 October 2012):

Former Sustainable Business Australia CEO Fiona Wain has died following a long battle with cancer.

A statement from current CEO Andrew Petersen said she slipped into a coma and died earlier this week.

The late Fiona Wain.

Wain joined the then Environment Business Australia in 2001 and lead the peak environment industry organisation for a decade, tirelessly doing the Canberra rounds to raise awareness about the scale and relevance of environmental challenges.

Under her leadership, SBA also embarked on a strategic plan to raise the business debate about the role and scope for smart policies, investment, technology and trade opportunities geared towards achieving a sustainable and just world.

Wain was an early adopter of the view that sustainability would become a national competitive advantage in the 21st century, not just a commercial one.

She pursued the interests of Australian business at a number of international forums, including at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 where she chaired the Sustainable Production and Consumption Working Group of business leaders.

She was also instrumental in the recognition of the nascent environment industry in 2001 through development and release of the Australian Environment Industry Action report.

Other significant contributions included her representation on the Queensland Government’s Climate Change Council and submissions on the Renewable Energy Target and to the development of the emissions trading scheme.

“Fiona was a high-energy person, never short of an opinion and never afraid to confront the status quo. And there was her love for champagne – and champagne only!” noted Petersen.

www.ben-global.com/

Often the call goes out – from us and many others – for our political leaders to do what they’ve been elected to.  Save the economy and save the environment. Invest in the future. Protect the planet. We lament the fact that fine words don’t often translate into real action and we have seen this when national and global climate change talks flounder. We also expect our businesses to provide some leadership beyond making money. Invest in the community and show responsibility to more than a select band of shareholders.  So we are doing our part to recognise those we feel are providing the right sort of leadership in a world that is crying out for it. Sustainability is more than a word. For us it is intentionally two words – sustain ability. It is a commitment to manage our resources – energy, water, land, people – and manage the economies we depend on, without harming the environment. So we have identified a mere 100 people – some very well known  and some hardly known outside their own circle. But they are all – in our opinion – making a difference in at least one organisation, in their community and country. Ultimately we all benefit. So look out for leaders! – Ken Hickson

Once again – once a year – we feature not one but 100 profiles in this issue. But we can only provide space for two on this page. Jennifer Lauber Patterson and Alex Lauber. A global sustainable couple in more ways than one. The selected Global Sustain Ability Leaders from six continents include Nobel prize winners, scientists, architects, writers, designers, artists, along with CSOs and CEOs of international companies. Besides the very well-known, there are once again some quiet achievers, making a name for themselves and their NGOs, institutes, universities or businesses. Here’s the full list.

Introducing 100 Global Sustain Ability Leaders:

This, the second 100 Global Sustain Ability Leaders list, which has been devised and produced by Ken Hickson, Chairman/CEO of Sustain Ability Showcase Asia and ABC Carbon, is published in this the 176th issue of abc carbon express (9 October 2012).

Nominations were invited through abc carbon express and received from readers around the world. There is purposely no ranking or numbering of individuals on the list, which are shown in alphabetical order based on surnames or family names.

Ken Hickson takes full responsibility for the final selection and admits that many of those finalists are personally known to him and/or he has seen them in action, observed their good works and read their fine words.

While many fellow sustainability leaders, including some journalists and well-connected individuals, provided recommendations and advice, the final decision on inclusion or exclusion was his alone.  In that regard, he admits that he succumbed this time (but not in 2011) to persuasion, even pressure, to include himself in the list, based on nominations from other well-meaning individuals.

There could well be many deserving ‘leaders’ not on the list, Ken says, but either they were not nominated or brought to the attention of the ‘selection committee’, or their deeds have not been made known outside their community, country or company. There have been some changes to the list in 12 months. While some have slipped off the 100 slots, new ones have come into their own. Those who feel aggrieved they are not on the list – or know someone who should be – please make sure nominations are made in time for the 2013 list.

For now, this is SASA’s best effort in identifying and honouring 100 people around the world – at home and abroad – who have provided leadership in the relatively new field of sustainability:

Affleck, Andrew: Managing Partner of Armstrong Asset Management, an independent clean energy asset manager, set up in 2012 and committed to investing into clean energy infrastructure assets that leave a long term positive impact on society and the natural environment. The Clean Energy Fund is a private equity fund that invests in small-scale renewable energy and resource efficiency projects in Southeast Asia. Andrew was formally the CEO of Low Carbon Investors Ltd, a dedicated global clean energy fund management group with over US$300 million under management. In all he has 22 years of asset management and investment banking experience in the Asian region, and has specialized in clean energy investments for the last 7 years. www.armstrongam.com

Aguiriano, Juan:  Worldwide Managing Director of Sustainable Operations for DuPont Sustainable Solutions, is responsible for expanding a consulting practice that leverages real-world experience and proven approaches to help organizations improve and sustain return on operations and assets while reducing the environmental footprint. His presentation at the National Energy Efficiency Conference 2012 in Singapore on “Energy Efficiency – A Sustainability Journey” looked the specific means through which companies can leverage an energy management system to reduce their energy footprint and included DuPont’s s experience. www.dupont.com

An, Esther: Head of CSR for City Development Limited (CDL) Singapore, which is a leader in sustainability in Singapore through its properties and businesses. She has been actively promoting sustainability and corporate social responsibility in the organisation and outside for 14 years and also serves on the Board of Singapore Compact. She has set standards and provided a professional example to colleagues within CDL and Singapore Compact and in the wider community.  www.cdl.com.sg

Astley, David: As Executive Chairman of the Media Alliance, he launched in 2011 a regional campaign to raise public awareness of climate change issues under the tagline ‘Redraw the Line’. Piloted initially in the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, the campaign is being undertaken in collaboration with, and with the support of, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Asian Development Bank. David was the Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) prior to joining The Media Alliance. He has overseen media development projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and highlights the role of media in improving quality of life in developing countries through social awareness and behaviour change campaigns. www.mediaalliance.asia

Baggs, David: Founder Ecospecifier, Technical Director & Principal Consultant, and Chartered Architect. A vocal advocate, educator and guide in a world ready to be greener, he challenges the way for new frontiers of sustainable design to be realised. He is a multi-award winning chartered architect, sustainability, energy-efficiency and eco-materials consultant with over 30 years’ experience in sustainable development. He is GreenTag Program and Technical Director of Global GreenTag Pty Ltd, an eco-product life-cycle assessment certification company. David has been sustainability and eco-materials consultant to over AUD$60 billion of projects in recent years including 10 Sydney 2000 Olympic projects, Brisbane City Council’s new headquarters Fitout and Sydney’s new Green Square Town Centre. www.ecospecifier.com

Bayliss, Caroline: Prior to joining The Climate Group as its Australia Director, Caroline was Director of Global Sustainability at RMIT University in Melbourne, a unit providing public and private sector clients with strategic research, evaluation and advice around sustainability issues. She has expertise in relation to sustainability assessments, indicators, reporting and sustainable procurement. During her time at RMIT, Caroline worked to develop third party scrutiny of the voluntary offsets market in Australia, collaborating with the Victorian EPA to produce the first independent online resource comparing offsets – The Carbon Offset Guide. Caroline was also previously Deputy Director of the United Nations Global Compact Cities Programme. She will maintain an ongoing role on the Advisory Council of the Global Compact Cities Programme. www.theclimategroup.org

Birkeland, Janis.  Former Professor of Architecture, Queensland University of Technology, now University of Auckland, New Zealand, urban designer, and author of “Design for Sustainability” and “Positive Development”. Janis Birkeland worked consecutively as artist, advocacy planner, architect, urban designer, city planner and attorney in San Francisco before entering academia in Australia and New Zealand. She has authored over 100 publications on built environment and sustainability and wrote the highly successful and widely adopted Design for Sustainability (Earthscan, 2002). www.creative.auckland.ac.nz

Blake, Dr Martin: Sustainability and CSR guru, started Carbon Zero Solutions, joined The Green Asia Group, and initiated Sustainably Blue. At Royal Mail in the UK he implemented far-reaching plans which lead to greater energy efficiency and sustainability, utilising carbon abatement measures to save millions of pounds and win European awards. Regularly on the sustainability speaking circuit throughout Asia Pacific, he is director and advisor to many businesses in the sustainability sectors.www.thegreenasiagroup.com

Blanchett, Cate: Oscar winning actress, star of dozens of international movies and stage roles, co-director of Sydney Theatre Company, which she has led on an ambitious, long-term and multifaceted environmental and social sustainability program that brings benefits to “our Company, our environment and the communities in which we work”. The Greening The Wharf project transformed the beautiful, heritage-listed Wharf building into an inspirational example of environmental leadership. Completed in 2011, the award-winning project is widely considered to be an exemplar in its scale and comprehensive approach. In 2007, she was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People In The World and in the same year became the ambassador for the Australian Conservation Foundation’s online climate change campaign.  www.sydneytheatre.com.au

Boatman, Tony: Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Indela, Tony has twenty years of business leadership experience. He founded The Indela with the principle goal of creating a set of tools that will assist corporations in quantifying their triple bottom line (balance between profit, people and planet) and committed to solving the sustainability challenge. Previously, Tony was with Microsoft and Nokia Mobile Phones. In Jan 2008 Tony was appointed District Manager, Singapore, for Al Gore’s NGO the Climate Project, part of the Alliance for Climate protection. Tony speaks regularly at corporate events marrying his knowledge of business management with sustainability economics to deliver an insightful & thought provoking keynote address. www.theindela.com

Bourne, Greg: Ex WWF CEO Australia & Director Carnegie Corporation. He was seconded to the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit at 10 Downing Street in 1988 as Special Adviser on Energy and Transport. In January 1999 he became Regional President – BP Australasia, the position from which he retired from BP in September 2003. Greg was appointed CEO WWF-Australia in October 2004 the position he held until June 2010. www.carnegiewave.com

Bukmanis, Adrian: He set up PowerSave Solutions in May 2011 to provide energy efficiency solutions for businesses and now manages the Singapore business of the Hong-Kong based Energenz. Through his work with Energenz and his previous experience in Australia, China and the United Kingdom, Adrian fully understands the role that energy efficiency plays in terms of sustainability. He is a member of the Sustainable Energy Association Singapore (SEAS) and he has built partnerships with leading local companies in this space (including SASA and GreenbizCheck) in order to provide solutions that can have a positive impact at all levels of an organization. www.energenz.com

Bun, Mara: CEO Green Cross Australia, Mara was born and raised in Brazil and studied and worked in the US before moving to Australia in 1991. She brings 20 years of community and business experience to Green Cross Australia – from Morgan Stanley, The Wilderness Society, Greenpeace Australia, Australian Consumer’s Association (CHOICE), Bush Heritage Australia, Macquarie Bank, CSIRO and CANNEX. www.greencrossaustralia.org

Cassels, Richard:  Founder Climate Leadership, Brisbane, Australia, archaeologist & former GM of Queensland Museum. A Governor of WWF Australia and was recently an Honorary Research Fellow at the Queensland Museum in Environmental History and Sustainable Futures. He is a popular public speaker on environmental issues and is particularly passionate about the need for all citizens of the new global village to know the environmental history of humankind. He strongly supports the Australian Government’s move to price carbon and the need for massive research into clean energies. In 2006 he established the seminar series at the Queensland Museum entitled “Pioneering a Sustainable Queensland” in partnership with John Cole of the Queensland Government’s Environmental Protection Agency and in 2007 he convened at the Museum the popular seminar “Climate Change Down Under”. www.climateleadership.com.au

Cheam, Jessica: She writes on housing, development issues, environment, energy and climate change for the Straits Times Singapore and is the founder and editor of the website eco-business.com, which provides news and views for Asia Pacific’s sustainable business community. She’s the author of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources’ new book titled “Forging a Greener Tomorrow: Singapore’s environmental journey from slum to eco-city”, the 206-page tome describes Singapore’s transformation from a bustling, but polluted port with slum-like conditions into a high-tech modern city that is globally recognized for being clean and green. She has won a global journalism award at the Earth Journalism Awards, which was held in Copenhagen in December 2009. www.eco-business.com

Cheng, Mark: Starting the social-environment movement in Asia when he was 13, Mark was dismayed at the lack of green education in Singapore, so co-founded Avelife in 2008 with a small group of youths. Today, the movement is one of the largest social-environment charities based in Asia, with groups and projects in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Korea and Philippines. In 2011, Mark started Green Prints, an environment social enterprise, which is renowned as the first exclusive green printer in Asia-Pacific, which also supplies and produces sugarcane paper, made from agricultural sugarcane waste and relying entirely on wind energy. Mark also founded Green Brunei, a non-profit that provides free environmental resources and initiates community-led environment campaigns and projects. www.avelife.org

Chu, Steven: US Secretary of Energy in the Obama administration, a distinguished scientist and co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics (1997). As United States Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu is charged with helping implement President Obama’s ambitious agenda to invest in clean energy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, address the global climate crisis, and create millions of new jobs. Dr. Chu is the co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics (1997) and received numerous other awards. He has devoted his recent scientific career to the search for new solutions to our energy and climate challenges – a mission he continues with even greater urgency as Secretary of Energy. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Chu was the Director of the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, where he led the lab in pursuit of alternative and renewable energy technologies. He also taught at the University of California as a Professor of Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology. Previously, he held positions at Stanford University and AT&T Bell Laboratories. www.energy.gov

Clark, Anna:  President of EarthPeople, based in Dallas, Texas, US and the author of “Green, American Style”. Previously a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM before becoming vice president of a public relations firm.  She founded EarthPeople in 2005 and has helped clients from non-profits and school districts to municipalities and Fortune 500 corporations to achieve cost savings and brand loyalty through profitable sustainability strategies. www.earthpeopleco.com

Cook, John: Skeptical Science is maintained by John Cook, the Climate Communication Fellow for the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland. He studied physics at the University of Queensland, Australia. After graduating, he majored in solar physics in his post-grad honours year. He is not a climate scientist. Consequently, the science presented on Skeptical Science is not his own but taken directly from the peer reviewed scientific literature. To those seeking to refute the science presented, one needs to address the peer reviewed papers where the science comes from (links to the full papers are provided whenever possible).There is no funding to maintain Skeptical Science other than Paypal donations – it’s run at personal expense. John Cook has no affiliations with any organisations or political groups. Skeptical Science is strictly a labour of love. www.skepticalscience.com

Coombs, Rob:  President and CEO, InterfaceFLOR, Asia Pacific.  After graduating a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne in 1979, Rob Coombs began work in product marketing management within the grocery sector and in footwear and apparel manufacturing, Rob moved to the UK in 1988 and joined Interface, a manufacturer of commercial carpets and furniture fabrics. After moving through a number of senior management roles within Interface in Europe and Asia Pacific, Rob was appointed President and CEO of a newly formed Asia Pacific division on 2002. Rob is a member of the Board of the Green Building Council of Australia contributing a manufacturer perspective on the need to create a built environment in harmony with nature. Interface Inc., led by its founder and Chairman Ray Anderson, is a leading proponent of sustainable business development via its Mission Zero- a commitment to eliminate any negative impact the company may have on the environment by the year 2020. www.interfaceglobal.com

Dee, Jon: Australian of the Year 2010 in New South Wales, Managing Director of “Do Something”, Keynote Speaker & Author and Founder of Planet Ark, Jon Dee, is author of “Sustainable Growth”, produced by Sensis, as part of its commitment to supporting a sustainable future for Australia’s small and medium sized businesses. www.dosomething.net.au

Doherty, Peter: Nobel Prize winner in Physiology and Medicine (1996), his latest work (reviewed in abc carbon express) is “Sentinel Chickens”. He is also author of “The Light History of Hot Air” and “The Beginner’s Guide to Winning the Nobel Prize”. is a professor at the University of Melbourne and is a member of the Board of The Conversation. He also serves in a voluntary, unremunerated capacity as Chair of the Board that provides strategic oversight to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Systems Science. Doherty, who holds the Michael F. Tamer Chair of Biomedical Research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a prestigious branch of the National Academy of Sciences. www.stjude.org

Duggan, Mike:  Founder, Four Walls and a Roof (FWR), former General Manager at Ecospecifier Global, now  at EC3 Global, Clean Technology Capability Team and Australian Centre for Sustainable Business and Development. He is a Sessional Lecturer at Univerity of the Sunshine Coast, Industry Fellow at Australian Centre for Sustainable Business and Development and Director at Australian Green Development Forum.  Michael is committed to accelerating sustainable development, and facilitating its uptake into the mainstream through strategic business management and sustainability learning. www.ec3global.com

East, May: Director CIFAL Findhorn, Scotland, UNITAR Associated Training Centre, Sustainability Educator, from Brazil to United Kingdom. May East is a Brazilian social change activist who has spent the last 30 years working internationally with music, indigenous people, women, antinuclear, environmental and sustainable human settlements movements. Since 1992 she has lived at the Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland where she is the Ecovillage Education Coordinator, the Director of International Relations between the Foundation, the Global Ecovillage Network and the United Nations. May is a sustainability educator and works internationally as Programme Director of Gaia Education. May is Director of CIFAL Findhorn, a United Nations Institute of Training and Research Associated Training Centre in Moray, Scotland. www.cifalfindhorn.org

Elkington, John: Co-founder of SustainAbility and Founder and Executive Chairman of Volans Ventures. Author of many books, the most significant being 1997’s “Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business”. He is a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. In 2004, BusinessWeek described him as “a dean of the corporate responsibility movement for three decades.” www.volans.com

Flannery, Dr Tim: Author of the landmark book “The Weather Makers”, leading climate change advocate, former Australian of the Year, head of the Copenhagen Climate Council and appointed by the Australian Government early 2011 to a newly-created position as Climate Commissioner, chairing a panel of six experts, including scientists and economists. www.climatecommission.gov.au

Fogarty, David: Joining Reuters in 1994, David now reports on climate policy, climate science and the carbon market (CDM, emissions trading) in Asia, based in Singapore. “It’s a great story in a fast-growing and fast-changing region”, he says. “I’ve been writing about climate change since university in Canberra, where I did a life sciences degree, with a communications major on the side. I started writing science articles for newspapers and, soon after completing my studies, joined as a cadet on The Canberra Times. After a few years there, it was off to London and then Hong Kong.” He also organises regular Clean Tech Forums at Thomson Reuters in Singapore bringing together experts and those wanted to learn to manage sustainability and clean tech opportunities in Asia. www.reuters.com

Forbes, Angus: In 2009, he established Natural Capital in Sydney, Australia after working in London as an investment banker. He established “The commons floor” in June 2011, a project aiming to get the financial services industry involved in the protection of the ecological and societal commons, i.e. a healthy planet and eradication of slums. The vision is for the financial services industry, as the largest white collar transnational industry in the world, to build the best intelligence network that is working to further the cause of the commons. He is married to the ballet dancer Darcey Bussell. www.celebrityspeakers.com.au

Frost, Tony: A fifth generation South African, he is passionate about the natural heritage of our planet and particularly South Africa. After 20 years as a Human Resources Director, he founded Sirocco Strategic Management in 1996. He has published “After the Rain”, a book on the subject of organisations and management. He was CEO of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa from 2002 to 2007. www.siroccostrategy.com

Gafoor, Burhan: Ambassador Gafoor is the Chief Negotiator of Singapore for Climate Change and concurrently Senior Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has extensive experience in multilateral negotiations. Most recently, he was the facilitator for the finance negotiations in the UNFCCC process, in the lead-up to COP 16 in Cancun. In 2011, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Transitional Committee that designed the Green Climate Fund, which was operationalized at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. www.unfccc.int

Gilding, Paul: An independent writer, advisor and advocate for action on climate change and sustainability. Former CEO of a range of innovative NGO’s and companies including Greenpeace International, Ecos Corporation and Easy Being Green. He argues in his book “The Great Disruption”, that this crisis driven change is an enormous opportunity to build a new approach to economic and social development for humanity. www.paulgilding.com

Gipton, Sara: She became CEO of Greenfleet in early 2007 after moving to the environmental sector and after holding senior financial roles at the Victorian Workcover Authority and Ernst & Young’s Audit and Consulting Divisions. Sara is a Chartered Accountant, with an Honours degree in Science and a Masters of Social Science focused on environmental management and planning. www.greenfleet.com.au

George, Aaron: Co-Founder, Amida Recruitment, a London-based agency specialising in the sustainability sector and Director, BREP (Resource & Environmental Planning). He has 10 years’ experience in the recruitment industry, specialising in town planning, the consulting engineering, construction and property sectors. Aaron leads Amida’s business in the energy and engineering sectors. www.amida-recruit.com

Grant, Andrew:  As CO2 Group CEO, he was honoured with the national 2009 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in the Cleantech category. Prior to CO2, he was the National Head of Ernst and Young’s environmental advisory division also fulfilling this same role at Arthur Anderson in previous years. Earlier, Andrew held the position as Executive Manager in Sustainable Packaging at Visy Industrial Packaging. www.co2australia.com.au

Grier, Nigel: Now attached to The Green Asia Group, the Former Managing Director & Principal, Zingspace, Townsville, Australia is an experienced Landscape Ecologist with a focus on Restoration Ecology & Biomimicry: looking to nature for the solutions to today’s problems. Nigel has led many multidisciplinary design teams in the Masterplanning for Landscape, Water & Natural Resource projects. Coming up with low pressure/low carbon solutions is Nigel’s passion. Nigel still spends 25% of his time back in Townsville, Australia, working on innovative projects. Nigel has specialist skills in the areas of Natural Resource Management, Soil Erosion & Sediment Control, Storm water Quality Management, Water Sensitive Urban Design, Biomimicry, Design Charettes, Collective Social Learning & Holistic Design. www.thegreenasiagroup.com

Guldberg, Ove Hoegh: Director of the Global Change Institute at The University of Queensland, he has held academic positions at UCLA, Stanford University, The University of Sydney and The University of Queensland and is currently a member of the Australian Climate Group; the Royal Society (London) Marine Advisory Network; and the Board of Editing Reviewers at Science Magazine. He also heads a large research laboratory (over 20 researchers & students) that focuses on how global warming and ocean acidification are affecting coral reefs now and into the future. www.gci.uq.edu.au

Harding, Jeff: As Chairman Ceramic Fuel Cells, he has extensive experience in the renewable energy sector. From 1995 to 2005 he was Managing Director of Pacific Hydro Limited, Australia’s largest renewable energy developer with wind and hydro energy projects in Australia, Asia and Chile.  He has Degrees in Civil Engineering, Economics, and a Masters Degree in Business Administration and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He resides in both Europe and Australia and is also a non-executive director of the ASX listed Carnegie Wave Energy Limited. www.cfcl.com.au

Hickson, Ken: A corporate sustainability specialist and climate change communicator with 50 years’ experience in the communications industry, Ken is the Founder Chairman and CEO of Singapore’s only specialist consultancy, Sustain Ability Showcase Asia (SASA). He has had extensive experience promoting energy efficiency, waste management, sustainability and green building practices in the Asia Pacific. He was sustainability consultant for the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) for Asia’s first and only sustainable light art festival – i Light Marina Bay – and has plans to help make more events sustainable, utilising the “Olympic Gold” Standard, ISO 20121. He also produces content for the E2 Singapore website for the National Environment Agency (NEA) and promoted the National Energy Efficiency Conferences in 2011 and 2012. He is a Governor of WWF Australia and author of the climate change issues and opportunities reference book “The ABC of Carbon”. www.sustain-ability-showcase.com

Ho Kwon Ping: Executive Chairman Banyan Tree Group, member 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum (2005) and Chairman, Singapore Management University.  Mr Ho is also Chairman of Laguna Resorts & Hotels Public Company Limited, Thai Wah Food Products Public Company Limited, Singapore Management University and MediaCorp Pte. Ltd. He is a member of the Asia-Pacific Council of The Nature Conservancy, Global Advisory Council of London Business School, International Council and East Asia Council of INSEAD, International Council of Asia Society and Management Board of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore. He is a former journalist with the Far Eastern Economic Review. www.banyantree.com

Hobley, Anthony:  Global head of climate change and carbon finance for Norton Rose, Anthony has played a key role in helping to design the UKs pilot emissions trading scheme and in developing key aspects of the EU ETS. He recently played a role in the advocacy around the Australian Clean Energy package and is currently working for a developing country Government on scoping out options for their climate and clean energy legislation. He spent time at the boutique investment bank Climate Change Capital as General Counsel to the Carbon Funds and Director of Legal Policy. Whilst there, he helped CCC to establish its key investment procedures and documentation. Anthony has spent 14 years with major law firms specialising in UK and EU environmental law and more recently playing a key role in helping one of them to develop and build their leading climate change and clean energy practice group. www.nortonrose.com

Hood, David: Having stepped down as the Founding Chairman of the Australian Green Infrastructure Council (AGIC), he is now driving a very solid sustainability culture change for the engineering profession in Australia as the National President of Engineers Australia (EA).    Under his leadership the organisation is strengthening its focus on engaging more with members and demonstrating how sustainability outcomes from all engineering work is good for business.   EA facilities policy is being amended to demonstrate energy efficiency, and sustainability outcomes from the $25m property portfolio.  All conferences, seminars and events will from now on also achieve high sustainability outcomes. He continues to lead the sustainability program for infrastructure at the Cooperative Research Centre for Infrastructure and Engineering Asset Management (CIEAM) based at QUT.   He also continues to deliver a regular stream of Al Gore sessions across Australia and around the world linked with my EA and university engagements (having now presented to over 8,000 people). www.agic.net.au

Huxley, Anne Marie: Founder and CEO, Models of Success and Sustainability (MOSS), Melbourne, Australia. After many years working to improve the reputation and profitability of  a range of companies from SMEs through to blue chip companies such as  Samsung, Sheraton, Du Pont, Coca-Cola and Lion Nathan, Anne-Maree  turned her focus to conscious capitalism and corporate responsibility  where business take into account the social, environmental and economic  impacts of doing business. Anne-Maree decided to bring all industry participants and corporations together for Australia’s Inaugural Corporate Responsibility Summit. MOSS was the result, the industry body for Corporate Responsibility and  Sustainability Professionals and organisations interested in corporate  sustainability. MOSS provides education, tools and training, networking and advice to drive sustainability and competitive business success www.moss.org.au

Jones, Andy: Director Group Sustainability, Amcor, previously with the Victorian Government, Toyota and URS Australia. Former President of Net Impact at Melbourne Business School, where he completed his MBA. In his current role he is responsible for developing and implementing Amcor’s Group (corporate) sustainability strategy and travels throughout the world to inspect the company facilities. Throughout his experience with Amcor, DIIRD, URS and Toyota, he has led cross-functional teams responsible for developing and implementing new initiatives and requiring engagement with multiple stakeholders. His particular interest is in inclusive business models and identifying the opportunities to align business objectives and capabilities with sustainability objectives.  www.amcor.com

Keller, Denise: Model, performer, producer or crusader – she is far more than meets the eye. The former MTV host is now a partner in a film production company No Quarter TV and fronts a documentary series on Discovery channel. She is on the advisory committee for the Climate Project and a regular speaker on environmental and sustainability issues. www.no-quarter.tv

Kelly, Jim: Group Vice President and Head of Energy Efficiency, ABB. Jim leads ABB’s global efforts in this business area bringing the full potential of “One ABB” to this important market opportunity. Energy efficiency is recognized as a central driver of growth for ABB’s customers including industries, utilities, transportation and buildings. ABB’s opportunities in energy efficiency are vast (over $15B in sales per annum) and this theme is a top 3 growth driver for the company. Increasingly, ABB is required to offer customers innovative solutions combining elements from across the entire spectrum of the Group’s products, systems and services. www.abb.com

Keogh, Amanda: Manager of Environment and Sustainability, Fuji Xerox Australia. Following a successful internationally-based career in ICT marketing communications, Keogh earned a Masters degree in Sustainable Development and has conducted extensive research into corporate sustainability. www.fujixerox.com.au

Kepler, David: Chief Sustainability Officer, Dow Chemicals, US. He is responsible for guiding the sustainable business development of the company and is charged with leading the company’s commitment to Set the Standard for Sustainability, including achieving the company’s aggressive 2015 Sustainability Goals. He is a member of Dow’s Management Committee and chairs its Sustainability Committee. In addition, Kepler chairs the Sustainability External Advisory Council (SEAC), an organization formed to provide an outside-in perspective on sustainability to Dow. www.dow.com

Khew, Edwin: He is Chairman of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS), Chairman of the Singapore Standards Council and Co-Chairman of the Energy for All Partnership (E4All) – a programme of the Asian Development. He is a former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) and also serves on the supervisory board of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (NUS) and is a member of the Climate Change Network.  He is also a Registered Professional Engineer in Singapore, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers, Singapore, a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (UK), a Chartered Chemical Engineer in the Institute of Chemical Engineers (United Kingdom) and a Chartered Professional Engineer in the Institute of Engineers of Australia. www.seas.org.sg

King, Sir David: The former UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University. Sir David was the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Government Office of Science from October 2000 to 31 December 2007. In that time, he raised the profile of the need for governments worldwide to act on climate change and was instrumental in creating the new £1bn Energy Technologies Institute.  Sir David was born in South Africa in 1939 and in 1974, after an early career at the University of Witwatersrand, Imperial College and the University of East Anglia, he became the Brunner Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Liverpool. Sir David became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1991, Foreign Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002, was knighted in 2003 for his work in science. www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk

Koh, Professor Tommy: Singapore Ambassador at Large, won the Champion of the Earth Award from the United Nations Environment Programme, he was President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea from 1980 to 1982. He was Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for and the Main Committee of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (RIO) from 1990 to 1992. Special Adviser of the Institute of Policy Studies and Chairman of the National Heritage Board. www.spp.nus.edu.sg/ips

Kwek, Leng Joo: Managing Director of City Developments Limited (CDL) is also a firm advocate of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for close to 2 decades now, making it an integral driving force behind the company’s business philosophy. He was elected as the President of Singapore Compact for CSR, which is the national CSR society and local network for the United Nations (UN) Global Compact in Singapore. Under his leadership, CDL is recognised as a leader in CSR and green buildings.  Mr. Kwek believes that responsible business practices do not only deliver better financial bottom line but also strong social and environmental performance that will help lay the foundation for long-term sustainability. Mr. Kwek has also led CDL to be the first developer to be accorded the Green Mark Platinum Champion Award and Built Environment Leaders Platinum Award by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). CDL’s firm commitment to sustainability has also been recognised internationally. CDL is proud to be the only Singapore company listed on Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, FTSE4Good Index Series and Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the world for 3 consecutive years. www.cdl.com.sg

Kyriakou, Mary-Anne: A renowned lighting designer and music composer, Mary-Anne Kyriakou is the founder and festival director of both i Light Marina Bay 2010 and 2012 – which won the prestigious Downtown Pinnacle Award by the International Downtown Association (IDA) – and Smart Light Sydney 2009, a light festival centered on sustainability and the appreciation of urban spaces after dark. Her light art & design practice is Studio Kybra. As the former director of Meinhardt Lighting Consultancy, Mary-Anne was responsible for designing both interior and exterior lighting for a multitude of buildings throughout the Asia-Pacific region, from Hong Kong to Australia. She is also well known for her award-winning light art installations, several of which have been featured in exhibitions all over the world. Mary-Anne has served as the keynote speaker for several major conventions and conferences, such as the Luminale Light Festival Germany 2010, the Poland Light Festival in 2009 and Designing Designers, Milan in 2007. She has also received several awards for her work in both lighting design and the arts. In 2008, she was the recipient of the prestigious Peggy Glanville Hicks Composer Fellowship. www.smartlightwalks.com

Lauber, Alex:  Director Australasian business for Carbonsoft, which launched an open source platform, with the support of Standard Bank, to fund and oversee the United Nations process of registering and monitoring projects which generate carbon credits. Alex, an experienced lawyer with extensive commercial and transactional skills, has expanded Carbonsoft into Asia, opening a regional office in Singapore, while working on developing CDM projects in India, Philippines and Indonesia. He draws upon his legal and regulatory background to take a hands on approach, combining strategic analysis with a detailed understanding of commercial issues, to deliver practical results. Alex is admitted to practice law in Victoria, Australia and England. www.carbonsoft.net

Lauber-Patterson, Jennifer: Head, Climate Market Investment Association (CMIA), covering Australia, NZ, Singapore and Indonesia. CMIA is an international trade association representing firms that finance, invest in, and provide enabling support to activities that reduce emissions. She is also Co-Founder and Executive Director of Frontier Carbon, a non-executive Director of Yarra Energy Foundation and on the Advisory Board of the Australia Carbon Market Institute. Jennifer is a specialist in environmental and energy markets with over 20 years’ experience in the banking and energy sectors. In 2011 Jennifer represented NAB on the Victorian Government Export Cluster and also the Australian Financial Markets Association (AFMA) Carbon Working Group. During her time in the energy industry, Jennifer held a number of senior roles before transitioning to banking in 2004, taking up the position of Director, Electricity, Emissions and Renewables at ANZ. She was responsible for NAB commissioning a report by “Republic of Everyone” on how to “Build Conversations Around a Low Carbon Economy”. www.frontier-carbon.net

Lebbon, Tim: Company director, speaker on sustainability for business and promoter of forest carbon credits and clean tech investment. He is the founder of Carbon Value, which is a significant part of the Australian and Singapore investment in the environment sector for Tim, who is also the Chairman of Adelaide-based Leadenhall VRG Pty Ltd. He has over twenty five years’ experience in consulting and corporate advisory work and is an acknowledged expert on company valuations.  Tim is also a director Noble Investments, Paragon Private Equity and chairman of Lowrie Constructions (WA) Pty Ltd.  www.leadenhall.com.au

Leaver, Rod: Chief Executive Officer, Asia. He joined Lend Lease in January 2008. Prior to his current role Rod was Chief Executive Officer Australia, and prior to this Chief Executive Officer of Asia Pacific and Global Head of Lend Lease’s investment management business, where he also had responsibility for the UK infrastructure development business and the US based public partnership’s business.  Rod is a Director of the Green Building Council of Australia and Chair of the Australian National Business Leader’s Forum on Sustainable Development. He was previously a member of the Australian Government’s Business Roundtable on Climate Change and a National Director of the Property Council of Australia; and their NSW President for three years. He has also held positions on the New South Wales Government’s Heritage Council and their Historic Houses Trust Foundation; and also the Property Industry Foundation. Rod is a Fellow of the Australian Property Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. www.lendlease.com

Lee, Chuan Seng: As the non-executive Chairman of Beca Asia, a leading engineering consultancy based in Singapore, the Deputy Chairman of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and served many years as a Board Member of the Singapore Professional Engineers Board. He is the Immediate Past President (2011-2013) of the Singapore Green Building Council and a Board member of the World Green Building Council. He co-chaired the Singapore BCA International Panels of Experts for Sustainability in the Built Environment (2008 and 2009) and for Building Information Modelling (2011). He is a member of the Singapore Ministry of National Development R&D Steering Committee for applied research into environmentally sustainable technologies in construction. He is also a member of the Committee for Environmental Sustainability of the Singapore Housing and Development Board, on the Board of the National Environment Agency (EA) and Singapore’s Energy Market Company. www.beca.com

Lee, Eng Lock: With Trane Singapore, he is renowned globally for his singular contributions to energy efficiency, as he has for the past 30 years been designing and building arguably the most energy efficient buildings and mechanical systems in the world. He is also the pioneer in very accurate long-term measurement and monitoring for mechanical plants. He has designed, built and retrofitted numerous high-performance chiller plants in Singapore and worldwide in an impressive range of building types, all achieving exceptional levels of measured performance and providing significant returns on investment. In 1994, Lee was awarded the Association of Energy Engineers USA Energy Project of the year for the Western Digital factory in Kuala Lumpur. In 2012, Eng Lock Lee received one of four Champion of Energy Efficiency Awards from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) in recognition of, “his world-leading HVAC design and engineering”. www.trane.com

Lee, Kevin: He has been the Sustainability Manager at Power Seraya in Singapore, a YTL Company, for five years, where he has been intimately involved in the initiation, development and implementation of the company’s CSR strategy, as well as influence and achieve adoption of sustainable practices through initiatives, awareness building programs, change management and behaviour change approaches. He is also the “go to” expert for sustainability related issues, as well as communicating and educating others on sustainability topics. He has also taken a lead in the execution of sustainability initiatives with the collaboration of external initiatives with the objective of educating the community on sustainability while elevating the sustainability profile of the company. He was responsible for bringing Power Seraya on board as the sustainability partner in the international award winning i Light Marina Bay lighting festival in March 2012. He was previously the Regional Brand Manager (Asia Pacific) with Conergy AG. www.powerseraya.com,.sg

Lovins, Amory: Cofounder, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the famed Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the 64-year-old American consultant, experimental physicist and 1993 MacArthur Fellow, has been active at the nexus of energy, resources, environment, development, and security in more than 50 countries for 35 years, including 14 years based in England. He is widely considered among the world’s leading authorities on energy—especially its efficient use and sustainable supply—and a fertile innovator in integrative design. After two years at Harvard, Lovins transferred to Oxford, and two years later became a don at 21, receiving in consequence an Oxford MA by Special Resolution (1971) and, later, 11 honorary doctorates of various U.S. and U.K. universities. He has been Regents’ Lecturer at the U. of California both in Energy and Resources and in Economics; Grauer Lecturer at UBC; Luce Visiting Professor at Dartmouth; Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Colorado; Oikos Visiting Professor of Business, University of St. Gallen; an engineering visiting professor at Peking University; and 2007 MAP/Ming Professor at Stanford’s School of Engineering. www.rmi.org

Lowe, Ian Professor:  President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, emeritus professor of science, technology & society at Griffith University, Brisbane, IPCC contributor, and author of dozens of books, including the landmark climate change expose “Living in the Hothouse”, Professor Ian Lowe AO has degrees in engineering and physics. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Science, Technology and Society at Griffith University in Brisbane and an adjunct professor at Sunshine Coast University and Flinders University. Professor Lowe’s contributions to environmental science have won him a Centenary Medal, the Eureka Prize for promotion of science, the Prime Minister’s Environment Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, the Queensland Premier’s Millennium Award for Excellence in Science, and the University of NSW Alumni Award for achievement in science. Professor Lowe was named Humanist of the Year in 1988 and made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001. Professor Lowe was elected ACF President in 2004. www.acfonline.org.au

Lyle, Adam: Sustainability change management and green certification specialist, Adam represents GreenBizCheck in Singapore and acts as executive director of Sustain Ability Showcase Asia (SASA). Adam’s decade in consulting is underpinned by a career in industry of 20 years beginning in banking, and range of finance roles before moving into strategic planning, general management and CEO positions. Adam has lived and worked in Asia since 2002, initially in Taiwan, then in 2006 he opened the Singapore office of Quest Worldwide, a UK global change management consultancy. Clients include MNCs such as Unilever, DHL, Holcim, Philips, HSBC, and ABN Amro, with assignments across Asia, Nigeria, India, Hungary and Australia. Sustainability is now at the centre of Adam’s business focus, helping companies realise that scare resources such as energy, water and reduction of waste need to be efficiently managed. In 2010 Adam started GreenBizCheck in Singapore, an environmental certification company. He is currently helping companies with the introduction of ISO 50,001 and 14,001. He is a Board member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. www.greenbizcheck.com

Makower, Joel: Chairman and Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group, he is a well-respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. As a writer and strategist on corporate sustainability practices and clean technology, he has helped a wide range of companies align environmental goals with business strategy. He is author of several books on business and sustainability, including Strategies for the Green Economy. He also is a co-founder of Clean Edge, a research firm focusing on clean technologies, and serves as a senior strategist to GreenOrder, a sustainability strategy firm. From 1991 to 2005, Joel was editor of The Green Business Letter, an award-winning monthly newsletter on corporate environmental strategy. Joel is a graduate in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley and is an advisor to several start-ups and board member of several nonprofit organizations, including The Biomimicry Institute, Climate Counts, and United Roots. The Associated Press has called Joel “the guru of green business practices.” www.greenbiz.com

McGaw, Ngaire: Her passion for sustainability began in 2001 through her experience in the health sector and environmental studies, in Brisbane, Australia and she has more than six years of experience in reducing emissions. She is experienced in leading sustainability projects at the community, household and organisational levels, including award-winning projects including those funded by the Australian Greenhouse Office. In 2011 Ngaire worked with the Queensland Health Carbon Management Unit and for more than five years she has lead community based environmental projects through not-for-profit organisations. These include the award-winning Sustainable Jamboree, Beyond Zero Emissions and the Climate and Health Alliance. Ngaire holds the qualification of Green Star Association. She is studying a Masters of Sustainability Science and is half way through a Graduate Certificate in Carbon Management.2009 winner of a Lord Mayor’s Green Heart Award. www.sustainablejamboree.org

McIntosh, Professor Malcolm:  Director, Asia Pacific Centre for Sustainable Enterprise. An international leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable enterprise. Malcolm pioneered the teaching of corporate responsibility and sustainability in universities in the UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  Over the years, Malcolm McIntosh has worn many hats: from film director and writer for the BBC on social, environmental and corporate responsibility issues through to Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Global Compact in New York. As an international thought leader in sustainability, corporate responsibility and sustainable enterprise for over thirty years, Malcolm has amalgamated his ideas and those of his local and international peers to create a three day event: the Necessary Transition 2012. www.griffith.edu.au

McKibben, Bill:  An environmental journalist who has written widely about climate change, McKibben, is the author of a dozen books about the environment, beginning with “The End of Nature in 1989”, which is regarded as the first book for a general audience on climate change. He is a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org, which has coordinated 15,000 rallies in 189 countries since 2009. Time Magazine called him ‘the planet’s best green journalist’ and the Boston Globe said in 2010 that he was ‘probably the country’s most important environmentalist.’ A Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College, he holds honorary degrees from a dozen colleges, including the Universities of Massachusetts and Maine, the State University of New York, and Whittier and Colgate Colleges. In 2011 he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. www.billmckibben.com

Metcalf, Louise: Author of Leadership for Sustainability Survey and member of APS College of Organisational Psychologists, Louise has over almost 15 years’ worth of experience in psychological practice, the last 9 years in organisational/ business psychology and coaching. With a Masters in Business Administration, Masters in Applied Organisational Psychology, Honours in Psychology, Louise is currently completing a PhD in Sustainability and Leadership. Her Specialties include Business Coaching, Statistical and Business Analysis, Organisational Change, Corporate Social Responsibility. She is Director of Sydney based leadership and sustainability consultancy, Pax Leader Labs. www.paxleaderlabs.org

O’Gorman, Dermot: Appointed as the CEO of WWF-Australia in August 2010, Dermot first joined WWF’s UK office in 1998. He has since worked with WWF in the South Pacific, at the WWF International office in Switzerland and, most recently, as the Country Representative of WWF in China. Dermot has worked with leading conservationists, governments and industry leaders to promote the role of WWF. www.wwf.com.au

Parkinson, Giles: Founded by Giles – a journalist of 30 years’ experience – RenewEconomy is an independent website, updated daily and with a free daily newsletter. Giles is a former Business Editor and Deputy Editor of the Australian Financial Review, a former columnist for The Bulletin magazine and The Australian, and the founder and former editor of Climate Spectator. He says that there seems little doubt that the Australian economy – indeed the world’s – is about to go through one of the most dramatic transformations since the industrial revolution. “Like the first, the next industrial revolution will be led by changes in technology, this time driven by the need to act on climate change, energy security and resource scarcity. Much of the way the world does business – particularly in the multi-trillion dollar energy and transport sectors, but also in many other sectors – will change profoundly in the decades to come”. www.reneweconomy.com.au

Polman, Paul:  Appointed an Executive Director of Unilever in October 2008, he assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer on 1st January 2009 and he is widely regarded as the business world’s sustainability leader. He earned a BBA/BA from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, in 1977 and an MBA/MA in economics and finance from the University of Cincinnati in 1979. Paul began his career at Procter & Gamble in 1979 and was group president Europe and officer of the Procter & Gamble Company until 2006. Prior to joining Unilever, Paul was chief financial officer of Nestlé S.A. from January 2006 as well as executive vice president for the Americas from February 2008. Paul serves as President of the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust and Chairman of Perkins International Advisory Board. He is a member of the United Nations Global Impact Board, Vice Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the European Round Table, a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum, the Swiss American Chamber of Commerce and a Director of Conservation International. He is on the Board of the Consumer Goods Forum where he co-chairs the Board Strategy and the Sustainability Committees. He is a Trustee of both the Leverhulme Trust and Asia House, a former board member of Alcon and, since February 2010, a non-executive director of the Dow Chemical Company. www.unilever.com

Porritt, Jonathon: Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, Jonathon is an eminent writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development. He is Co-Director of The Prince of Wales’s Business and Sustainability Programme. He was instrumental in launching the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), which brings together some of the biggest names in the maritime sector to plan how it can contribute to – and thrive in – a sustainable future. He was formerly Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90); Co-Chair of the Green Party (1980-83) of which he is still a member; Chairman of UNED-UK (1993-96); Chairman of Sustainability South West, the South West Round Table for Sustainable Development (1999-2001); a Trustee of WWF UK (1991-2005). He stood down as Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission in July 2009 after nine years providing high-level advice to Government Ministers. Jonathon was installed as the Chancellor of Keele University in February 2012. Jonathon received a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection. www.jonathonporritt.com

Purves, Rob: President, WWF Australia and Sustainable Business Australia, Robert is an investor and an environmentalist. He is co-founder and a member of The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. Along with being the Chairman of Sustainable Business Australia, Robert is also a Director of The Peter Cullen Water Trust, a Patron of the Lizard Island Research Station and a Governor of Australian Youth Climate Coalition. In 2012 Robert was appointed as President of WWF Australia for a second term. In 2008 Robert was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to conservation and the environment and awarded an Honorary Fellow from the University of Sydney. In 2004 Robert established the Purves Environmental Fund which funds numerous environmental initiatives. In addition, Robert has had a long career in business including being the Chairman for 10 years of DCA Group Limited.www.sba.asn.au

Quirk, Robert: Advocate and lecturer in sustainable agriculture, foundation chair of the Better Sugar Cane Initiative (BSI), the global round table formed by WWF and IFC. The Better Sugarcane Initiative (BSI) is a collaboration of sugar retailers, investors, traders, producers and NGOs who are committed to sustainable sugar production. He is NSW Director of the Australian Cane Farmers Association and a long-term farmer and advocate for climate change awareness and action. He blogs and regularly writes on sustainable agriculture. He is involved with Climate Kelpie as a ‘one-stop shop’ for climate risk management information and tools, designed for Australian farmers and farm advisors. www.climatekelpie.com.au

Raj, Rahul: Described as a serial innovator, he is the Director of Sustainability + Merchandising Innovation at Walmart.com, where he incubates new business models that deliver economic and social impact while strengthening the “Save Money. Live Better” value proposition. For these efforts, he was honored with Walmart’s Innovation Champion Award and a fellowship with the Aspen Institute. Rahul began his career at Procter & Gamble in brand management before joining Ferrero to re-launch Nutella and Tic Tac. Throughout this career, Rahul has cultivated a passion for community service. As the founder of Meal Exchange, an organization that empowers students to address local hunger, he was identified by TIME Magazine as one of Canada’s leading social entrepreneurs and having developed a “revolutionary” program. www.walmart.com

Ram Bhaskar, Ananda:  Director (Energy Efficiency and Conservation) in the National Environment Agency (NEA), which promotes energy efficiency in the residential, public and manufacturing sectors. Ram Bhaskar has been involved in energy efficiency work for more than 10 years. Prior to that, he was involved in the development of waste disposal facilities for Singapore. He has effectively led a team to upgrade the E2 Singapore website to spread the energy efficiency message as well as organise two successful National Energy Efficiency Conferences in 2011 and 2012. www.nea.gov.sg

Ridley, Andy: Executive Director and Co-Founder of Earth Hour, the global environmental movement initiated in Sydney, Australia in 2007 as a campaign for action on climate change. Born in Norwich, England, Andy moved to Sydney in 2002, becoming an Australian citizen in 2009. In London, he headed up the special projects team for the Prince’s Trust, working on a number of UK charity campaigns including the very successful ‘Party in the Park’. Landing the role as Communications Director with WWF Australia, he worked on major conservation campaigns to protect the Great Barrier Reef, Southern Ocean and Coral Sea, pristine marine wilderness areas threatened by the effects of global warming. In 2004, inspired by the idea of a campaign to engage everyday people and businesses in the climate change debate through a simple action, Andy initiated a think tank between Leo Burnett and Fairfax Media, forming a partnership to deliver a ‘lights out’ campaign, which would later become known as Earth Hour. Andy has recently relocated to Singapore with his wife – zoologist and author Dr Tammy Matson and their two-year-old son Solo. He continues to lead Earth Hour’s global operations from its new headquarters in Singapore. www.earthhour.org

Rowe, Alison: Global Chief Sustainability Officer, Fujitsu. An International thought leader with vast experience in business, government and NFPs. Change agent supported by strong business acumen and results. She is quoted as saying: “Sustainability is in our DNA. Our sustainability journey dates back to 1938 with the creation of a parkland environment for our first factory and extends to our long term policy taking us to 2100.” Non Executive Director  and member of the External Sustainability Advisory Board, Latrobe University Educational Institution with 1001-5000 employees, where she  assists the University in adopting a best practice approach in managing its social, environmental and economic sustainability performance across operations, curriculum and research and changing behaviours amongst staff and students so as to become a leading sustainable organisation. www.fujitsu.com

Rowley, Nick: Director of Kinesis consultancy, former advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair on sustainability and climate change. For two years prior to the December 2009 UNFCCC meeting in Copenhagen, Nick was Strategic Director of the Copenhagen Climate Council. He is a research associate at the Centre for Climate Economics & Policy at Crawford School, Australia National University, Canberra. www.anu.edu.au

Schlein, Bruce: He joined Citi in 2006 as Vice President of Corporate Sustainability after having worked as a sustainability specialist for Bechtel on oil and gas and civil projects in China and Romania. Previously, he worked for international development agencies including Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services in Bosnia Herzegovina, and the U.S. Peace Corps in Papua New Guinea. Bruce is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins Nitze School of Advanced International Studies where he currently serves as an adjunct professor.  www.citi.com

Schuster, Dr Sandra: After five years with Munich Re as research analyst, Sandra joined the World Bank late 2011 and the Climate Change Research Center of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). She is also a Governor, WWF Australia. Dr Schuster is a Climate Change Specialist, Climatologist, Meteorologist, Physical Geographer and Environmental Scientist with sixteen years’ experience of professional work in the public and private sectors both in Australia and internationally.  She is a member of the CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship Stakeholder Advisory Group and past chair and current member on the National Council of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (AMOS).She has worked on projects and contracts for a number of institutions at all levels, including local and global companies, national governments, the European Union, the United Nations IPCC as well as international NGOs. www.wwf.com.au

Shang, Ruby: Currently Director, Asia for the William J. Clinton Foundation, she was previously titled Regional Director, Asia for the Foundation and the Clinton Climate Initiative and prior to that Regional Director, SE Asia and China at Clinton Health Access Initiative, Ruby is active in promoting programmes for energy efficiency, clean energy and sustainability throughout Asia. She was education at Brown University and the American School in Japan. In an interview with Gaia Discovery last year, she describes her work: “We implement programmes that work on things like street lights, waste disposal, water, airports, electric cars and air quality”. All these things come under her remit – and she works with schools, universities, corporations and planners to make sure they are working in the right direction. Her job is to act as a sort of high-level fixer for the environmental movement in Asia; to identify gaps and listen to what people want, and what they think is practical.
To that end, she has put her own money where her official mouth is, has replaced all her light globes with LEDs, walks as much as she can, and doesn’t own a car. www.clintonfoundation.org

Sharpe, Freddy: The CEO of Climate Friendly, Australia’s leading carbon management company, Freddy Sharpe has grown this into an international business delivering carbon solutions to leading corporations, governments and individuals around the world.  Under his leadership Climate Friendly has helped to reduce carbon emissions by millions of tonnes.  As a key figure in the global voluntary carbon market, Freddy has helped to build the business case for real, meaningful voluntary action.  This year, Freddy negotiated a global partnership between Climate Friendly and South Pole Carbon, combining to create one of the world’s leading integrated carbon businesses, offering complete solutions from development of carbon projects through to distribution and retail.  www.climatefriendly.com

Solsky, David: CEO and co-founder of Carbon Systems is a passionate technology entrepreneur. He has spent the past four years working locally and internationally to build the company into a leader in the energy and carbon management sector. Sydney, Australia.Prior to 2007 David spent a decade in the IT industry as an entrepreneur, building several successful Australia and New Zealand businesses in the information and data management sector. This included Databank Technologies, a startup which evolved to become the Australian market leader in disaster recovery and information management services, and was subsequently sold to a listed multinational company. David also spent seven years with PricewaterhouseCoopers in their Corporate Finance and Assurance Divisions and has applied this experience to CarbonSystems’ technology platform, ensuring it meets the rigorous information-integrity standards of the corporate sector. David plays a driving role in the ongoing design and evolution of the CarbonSystems technology platform and the development of the company’s global partner channel. www.globalcarbonsystems.com

Stark, Peter:  As chief executive officer of the Eco Fund in Queensland, Australia Peter works to fulfil the organisation’s aim “to simplify the needs of our clients, with cost-effective environmental offsets, carbon and renewable energy products and services”. Peter joined Eco Fund with over 15 years executive management experience, including commodity trading, risk management and business development in Australia and overseas. He has been instrumental in helping Eco Fund review over 114,000 hectares for Carbon Farming Initiative potential and added over 64,000 hectares to Queensland’s protected natural areas by helping developers meet their environmental offset requirements, as well as by gathering philanthropic donations through the Balance the Earth Trust. Earlier this year Peter was quoted: “Companies, farmers and communities are increasingly exploring the benefits and opportunities that arise from carbon farming and environmental offsetting programs.” www.ecofund.net.au

Stern, Nicholas:  World Bank Chief Economist from 2000 to 2003, he was recruited to work for the British government, and appointed to conduct reviews on the economics of climate change and also of development, which led to the publication of the much respected Stern Review in 2006/7. www.lse.ac.uk

Strong, David: From 1998 to 2007 he was Managing Director of BRE Environment and between 2007 and 2010 Chief Executive of Inbuilt Consulting Ltd. Visiting Professor at the University of Nottingham Department of Architecture and Built Environment. Chairman of the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes and Chairman of Helianth Systems Ltd. He was responsible for establishing the UK Green Building Council and was awarded the Building Sustainability Leadership Award in 2007. www.davidstrong.co.uk

Sun, Dorjee: CEO of Carbon Conservation and Executive Director of Carbon Agro, Dorjee passionate about forests, community development, conservation and climate change. He started Carbon Conservation to finance the preservation of tropical rainforests and provide carbon credit revenues to local communities via Avoided Deforestation. He was the founder of a recruitment software company with offices in Melbourne and London (exited 2003), and an award winning education company which mentored over 25,000 students through Sydney and Melbourne offices in 2004. Graduating from the University Of New South Wales (UNSW) with degrees in Law and Commerce and a Diploma in Asian Studies, Dorjee studied at Peking University in China on a 2 year scholarship. He has spoken at the Future Summit, AsiaConnect, The World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and participated at the Australian Davos Leadership retreat and other think-tanks. www.carbonconservation.com

Suzuki, David: Canadian environmentalist and long-time activist to reverse global climate change, co-founded the David Suzuki Foundation in 1990, to work “to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us.” The Foundation’s priorities are: oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, sustainability, and Suzuki’s Nature Challenge. He has authored over 40 books, and is widely recognized as a world leader in sustainable ecology. Dr. Suzuki has received numerous awards for his work, including a UNESCO prize for science, a United Nations Environment Program medal, and is a Companion of the Order of Canada. He has 22 honorary doctorates from universities in the USA, Canada, and Australia. www.davidsuzuki.org

Tai, Lee Siang: President Singapore Green Building Council, Mr Tai is a multi-award winning architect and urban planner at both local and international levels. An Immediate Past President of Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), Mr Tai formed the SIA Green Committee leading to the first collaboration on Green product exhibition with BEX Asia 2009 and International Green Building Conference with Singapore Building and Construction Authority (BCA). He continues to pursue his passion on the Green and Sustainability frontiers after being appointed Chairman of REACH’s Environmental Sustainability Committee in 2008 to provide feedback to the Inter-Ministry Committee on Sustainability Development. He is currently the Group Managing Director of Ong & Ong Pte Ltd, a multi-disciplinary consultancy firm providing total solutions encompassing Urban Planning, Architecture, Engineering, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design. He is also the Chairman of the Campus Planning Committee for the new Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) from NUS in 1987. www.sgbc.sg

Tan, Professor Leo: Marine Biologist, Chair of the Garden City Fund, President of the Singapore National Academy of Science, Vice Chair of the Singapore Environmental Council and Chair of the Science Sub-Commission of the Singapore National Commission for UNESCO. Prof Leo Tan Wee Hin, ASEF Governor for Singapore, was named Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science on 24th November 2011. A marine biologist, Prof Tan, is well-known for his outstanding contributions to the promotion of science and technology in education in Singapore. Appointed as ASEF – Asia Europe Foundation – Governor in 2009, Prof Tan has also been an ardent supporter of ASEF’s mandate and initiatives. He is also the Chairman of the Singapore Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research Fundraising Committee. His interest in youth development stretches almost four decades with leadership appointments such as Chairman of both the National Youth Achievement Award Council and the Singapore Technologies Endowment Programme. He was the recipient of the Singapore President’s Award for the Environment in 2007. www.dbs.nus.edu.sg

Tay, Simon: Renowned lawyer, political adviser and environmental policy expert, Professor Tay teaches international law at the University of Singapore, and is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. From 2002-08, he chaired the National Environment Agency, the country’s major agency for environmental protection. He was a Nominated Member of the Singapore Parliament (1997 – 2001) and led public consultations on Singapore in the 21st century, the national concept plan, and the Singapore Green Plan 2012. He is the author of a number of non-fiction books, including “Asia Alone: The Dangerous Post-Crisis Divide From Americas”, as well as fiction, the latest being “City of Small Blessings”. www.siiaonline.org

Thomas, Simon: With a strong background in Education Operations Management, most recently serving as Director of Facilities of Projects for UWCSEA, a school of 4000 students. A significant part of this role involves overseeing the entire project lifecycle for the construction of Tampines campus, one of the largest new school projects in the world in a 36 month time period. He offers expertise, experience and management in all aspects of planning, designing, construction and project management of exceptional but highly practical educational facilities. 
As a consultant Simon has recently worked with schools developing new facilities in Thailand, Indonesia and India. A breadth of experience at the sharp end of managing, maintaining and upgrading school facilities and services gives a unique angle to projects which require a firm practical and hands on input. www.uwcsea.edu.sg

Thwaites, Professor John: Chairman Monash Sustainability Institute and Chairman Climate Works Australia, John chairs the Australian Building Codes Board, the body responsible for developing and managing Australia’s building and plumbing regulations. He also chairs the Climate Group, the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust and is also a director of the Australian Green Building Council and the Harold Mitchell Foundation. John chairs a project with the Brotherhood of St Laurence to develop policies to assist low-income Australians cope with the impact of climate change and chaired a joint Brotherhood of St Laurence/KPMG Report on a national energy efficiency program for low income households. He was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1999 – 2007, as well as Minister for Health, Minister for Planning, Minister for Environment, Minister for Water, Minister for Victorian Communities and Victoria’s first Minister for Climate Change. He was a Councillor City of South Melbourne (1985-1993) and Mayor in 1991-1992. He has degrees in Law (Honours) and Science from Monash University. www.climateworksaustralia.org

Van Eyndhoven, Belinda: Senior Sustainability Advisor for Beca, one of the largest employee-owned engineering and related consultancy services companies in the Asia-Pacific. Based in Beca’s Wellington, New Zealand office, Belinda is a key force for sustainability and environmental initiatives within the company as well as for a range of high profile clients. She has a strong background in environmental management, planning and resource consenting. A recent project for Belinda was establishing an environmental management framework and sustainability strategy for high-profile client Air New Zealand, also gaining ISO 14001 for their head office. She is currently helping Beca’s Singapore office to achieve ISO 14001 certification for their Environmental Management System and is also leading Beca’s internal sustainability programme, which aims to improve our environmental performance (including reducing our carbon footprint), and managing the sustainability reporting process for the NZBCSD.

Visser, Wayne: He is the Founder and Director of the think-tank CSR International and the author/editor of twelve books, including nine on the role of business in society, such as The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility and The World Guide to CSR. His most recent book is The Age of Responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business. Wayne is Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, Visiting Professor of Sustainability at Magna Carta College, Oxford, Adjunct Professor of Business in Society at La Trobe Graduate School of Management, Australia. Before getting his PhD in Corporate Social Responsibility (Nottingham University, UK), Wayne was Director of Sustainability Services for KPMG and Strategy Analyst for Cap Gemini in South Africa. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Green Professionals (IGP) and the recipient of The Emerald Literati Network Award for Excellence 2011 for Outstanding Author Contribution. In 2010, Wayne completed a 20 country ‘CSR Quest’ World Tour, to share best practices in corporate sustainability and responsibility.  www.csrinternational.org

Wills, Ray: He has had a wide-ranging career at different times as researcher, academic, planner, consultant, adviser, manager and executive, with substantial expertise in ecology, sustainability, climate change science and the effects of expected future climates on Australia.  Ray is chief adviser and Board Member, and former CEO, of the energy chamber, the Sustainable Energy Association of Australia, Adjunct Professor at The University of Western Australia contributing to the academic program and providing advice to UWA on sustainability, and a Director and joint owner of the advisory firm Smith&Duda.     www.seaaus.com.au

Wright, Matthew: Executive Director of climate solutions think tank Beyond Zero Emissions, an organisation focused decarbonising the Australian economy. The organisation has a strategic research collaboration with the University of Melbourne’s Energy Research Institute. He has led the campaign to get support to enable Australia to shred all reliance on oil, coal and gas and become entirely dependent on renewable energy sources, mostly solar thermal, by the end of the decade. www.beyondzeroemissions.org

Yeoh, Ruth:  Executive Director at YTL Singapore Pte Ltd and Director at YTL-SV Carbon, YTL’s in-house carbon credit and CDM consultancy, Ruth currently leads the environmental division at YTL, where she reports on her organisation’s environmental activities through writing its award-winning Sustainability Reports.  Ruth also pioneered the highly successful “Climate Change Week”, YTL’s flagship educational campaign designed to raise awareness on the important issue of climate change in her nation of Malaysia and globally. She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility Malaysia (ICRM) and is an investment committee member of both the Asian Renewable Energy and Environment Fund (AREEF) and Renewable Energy and Environment Fund (REEF), investing in clean technology and renewable energy. Ruth graduated with a degree (Hons) from the University of Nottingham UK and an MSc (Distinction) from Cass Business School in the City of London. She authored and co-edited a book on climate change entitled “Cut Carbon, Grow Profits: Business Strategies for Managing Climate Change and Sustainability” (published in 2007). www.ytl.com.my

Young, Peter: Chairman of the Aldersgate Group in the United Kingdom since 2007, Peter seeks to promote the economic benefits of a well regulated and high quality environmental services sector and drive consensus amongst the broad membership. He regularly provides advice at ministerial level and sits on the Green Economy Council, formed to advise government how best to work with industry on green growth policies. Peter is also Strategy Director at SKM Enviros and has 30 years’ experience in multi-disciplinary environmental management consulting. Peter is a Member of the Advisory Council, Environmental Industries Commission; Chairman, Centre for Energy and Resource Technology Programme Advisory Group, Cranfield University; expert member of UK and US environmental standards committees; and a Founding Director of CAT Alliance Ltd – a unique global Joint Venture enterprise. www.aldersgategroup.org.uk

The second 100 Global Sustain Ability Leaders list, which has been devised and produced by Ken Hickson, Chairman/CEO of Sustain Ability Showcase Asia, H2PC Asia and ABC Carbon, is published in the 176th issue of abc carbon express (9 October 2011).  Nominations were invited through abc carbon express and received from readers around the world. There is purposely no ranking or numbering of individuals on the list, which is shown in alphabetical order based on surnames.

Source: www.abccarbon.com and www.sustain-ability-showcase.com

New Green Mark schemes for supermarkets, retail and data centres will be launched at International Green Building Conference 2012 in Singapore  this week (10-12 October) , when more than 50 international experts from 25 countries speak on green buildings and sustainable living. It is held in conjunction with the Build Eco Expo (BEX) at the Marina Bay Sands. And for the first time the International Energy Centre will conduct a training week in Singapore 19-23 November on energy and carbon for executives and policy makers. Read more

New initiatives to engage the business community will be rolled out at the International Green Building Conference (IGBC 2012) to be held from October 10 to 12, 2012 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

These will include new Green Mark schemes for supermarkets, retail and data centres – all of which are major energy consumers – and a web-based carbon calculator that will help building professionals find out the carbon footprint of major construction materials and buildings. These initiatives will be unveiled by Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

Some 10,000 people are expected to attend IGBC 2012 and Bex Asia 2012, an annual regional building expo focusing on eco-friendly products and solutions. IGBC 2012 is organised by Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC).

Local Green Giants at IGBC

Real estate giants, major brands and household names which are early green building converts such as City Development, Lend Lease, United World College (UWC), and NTUC Fairprice, will be present at IGBC 2012.

Speakers representing these organisations include Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Managing Director of City Development Limited (CDL) and President of Singapore Compact, Mr Rod Leaver, Chief Executive Officer, from Lend Lease Limited, Asia, Mr Simon Thomas, Southeast Asia Project Director, United World College and Mr Koh Kok Sin, Director, Organisation Development, NTUC Fairprice. They will share their views on sustainable development for stakeholders and the economic value-add from green building investments.

Global Cast of Green Experts/ Practitioners

In addition to local advocates, some of the best known global names in sustainable development will also speak at IGBC 2012.

They include Professor Jacqueline Cramer, Director of Utrecht Sustainability Institute and former Minister of Housing, Social Planning and the Environment of the Netherlands, Ms Hilary Beber, Policy advisor of Green Buildings in New York City Mayor Office, Ms Yukio Nishida, Planner for Bureau of Environment, Tokyo Metroplitan Government, and Ms Jane Henley, CEO of the World Green Bullding Council (WGBC). The Presidents of Green Building Councils from Malaysia and Hong Kong will also be speaking at the Conference.

Joining this scintillating cast of sustainable development experts will be global green icon, Mr Andy Ridley, founder of Earh Hour, who wants to inspire the community, especially the younger generation to adopt and support green lifestyles to do their part for sustainable living.

Government Leadership in Sustainable Development

The Conference will also highlight the importance of leadership and policies to effect a diverse mix of strategies, from mandatory regulation to tactical incentives as well as innovative funding mechanisms.

For those who want to learn more about Singapore’s latest iconic Gardens By the Bay, they can hear from National Parks Board’s Chief Operating Officer – Mr Kenneth Er who will share the green secrets behind this iconic development.

Commenting on IGBC 2012, SGBC’s President Mr Tai Lee Siang said,”The green building movement has certainly evolved over the past years. Today, we believe that we have to go beyond buildings to spotlight on the key role of buildings influencing and being influenced by the lifestyles of people. So this year, as our conference theme suggests, “Green Community, Green Action,” IGBC will focus on the community – to galvanise tenants, consumers and even the young to drive home the message that they too can contribute significantly to conserving resources, saving money and creating jobs while building owners together with regulatory bodies will work together to providing healthier places for all of us to live, work and play.”

About Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC)

Singapore Green Building Council was set up in 2009 to propel Singapore’s building and construction industry towards environmental sustainability. It promotes green building design, practices and technologies, integrate green initiatives into mainstream design, construction and operation of buildings as well as enhance capacity and professionalism to support the wider adoption of green building development and practices in Singapore.

SGBC, a member of World Green Building Council (WGBC) since 2010, launched its first Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) Certification Scheme in January 2011. The SGBP certification scheme complements Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in driving the green building sustainability development towards the Singapore 2030 Green Plan. SGBC, which has more than 300 members, has certified 144 green products.

SGBC is the host for the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2012 and strategic partner for BEX Asia 2012. In 2010, SGBC organized the World Green Building Council’s International Congress and its Inaugural Green Building Conference . Together with BCA, SGBC also launched the Green Building Individual Awards to recognize their continual and outstanding contributions towards the sustainability of Singapore’s built environment. SGBC membership is open to developers, contractors, manufacturers/suppliers, engineers, architects, institutions/associations, agencies and individuals concerned with or interested in transforming Singapore’s built environment towards a sustainable future.

About International Green Building Conference (IGBC)

The International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2012, organized by SGBC in strategic partnership with BCA, is the anchor event of Singapore Green Building Week. Focusing on green leadership and green community this year, IGBC aims to engage the next generation of green leaders and the public in strategic and policy planning for a greener and healthier future.

Inaugurated in 2009, it serves as a platform for global industry players, practitioners, academics to congregate and share cutting-edge ideas and best practices. The conference focuses on a different theme every year, aimed at propelling the green building and construction industry.

Besides talks and presentations by distinguished experts from the green industry, IGBC provides participants with practical learning experiences through workshops and tours of local Green Mark buildings – where participants can gain first-hand knowledge of how Singapore developed its reputation as a front runner in the green building industry through the formulation of green building programmes

Source:  www.sgbw.com.sg

Announcement from the International Energy Centre

Asia Energy & Carbon Training Week

19-23 November 2012

Energy is a key economic, environmental, social and security issue for Asia. Challenging industry and government to think and act in innovative ways is a necessary and constructive way forward, if the growing needs of the region are to be met while ensuring long-term sustainable development.

The 2012 Asian Energy & Carbon Training Week (AECTW) is an exciting 5-day Professional Development program, designed to equip executives and policy makers with practical skills, knowledge and experience, and networks to manage carbon and energy issues in an increasingly complex policy and business environment.

The Training Week is for participants from organisations who recognise and wish to build capacity and strategies to respond to the emerging risks and opportunities presented by domestic and global carbon and energy markets. As an “end-to-end” management course it is valuable for participants from all backgrounds and of all levels of knowledge.

This 5-Day course will feature a set of highly interactive lectures, workshop discussions, field trips, and, networking and dinner events featuring talks by industry experts.

The course will be conducted by three energy and carbon experts – Simon Smart, Adrian Ward and Sebastian Thomas. Guest speakers at special sessions will be Edwin Kwee, President of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS), Ken Hickson Chairman and CEO of Sustain Ability Showcase Asia, Marion Verles, Executive Director of Nexus-Carbon for Development and Angus McEwin is the Managing Director of Monsoon Carbon,

The International Energy Centre (IEC) is a network of three of Australia’s leading universities in the energy domain – The University of Queensland, The University of Western Australia and The University of Newcastle – and leading foundation industry partner Xstrata Coal.

The IEC’s vision is to play a critical role in equipping leaders with the skills, knowledge and expertise to address energy challenges and devise solutions for a sustainable future.

This goes beyond the immediate resource focus and includes clean technology, integration in areas such as regional and developing country processes, climate change, carbon management, sustainability, economics and international policy as well as other areas where energy forms an important part of the future.

Professional Development Outcomes

On completing the Training Week, participants will be competent in:

• Understanding      the fundamentals of energy and carbon;

• Understanding      the various energy systems and technologies ;

• Applying key      concepts related to international and national energy and carbon policy      and markets;

• Understanding      the advantages and disadvantages of different energy and climate policy      options, including case studies from other jurisdictions such as China,      Chile, the EU, Australia and California;

• Identifying,      conceptualising and evaluating cost-saving energy management and      low-carbon generation opportunities within their organisations;

• Appraising       different energy technologies and other emission reduction projects      according to the capital budgeting process and a robust risk framework;

• Developing      carbon offset methodologies and projects (such as under the Clean      Development Mechanism) and opportunities to sell these onto international      markets;

• Building skills      in developing carbon and energy management strategies for organisations      including: Compiling a      carbon footprint; Identifying energy and climate change      related regulatory risk; Understanding energy systems and technologies; Learning to set organisational      goals and objectives to reduce energy consumption and emissions; Building      a greenhouse gas marginal abatement cost curve (MACC); Putting into      practice carbon and energy management strategies; and Building a portfolio      of options to reduce energy costs and maximise carbon market      opportunities.

For the full details of the programme and to register for the week long training go to www.internationalenergycentre.com or email: a.ward@energycentre.com

United Nations General Assembly, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon once again highlighted the urgent need for concrete action on climate change. The effects have manifested themselves in the unpredictable and volatile weather patterns, he said in New York, with critical impacts on food and water supply and access, and severely undermining the goals of the Zero Hunger Challenge set at the Rio+20 conference which aims to ensure adequate nutrition for all and a resilient food system. Read more

Action on climate change crucial to water and food security, Ban stresses at UN event

27 September 2012:

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called again for urgent and concrete action on climate change, as high-level officials gathered at the United Nations to discuss the growing global concern over the impacts of the phenomenon on food and water security.

“Action on climate change remains a major piece of unfinished business,” Mr. Ban told an event hosted by Qatar on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 67th session of the General Assembly.

Last December, Member States agreed to reach a legally binding agreement on climate change by 2015, he said, referring to the decision taken by the 194 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at their conference in Durban, South Africa.

“Two days ago I called on Member States to make good on this promise. Time is running out on our ability to limit the rise in global temperature to 2 degrees centigrade.”

It is vital for everyone to work together to make the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, to be held in the Qatari capital of Doha from 26 November to 7 December, “a major stepping stone to a global, robust and legally binding climate regime,” said Mr. Ban.

The world, he said, is witnessing the highest levels of emissions ever; the Arctic sea ice is again at an all-time low; and it is another record year for wild fires, droughts and flooding. Climate change is making weather patterns both extreme and unpredictable, contributing to volatility in global food prices, which means food and nutrition insecurity for the poor and the most vulnerable.

The Secretary-General has made food security a top priority through the Zero Hunger Challenge he launched at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held in Brazil in June.

The initiative aims for a future where every individual has adequate nutrition and where all food systems are resilient. Its five objectives are to make sure that everyone in the world has access to enough nutritious food all year long; to end childhood stunting; to build sustainable food systems; to double the productivity and income of smallholder farmers, especially women; and to prevent food from being lost or wasted.

Ending hunger will mean climate-smart, climate-resilient agriculture, as well as policies that are water-smart, energy-efficient, and that promote inclusive green growth, Mr. Ban said.

Also crucial is more private and public investment in science, innovation and applied research, as well as innovative partnerships among farmers, governments, businesses, academia, international organizations and civil society.

“But our efforts will come to naught if we don’t work together to slow down the carbon emissions that are warming the planet,” Mr. Ban stated.

He called on governments to adopt the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol when they meet later this year in Doha. The first commitment period of the Protocol, the legally binding treaty to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, expires this year.

“The emission reduction targets of the new Kyoto treaty are not sufficient – we know that – but they are necessary starting point from which to build a future global agreement by 2015,” he stated.

It is also important to address the gap between fast-start finance and long-term finance so that by 2020 climate finance is being mobilized at the agreed level of $100 billion a year, he said, calling for accelerating efforts to make the Green Climate Fund, approved last year in Durban, fully operational.

“This is the path to water and food security,” he stated.

Source: www.un.org

Climate change costs more than the loss from extreme weather damage, lives and livelihood. It has a heavy impact on the world’s economy – reducing the global gross domestic product by 1.6% or $1.2 trillion a year, and rising. The loss is unevenly distributed, with low-income developing nations getting hit the hardest. Actions to mitigate the effects are required now, as the cost of mitigation balloons with every moment. Read more

Climate Change Reducing Global GDP by $1.2 Trillion

By Ehren Goossens in BusinessWeek (26 September 2012):

Climate change and pollution related to carbon-dioxide emissions are reducing the world’s gross domestic product by 1.6 percent a year, about $1.2 trillion, according to a report.

If unchecked, rising temperatures may cut global GDP by 3.2 percent a year by 2030, according to the Climate Vulnerability Monitor, from by the Madrid-based humanitarian group DARA and the Climate Vulnerable Forum.

As the economic impact of climate change grows, so will the cost of curbing it, according to leaders of developing nations who spoke at an event in New York today.

“What is possible with $100 billion today, will cost ten times more in 2030,” Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed said during the panel discussion, part of the Climate Week NYC conference. Her country is part of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, a group of developing nations threatened by climate change.

A warming planet will have a disproportionate effect on developing countries, especially low-income states such as Bangladesh that have high population density and fewer natural resources. Low-lying coastal regions also face the prospect of being submerged as the oceans rise, she said.

This will affect food production and drive up prices, she said. Climate change may cut GDP in some developing nations by as much as 11 percent by 2030.

Those losses far exceed the cost of reducing emissions, which the report estimated at about 0.5 percent of GDP over the next decade.

‘Side Effect’

Some people dismiss the gradual loss of some small islands as a “side effect” of development, said Maldives President Mohamed Waheed. That view doesn’t take into account the impact on the global community, such as finding new homes for displace populations. “We are all on the same sinking boat.”

Climate change was responsible for about 5 million deaths in 2010, including 400,000 related to hunger and diseases and 4.5 million from air pollution, according to the report.

Tackling climate changing emissions offers an economic opportunity, former Costa Rican President Jose Maria Figueres said on the panel discussion. His country gets 92 percent of its power from renewable sources. “There is a lot of low-hanging fruit that can be transformed into jobs, new business models, opportunity for investment and ways in which to finance development,” he said.

$1 Trillion Invested

Investment in clean energy passed more than $1 trillion last year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, driven in part by international efforts to curb climate change and develop global policies. That “would not have been there if we didn’t have this nagging process,” Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the sister of Costa Rica’s former leader, said at another event yesterday.

Global agreements would spur private support from investors who want predictability in regulation, she said. “The issue is more urgent and more deeply impacting than we had ever thought.”

Source: www.businessweek.com

Renewable energy is critical to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and cut emissions. Continuous investment is required to improve the efficiency of production and to make the technology more accessible to all. With Australia’s Renewable Energy Target set to end in 2020, investments for renewable energy are expected to drop as it is unable to remain competitive with fossil fuel, even with a carbon price. WWF and Climate Risk are putting out a call to the government to extend the RET to 2030. Read more

Renewables at risk in 2020 without RET extension: report

By Climate Spectator (24 September 2012):

Australia’s renewable energy investment is likely to stall from 2020 unless the renewable energy target is extended out to 2030, according to a new report.

The modelling, released today by WWF and Climate Risk, suggests that with a carbon price and no increase of the RET after 2020, most renewable energy industries will collapse in 2020 and cease project development for between four and 32 years, until cost convergence is achieved subject to carbon price.

“If our renewable industries are to survive, governments must ignore calls from the Australian Coal Association, Origin and Australian Industry Greenhouse network to scrap or reduce the RET, and instead give industry and investor certainty by increasing it out to 2030,” WWF’s Climate Change National Manager, Kellie Caught, said.

The report makes the case for a 2030 RET of between 137,000 and 169,000 GWh, equivalent to between 43 and 53 per cent of forecast electricity demand.

Dr Karl Mallon, co-author of the analysis, said that even a carbon price at the upper end of expectations would not prove supportive for some clean tech development.

“Even with the highest carbon price scenario modelled, renewable industries like geothermal power, ocean energy, and solar thermal will stall in 2020,” he said.

“Clearly this would result in green collar job losses and an exodus of investment, but it also puts domestic emission cuts out of reach forcing Australia energy companies to go overseas for emission offsets for many years to come.”

http://www.climatespectator.com.au

Is there finally a viable means for CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) to be put into practice economically and safely? Even though the capture of CO2 and storing it in underground geological formations is seen as a way of mitigating climate change, it is still in its nascent stage, where current technologies are deemed too expensive or unreliable. Researchers at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory claim to have found the answer to these problems with their new absorber and are in the process of refining it for commercial uses. Read more

New material boost for carbon capture

By Chris Wickham for Reuters (24 September 2012):

Carbon capture has not yet been proven on a commercial scale

Researchers have created a new material that could solve some of the problems currently plaguing carbon capture and storage.

The material, made from aluminium nitrate salt, cheap organic materials and water, is non-toxic and requires less energy to strip out the carbon when it becomes saturated, according to the scientists who author a paper appearing today in Nature Chemistry.

Carbon capture has not yet been proven on a commercial scale and pilot projects have been hindered by concerns that the ammonia-based materials, or amines, used to absorb carbon can themselves produce toxic emissions.

They are also expensive and need large amounts of heat to boil out the carbon so it can be taken away and stored.

The researchers say their new absorber, dubbed NOTT-300, could overcome all these problems.

“I feel this can been viewed as a revolution to a certain degree,” says Sihai Yang from the University of Nottingham , who worked on the project.

“It is non-toxic, and zero heating input is required for the regeneration. There is promising potential to overcome the traditional amine material on both environmental and economic grounds.”

Dr Timmy Ramirez-Cuesta, who worked on the project at the ISIS research centre at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, says the new material could simplify carbon capture by using interchangeable filters.

“When the material is saturated, the exhaust gases are diverted to the second container where the process continues,” he says.”The full container is disconnected from the system and the CO2 is removed using a vacuum and collected. The regenerated container can then be reconnected and used repeatedly.”

The team, which also included scientists from the University of Oxford and Peking University in China, say the new material captured close to 100 per cent of the carbon dioxide in experiments using a cocktail of gases.

Although the rate could be lower in the “dynamic conditions” of a real power station, it should still be over 90 per cent, which is a key test for the viability of an absorber.

The material can pick up harmful gases, including sulphur dioxide, in a mixture, allowing others like hydrogen, methane, nitrogen and oxygen to pass through.

It does, however, absorb water vapour and the researchers are doing further work to overcome the problem, which could reduce its performance with CO2.

Professor Martin Schroeder at the University of Nottingham, who led the research, says NOTT-300 could also be put to use in gas purification. Natural gas often contains 10 per cent of carbon dioxide impurity which needs to be removed before it can be used.

The scientists say they are working with companies in the carbon capture business on commercialising the new material.

Source: www.abc.net.au