Sustainability is the Challenge

The Sustainability Challenge is being introduced into Australia for the first time later this month. The  software‐based, interactive and scenario-driven sustainability game is developed for business, community, and government, while “creating the sustainable workplace” is a key purpose of the Climate Change@Work Conference in Brisbane on 29 October.

 By Ken Hickson, author of “The ABC of Carbon” wrote this article for EcoVoice this month to draw attention to the importance role Sustainability plays in towards workplace and business:

We hear talk about sustainability as if it was something new. It has been around for a while, but maybe in many different guises.

Some know it as corporate social responsibility. Some put it in the same category as “triple bottom line reporting” – concerned with environmental, social and economic behaviour and measurement in a business.

But increasingly the business world is accepting that sustainability is something that matters for the bottom line and for business every day.

Global measurement of sustainability began ten years ago. The launch of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) in1999 was a milestone for sustainability investing, as it enabled a significant number of market participants to move into this field and to put sustainability on the radar screen of mainstream investing.

The corporate sustainability data collected over the last decade reveals a remarkable shift in the attitude of businesses towards sustainability. In the 1990s, the integration of sustainability into business processes was driven primarily by regulatory, corporate governance and compliance requirements.

When assessments for the DJSI began ten years ago, even a significant number of the best performing companies had only vague and ad-hoc processes in place to target sustainability objectives.

Today, companies embrace corporate sustainability as a key source of competitive advantage. Management realizes that the implementation of sustainability practices helps mitigate risks and seize opportunities arising from long-term economic, environmental and social trends. At the same time, room for improvement in terms of sustainability performance remains significant across all sectors.

Sustainability has a place in my book “The ABC of Carbon” as does the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.  Here’s how it appeared:

Sustainability. Practically any company with any standing at all acknowledges the importance of ‘sustainability’. While not a traditional item on a company’s balance sheet, sustainability — also called corporate social responsibility — is increasingly figuring in ‘triple bottom line reporting’, which accounts for the economic, environmental and social performance of the business.

Somehow, sustainability links inextricably with the environment, as companies realise the impact they’re having through their energy use and the emissions they produce. And that’s where climate change comes into the equation. Here’s a brief collection of relevant links:

• Martin Loosemore and Bede Boyle brought the two together in a very helpful blueprint, Climate change and corporate social responsibility. See www.synergymcg.com
• Mathew Warren, in his Greenchip column in The Australian (6 August 2007), noted the increasing move to sustainability reporting by major companies even though it was not mandatory.
• The Financial Services Institute of Australia estimates the economy would grow by $12 billion a year if all medium and large companies reported their sustainability risk.
• An online resource that showcases the organisations in Australia that are committed to sustainability and innovation is www.sustained.com.au.
•  The release of “Towards a sustainable future”, written by Valerie Khoo, was a landmark for Australia’s corporate awareness and practice of sustainability. See www.clcreations.com.au
• The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index measures a company’s overall and industry-specific sustainability trends, using a variety of criteria including climate change strategies, energy consumption, human resources development, knowledge management, stakeholder relations and corporate governance. See www.sustainability-index.com

Some businesses make a point of stressing the value of sustainability. Many clearly parade their sustainability policies and reports.

One company that is putting its money where its mouth is the Xerox Corporation. Here’s what Patty Calkins, VP of Environment Health & Safety, for Xerox Corporation has to say in “Six reasons why sustainability is smart for your business”

I want to focus on some of the powerful business benefits that can come from successful sustainability programs. They will definitely help you turn green into black on your balance sheet.

1. Save on energy

Energy efficiency is a double-win, because it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and reduces energy costs as well. Over time, the savings can really add up.

2. Maximize efficiency

The drive to reduce the environmental impact of any business inevitably leads to an investigation of inefficiency and waste. At Xerox, we diverted more than two billion pounds of electronic waste from landfills—enough to fill 160,000 garbage trucks—by developing smart green recycling and remanufacturing programs. Net savings? Two billion dollars. That was music to our CFO’s ears.

3. Drive innovation

Global warming is the world’s greatest engineering challenge, because it requires us to dramatically change the way we work and live. Businesses that will lead this transformation by bringing breakthrough green innovations to the marketplace will undoubtedly leap into the ranks of the world’s greatest companies in the years ahead.

4. Create a competitive advantage

The drive to create eco-friendly products and services is great for the environment and great for forward-thinking businesses too. After all, polls show that businesses and consumers are placing more emphasis on buying green than ever before. So if you want to get an edge on your competition, offer environmentally friendly alternatives to your customers.

5. Build the brand

If your company makes a real contribution to the global sustainability movement, you will enhance your brand. And that will help you market your products and services, build stronger relationships with shareholders and the public, and build employee morale.

6. Get ready to trade carbon credits

All of the countries that belong to the European Union participate in a mandatory “cap and trade” carbon trading system. This system sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Then it rewards companies that don’t use their full emission allowance by allowing them to sell their extra “credits” to companies with excessive emissions. Cap-and-trade systems currently operate on a voluntary basis in other areas of the world. But given the growing concern about global warming, they may well become mandatory for most of the developed world in the years ahead. In that case, businesses will have another compelling economic reason to lower their carbon footprint: they will have valuable emission “credits” to sell.

The business case keeps getting better and better. In the past, green programs were often viewed as a cost to companies, not a benefit. But that attitude is changing as corporate leaders around the world discover the powerful business advantages that come from finding smarter ways to green.

Listen to what Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface, the world’s leading carpet tile manufacturing company, has to say on the subject: “I always make the business case for sustainability. It’s so compelling. Our costs are down, not up. Our products are the best they have ever been. Our people are motivated by a shared higher purpose—esprit de corps to die for. And the goodwill in the marketplace—it’s just been astonishing.”

More on sustainability from www.xerox.com/thoughtleadership_calkins

To help companies in Australia get to grips with sustainability at all levels, the Sustainability Challenge comes to the rescue.

The Sustainability Challenge is a software‐based, interactive, and scenario driven, sustainability game developed for business, community, and government by MOSS (Models of Success and Sustainability) and The Diversity Company.

It is adapted from the successful Diversity Challenge tool that has been utilised by major international corporations such as IBM, BHP Billiton, ANZ, Coca Cola‐Amatil and Shell. It provides training for business, government and community groups to address issues such as carbon trading, energy, water use, and sustainable development in a fun and stimulating way that inspires decision makers to develop actions that enhance long term value and growth.

I speak with a certain amount of knowledge of the Sustainability Challenge as I was one of a select few introduced to it a few months ago at a workshop in Sydney. I have also seen and participated in a number of sessions where the Sustainability Challenge has been tested. This happened in Brisbane at Greenfest in June, as well as at Sustainability Seminars run by MOSS and Minter Ellison throughout the country.

The latest trial run was with Mike Duggan, the Director of FWR Group for the Australian Green Development Forum in Brisbane late September. He demonstrated the use and effectiveness of the program in the area of Climate Change, Development and Risk.

Officially the Sustainability Challenge will be launched at events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane late October/early November. Watch out for it or go to www.moss.org.au for more information.

Sustainability in the workplace is a key component of a one day conference in Brisbane on 29 October – Climate Change @ Work.

Organised by the Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney – one of Australia’s leading authorities on working life – the conference draws attention to how climate change is changing jobs, human resource management practice, workplace relations and skill demands.

ABC Carbon, along with Griffith Business School and the Queensland Conservation Council, is pleased to be associated with this event and encourages businesses, students and representatives of NGOs to attend.

Experts from leading organisations will discuss the actions workplaces need to take to develop new approaches to green education, training and carbon reduction in the workplace. Find out how climate change could transform your workplace. Discover how some of Australia’s leading companies, including Fuji Xerox, PwC and Fosters Group are implementing strategic and practical changes.

This is your unique opportunity to get the latest insights from key thought leaders on Australia’s increased sustainability in the workplace. Go to www.wrc.org.au to register for the event. There is still room and a special price is being offered to students and members of NGOs.

Sustainability is not a novel, flash-in-the-pan management ploy to get greater productivity or greater public acceptance. It is as real as climate change and it is here to stay!

Source: www.abccarbon.com and www.ecovoice.com.au

Food & Energy Security in Asia

The Asian Development Bank has warned that climate change posed “fundamental threats to Asia’s food and energy security” which could trigger an upsurge in migration. The report also warns of sharply rising food prices and potential food shortages. 

Presenter: Ron Corben on Radio Australia

Speaker: Mark Rosegrant, report co-author from the U.S.-based International Food Policy Research Institute

The Asian Development Bank presented three reports – on food security, energy and migration on the sidelines of this week’s negotiations in Bangkok on a new climate change treaty.

The ADB’s studies, warned food prices such as those for rice, maize and wheat – the region’s main staples – could rise by as much as 100 per cent by 2050 unless climate changes were contained. South Asian economies of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are expected to be most affected.

The report also warned of declining access to affordable energy that could lead to fresh waves of migration. 

I asked Mark Rosegrant, a co-author of the report, from the U.S.-based International Food Policy Research Institute whether there was sufficient time to prevent the forecast trends in agriculture taking place. 

ROSEGRANT: I think we’re running out of time to really slow climate change. I mean there’s increasing evidence that temperature changes are accelerating. You’ve seen all the evidence of ice melting – Arctic and Antarctic that’s looking at a pretty scary future. It seems to me the big agreements have to get in place very soon or we’ll be facing a radically different Earth in 30 to 40 years from now unless something is done very quickly.

CORBEN: A key concern raised by Mr. Rosegrant is the potential for increasing conflicts within the region as extreme weather conditions deeply affect local communities.

ROSEGRANT: Not only are food prices going to be higher but the water is going to be scarcer, land is going to be scarcer. Multiple pressures on the land. I think the bio-fuel issue is going to come back again because any long term projections you look at says a lot of land has to go to biomass to get the kind of carbon mitigation that you want. It is going to be neighbours against each other. So there is really potential for instability there. And that goes along with the objective deterioration in the environment that you’re going to have the potential for very significant social deterioration and the loosening of the social bonds as well.

CORBEN: One of the characteristics of all these countries .. are they are essentially traditional societies and what the world is asking them to do is to make major changes in the traditional ways of doing things. How do you see that unfolding? 

ROSEGRANT: I think you’re right that’s a very difficult hurdle to do. One of the things that has to be done is to try to reach into actual communities and powers, farmers, and rural communities to work together on some of these issues. But it is going to be a major change that’s going to be dealt with. Instead it’s not necessarily easy for these traditional cultures to adapt to these changes. 

CORBEN: How much urgency that you see and you feel in your report that you feel is being taken up by various governments and politicians?

ROSEGRANT: I think everybody knows the problem but politically it’s been very difficult to get for example the developed countries and the developing countries on the same page so the idea of whose going to take on the greatest share of the burden in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in terms of financing adaptation seems to be really still big sticking points and it’s not clear how well things are going in Bangkok yet but there’s still hope and i think by Copenhagen they’ll be at least the broad outlines of an agreement. But I doubt that it will be a really strong agreement by that time. I think it’s going to take a long time.

Source: www.radioaustralia.net.au

New Climate Anthem  Beds are Burning

A revamped version of a classic Australian rock anthem, made famous by Peter Garrett’s Midnight Oil, is the soundtrack to a new campaign aimed at drumming up support for upcoming global climate talks,  while a Melbourne hotel goes carbon neutral as part of the Enviroweek campaign 11-17 October.

A revamped version of a classic Australian rock anthem is the soundtrack to a new campaign aimed at drumming up support for upcoming global climate talks.

Sixty musicians and celebrities from around the world have put their voices to a reworked version of Midnight Oil’s 1987 hit Beds Are Burning to highlight climate change issues ahead of the United Nation’s talks in Copenhagen in December.

The song, which features pop singer Lily Allen, Simon Le Bon from the ’80s group Duran Duran and charity single stalwart Bob Geldof, has been released today as a free download.

The former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and French actress Marion Cotillard also added their voices to the cover version.

The song is part of the “tck tck tck” project, which aims to draw attention to the urgency of the global warming crisis.

It is considered a “musical petition” that can be “signed” by downloading a copy.

Mr Annan, who now heads the Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum, says the Copenhagen agreement “must be ambitious, it must be universal and it must be fair”.

“For there is gross injustice at the heart of climate change. The countries and people who are most damaged by its impact are those who have done least to create it,” he told a news conference when the song was launched.

“Our task is to ensure that their voices and those of future generations are heard so loudly over the next two months or so, that the political leaders are forced to listen and to act.”

Midnight Oil’s former frontman, Peter Garrett, is currently the federal Environment Minister and declined to take part in the re-recording.

Source: www.abc.net.au

From the Enviroweek website. Read about all their activities – 11-17 October 2009  www.enviroweek.org

30 September 2009, Australia:

Alto Hotel on Bourke in Melbourne has achieved the prestigious NoCO2, or Carbon Neutral Certification through the Carbon Reduction Institute, Australia’s leading climate change certification consultant. Having achieved NoCO2 certification means that the Hotel’s operations have zero impact towards climate change. 

To achieve certification, Alto Hotel undertook a comprehensive carbon emissions audit that captured and quantified all of the hotel’s greenhouse gas emissions. The audit included emissions from fuel and energy consumption onsite; staff travel, water and waste usage and flights taken by Alto Hotel staff. In addition, the embodied emissions in the hotel’s assets and expenses items were also audited to capture indirect emissions from supply chain purchases and any products bought, used and sold through the hotel. 

Prior to certification, Alto Hotel had already committed to reducing their carbon footprint through offsetting emissions from electricity usage, fuel and flights directly with their service providers. NoCO2 certification furthers the hotel’s strong commitment to sustainability and demonstrates ongoing efforts to contribute to a healthier environment. 

The Alto Hotel on Bourke has enhanced its reputation as one of Melbourne’s leading hotels in guest satisfaction as well as innovation by becoming the Australia’s first carbon neutral hotel. Some food & beverage style hotels, cabins and cottages have offset carbon from some of their services or provide an option for guests to pay for offsets, however Alto is the first city hotel to provide all of its services and facilities as carbon neutral within its pricing. 

About NoCO2 Certification 

Managed by the Carbon Reduction Institute, NoCO2 certification is the highest level of carbon certification offered in Australia. The carbon credits used in the certification program received a ranking in the highest category offered in Australia from the Carbon Offset Watch, the first independent ranking of Australian offset providers. 

The NoCO2 standard gives businesses a comprehensive overview of their impact on climate change while also providing the option to immediately reduce and offset this impact. The carbon performance of each certified business is monitored quarterly, and NoCO2 businesses undergo annual re-auditing to ensure their carbon claims remain valid and substantiated. Achieving NoCO2 Certification means that a business is carbon neutral and that it has completely removed its climate change impacts. 

Rob Cawthorne, Managing director of the Carbon Reduction Institute said: “Certifying Alto Hotel on Bourke has been a delight for us. The hotel is already committed to sustainable tourism practices through various initiatives and all of the hotel’s staff members were really keen to move forward towards becoming completely carbon neutral. It has been an exemplary carbon audit which was a great experience for our team. The level of commitment that Alto Hotel showed prior to certification is rare and deserves the highest credits. Alto Hotel can now make an even bigger difference for our planet by providing carbon neutral accommodation, and we certainly hope that others will follow their lead.” 

About Alto Hotel on Bourke 

Alto Hotel on Bourke is located in the centre of Melbourne’s business district. The boutique Alto Hotel, which combines environmental construction technology and best practice initiatives with style, charm and a high level of comfort, has proven to be popular with business and leisure travellers many of whom have become fiercely loyal. The hotel provides the previously missing link for a sustainable and carbon neutral travel experience. 

The hotel is unique in that it proves that being eco friendly does not mean you have to “rough it” in a natural setting or use lower grade products and services to leave a smaller footprint. It is possible to enjoy a 4 star hotel in an urban location and minimise your impact on the environment. You can put your head down in comfort and let your mind rest easy knowing that your environmental footprint is minimised.

The building, which brings together classic architecture of late 19th century and a contemporary interior plus a range of inspired services, is rich in environmental features including double insulation, staggered stud construction on all lightweight walls and ceilings, double glazed; tinted & laminated windows & 100% wind powered green electricity. 

“We have already been recognised as a leader in sustainable tourism yet wanted to ensure we continue to innovate and show that it is possible to have guilt free travel without compromising on quality or service” said Gary Stickland, General Manager of Alto Hotel on Bourke. “Instead of simply paying someone to make our environmental footprint go away we have ensured that we have minimised our output as much as practical first, then made the decision to offset the remaining carbon that we have not been able to remove from our operations” he said. “All of our environmental initiatives have been made by considering our guests first. This means that some guests are not even aware that they have stayed in a sustainable hotel as we have designed our programs to effectively be behind the scenes and not require any effort from our guests, unless they want to be more involved.” The hotel provides the key ingredient for the potential to have a low carbon holiday or business trip to Melbourne. 

Source: www.altohotel.com.au, www.noco2.com.au & www.enviroweek.org

On Paper & In the Air, It Works

Paper made from wheat straw and a helicopter that flies on bio diesel. How we can reap and sow in a new renewable way, treating ourselves and our planet in an appropriate way. These developments unearthed by Ken Hickson and ABC Carbon in the past week.

Firstly, here’s the story from Nature’s Paper. I met and talked to Dean Harmon, the company’s Managing Director after I saw their display of paper from wheat at the Going Green Expo in Brisbane:

 For centuries the farmer has been using the left-over wheat straw for alternative uses. He has put a roof over his head, using it for thatch. He has fed his cattle with it during the winter months. This is a story of recycling long before the word recycle existed.

Now, more than ever, people are looking for alternative resources to replace those that are in short supply. Nature’s Paper now offers an alternative to the traditional method of paper manufacturing.  Nature’s Paper uses zero trace of wood and is produced using only wheat straw.

Nature’s Paper is 100% different and 100% equal to traditional paper. By choosing this as your everyday stock, you are choosing to save the environment and give something to future generations, without the loss of quality to your printing and copying.

Whilst you will be making a difference to the future there will be no difference to your budget. Nature’s Paper is both environmentally and economically friendly.

Nature’s Paper was an idea 12 weeks ago for a unique eco opportunity to have an environmentally friendly business running in a short time, we went from idea to graphic design to marketing to production and we had product arrive in 10 weeks. We have copyrighted Nature’s Paper and trademarked our unique name.

The process is to capture water from the roof and heat it by burning wheat husks and rice hulls. Or we use Bio Fuel to turns the turbines to make power.

Then we add the important fibre wheat straw to the heated water mix it with Sodium (Salt) not bleach or chlorine and pump in Oxygen to help whiten the paper. Then the paper is produced and cut into the required sizes. The off cuts from the paper are recycled and we produce our Boxes from the bi product from production.

Unique points

1-     The Paper Plant Electricity 80% is produced by Bio fuel  and 20% coal fired Power

2-     The Paper does not have bleach or chlorine in its process

3-     The only mill of its kind in the world

4-     The only Wheat Paper to meet the new world standard Eco Pulp and Eco Processing

Dean Harmon says:

In our modern society we are becoming more concerned with the environmental impact of our lives on the planet. With the advent of the industrial revolution we became lost in the wonders of new technology, losing sight of the wisdom of our forefathers. We have come full circle and are not trying to reduce our carbon footprint.

Natures Paper can help your business become a better corporate citizen by utilising our 100% environmentally friendly A4 copy paper. Every business uses large amounts of A4 copy paper. Here is your opportunity to use a paper which has zero wood using only wheat straw.

Even in the manufacturing process our environment has been of prime concern. The recovery boiler and the power boiler are designed for low emission. The machinery is designed with a state of the art washing and screening system to consume less water and power and have lower effluent levels.

It is an ISO 9001-2000 and OHSAS 18001-1999 system accredited company.

Source: www.naturespaper.com.au

Then Ken Hickson attended Ryan MP Michael Johnson’s Renewable & Alternative Energy Symposium in Brisbane last Sunday. (More information from www.michaeljohnsonmp.com)

The highlight was undoubtedly seeing and hearing about the Australian-made helicopter Delta D2. Not only is this the world’s first diesel-engined helicopter, it is the first to be designed to use bio-diesel as well.

To add to the aviation emphasis there was Qantas’ Head of Environment and Fuel Conservation Peter Broschofsky, with Boeing’s Brad Wheatley in support. More on what aviation is doing to reduce its emissions in another issue.

The one day symposium had a wealth of interesting presentations and a good attendance for a serious Sunday session.

In spite of the Federal Member  for O’Connor Wilson Tuckey’s propensity to politicise matters, he did give some valuable insight into his favourite renewable energy source – the tides. I can only wonder  why does he advocate such a useful renewable source of energy, when he obviously denies the human contribution to climate change and strenuously opposes both the CPRS and the Renewable Energy Targets.

Solar and wind power had a good look in, as did Sidonie Carpenter with green roofs and the Brazilian Ambassador on his country’s success with ethanol.

But let’s look in a little more detail at the helicopter fueled by bio diesel.

The history of this significant Australian aviation venture goes back six years. It owes it genesis and execution to the vision and drive of Queensland property developer Andrew Reid and his technical associate Graeme Smith.

Six years ago Andrew and his family owned and operated a large live cattle export property on Cape York Peninsular. Andrew’s long association with aviation ideally suited him to operate and fly small helicopters for cattle mustering as well as personal transport around the large property and to available nearest commercial airfields.

Andrew started with a Rotorway helicopter of which Graeme was the then Australian distributor. Months of practical experience convinced Andrew and Graeme that, after experimenting with all the then available machines, none fulfilled the variety of roles required by a large remote cattle property.

One of the costly difficulties was the securing and transporting of Avgas fuel to the property particularly to remote helicopter mustering bases.  These problems were greatly increased in prolonged rain periods when roads across the Cape where unusable. If cattle were not available due to interrupted mustering, when arranged shipping arrived at the river jetty to load live export cattle the financial cost was enormous. The experienced unreliability of the then available helicopters was an additional drawback to successfully reliable mustering.

At this time Graeme became aware of the imminent availability of a newly designed aviation specific diesel engine, built by Deltahawk diesel engines of Wisconsin USA. Analysis of the weight and performance details, combined with the simple uncomplicated construction arrangement of the Deltahawk diesel engine, convinced Graeme and Andrew that they could design and build in Australia a relatively low cost helicopter, initially at the smaller end of the helicopter market, to ideally suit country property and Australian General Aviation requirements. The result is Delta Helicopter’s beautiful looking Delta D2 helicopter, first publicly displayed at the recent Avalon Airshow.

The diesel engine solved the AV Gas availability problem since remote area properties almost always have diesel fuel available for trucks, tractors and other property equipment.

 The Delta D2 helicopter structure and systems have been completely designed by Queensland Aeronautical engineer Bill Whitney ( CAR 35 Approved ) to fully comply with all the FAA and CAR requirements for normal airworthiness category certification.

 Graeme’s styling has created a beautiful looking and very stylish helicopter. Potential customer interest at the Avalon air show was accordingly high. Several hundred requests were placed on the data base, to be kept advised of completion of test flying, confirmation of performance criteria, new developments, and first kit availability. Encouragingly these requests included several contract cattle musterers who wish to urgently fly the first demonstrator as soon as it is available.

Analysis of the present diesel fuel operating cost of the DH200VA engine run out at approximately half the comparative fuel operating cost of the comparable Lycoming  0 360 petrol engine. Similarly the anticipated overhaul cost of the much less mechanically complicated diesel engine should be only a fraction of the overhaul cost of a similar petrol power plant.

Andrew and Graeme’s Delta D2 project only needs to see the prototype pass through test flight programme without difficulty, for them to be well on the way to commercial success. It is an example of a project of entrepreneurial boldness which at the present time Australia badly needs.

 Readers seeking information on flight test results, confirmation of performance criteria and further details of Delta D2 kits, go to the website:

Source: www.deltahelicopters.com.au

Climate & Planet Out of Balance

In a week which saw devastation in the Asia Pacific from earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoon-fed floods, we can only ask why this is happening with greater frequency than before?  Have we humans contributed somehow to put things out of balance?  One bright spot was the birth this week of a new little grandson – born under the Libra star sign of the scales. Can we put faith in an astrological sign that means balance and harmony?

Climate change is already giving us extreme weather everywhere: drought, floods, higher temperatures leading to fires. No part of the world is immune.  But it is stretching things to put earthquakes and tsunamis on the climate agenda. 

However, David Suzuki doesn’t hesitate to mention earthquakes in the same breath as other “acts of god” and makes the point that “greenhouse gases, immense dams, and deep oil and water wells can all affect natural forces”.

It does make us ask, too, whether we are sufficiently prepared for an onslaught of more of these disasters. They can strike at anytime and anywhere. Countries like Australia seems well equipped with men and machines to offer ready assistance when it’s needed, but time and time again we are caught short. Look at the Victorian bush fires. The inquiry is showing where things went wrong, and where effective communication and timely action was lacking.

Then there’s the rebuilding after the devastation. In spite of public generosity of time and money and goods, it seems to take an inordinate amount of time to get through the bureaucratic red tape to engage the right people to get on with the job.

We hear of people waiting months to get roofs over their heads in a suburb of Brisbane hit by a freak storm. Incongruously called The Gap, that suburb is perhaps a symbol for the growing gap between talk and action; between supposedly “being prepared” and being able to get a job finished.

It also highlights the risks that we need to know about, as well as the risks that insurance companies are already building into their calculations and the premiums they charge.

Climate change is bringing with it unending risks that many of our country, state and local leaders don’t seem to want to face up to.

It was illuminating to listen to one of Australia’s experts on climate change risk talk to the Australian Green Development Forum in Brisbane during the week. Donovan Burton deals with Local Government and Urban Planning for Climate Risk and works closely with governments and industry to develop climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Climate Risk argues that South East Queensland, as only one example,  could be “a tinderbox of future litigation” if people keep building and buying homes which are highly vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surge and the kind of extreme weather we seem to experience with increasing regularity.

Climate Risk has a wealth of important and accessible reports available on its website. Go to www.climaterisk.com.au

Planning and building (and rebuilding) to take account of climate change risks – and the lie of the land – calls for “sustainability” to be top of mind, not an afterthought.

“Build it back green” is the rallying call of Green Cross (in the US and Australia) to not only offer immediate emergency aid, but work with the community to rebuild with the right materials and in the right location. See www.greencrossaustralia.org

Taking the right approach to building sustainably is the mantra of the Green Building Council of Australia and it was also evident this week that Australia is intent of helping other countries in the region adopt a similar stand.

Bringing together newly formed green building council representatives from China, the Philippines Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, India and Korea, the Council held a Leading Green Thinkers seminar in Brisbane.

Hearing what some of these countries are doing to bring about green approach to planning and building was heartening to say the least. Particularly when some of these very same countries were experiencing this week “natural disasters”, which were destroying infrastructure and buildings, as well as people lives.

Against all odds, these green building pioneers in Asia will make their mark and with the support of Australia and the World Green Building Council, we can expect to hear and see examples of their achievement in the future now that they’re part of a new regional network.

As the World Green Building Council says:

With over half the world’s urban population destined to live in the Asia Pacific region by 2030, sustainable development has a key role to play. The WorldGBC’s Asia Pacific Network has been established to connect the Asia Pacific region and promote the benefits of sustainable green building practices. The Asia-Pacific Network will link individuals and organisations from countries throughout the region to provide support as they develop green building councils, develop rating tools and establish education programs for the development of green buildings.

For more go to www.worldgbc.org and www.gbca.org.au

It is easy to wallow in misery – particularly when some of our neighbours have little choice in their current circumstances – but we must keep hope alive. We must rebuild and become more sustainable in all we do. And we must look to the future and place faith in those who follow us.

So welcome to this world, young Sam – the newest grandson – and we hope we can do some things right in the short to medium term so the planet and place you inherit will be well worth living in.

Source: www.abccarbon.com