September
The $660k home that has no heating or cooling costs
Higher thermal standards make homes more comfortable and cheaper to run. And they don’t have to be that much more expensive to build.
- Michael Bleby
Cotton power couple list $70m ‘carbon positive’ farm
David and Danielle Statham are selling their largest holding – St Ronans in Far North Queensland – as they focus on developing a large renewable energy project.
- Larry Schlesinger
The fridge-in-reverse that can cut $1000 from home energy bills
Heat pump hot water systems can deliver large savings on energy bills, but there are issues to be aware of.
- Nila Sweeney
The green renovations that could make you $100k
The potential to save thousands of dollars and add value to homes is enticing more households to install sustainable features when renovating.
- Nila Sweeney
How this office building is saving money – and carbon
This retrofit saved 57,000 tonnes of embodied carbon emissions, as companies rethink the design of office buildings.
- Michael Bleby
Warning on the growing solar panel scrap heap
The industry is nearing a tipping point as the nation grapples with unprecedented levels of waste.
- Nina Hendy
Soil carbon capture surges as AI drives down costs
Artificial intelligence can reduce barriers to implementing soil carbon projects as ag tech creates new opportunities.
- Agnes King
Homeowners rush to buy batteries to avoid ‘sun tax’
Electricity companies are starting to charge homeowners for excess solar energy. Some owners are taking their power back.
- Nina Hendy
Seven ways to retrofit your home and slash energy bills
This homeowner cut her electricity bills to zero by upgrading a 1970s house to modern energy-efficient standards.
- Richard Pullin
August
Green super: Why investors hesitate to walk the talk
Lower investment returns and concerns about greenwashing are proving strong headwinds for green super.
- Michelle Bowes
Jessie French turns algae into art, and conjures a PVC alternative
The materials researcher found a way to make art – and replace petrochemical-derived plastics – with algae.
- Stephen Todd
July
- Professional Services Winner
- Sustainability Leaders
Would you like coffee with your concrete?
One of the world’s most polluting materials can be made less polluting. The new technology has helped Arup win the Professional Services category.
- Michael Bleby
- Special Award
- Sustainability Leaders
This trailblazer turns destructive weed into a replacement for coal
Biomass Projects has plans to build the world’s largest biochar production on a 225,000-hectare Pilbara plot that is overrun with mesquite.
- Gus McCubbing
- Opinion
- Sustainability Leaders
Ideas to solve the next big climate challenges
Winners of the Sustainability Leaders list are pushing the boundaries of innovation, writes Rebecca Russell.
- Rebecca Russell
- Analysis
- Sustainability Leaders
How Sustainability Leaders entrants were assessed
Submissions came from ASX20 companies and multinationals, early-stage ventures and public institutions, and were scored against four measurements.
- Rebecca Russell
- Overall Winner
- Sustainability Leaders
Orica crowned Australia’s most sustainable company for Impact
The explosives manufacturer is recognised for completing the biggest emissions abatement project in the Australian chemicals sector as it takes out the 2024 Sustainability Leaders award.
- Sally Patten
The hippy hotelier upping the ante in Bali luxury
We’re a lab for showing those greenwashing monkeys in Bali that not everybody wants to spend their holidays in a concrete shell, says John Hardy of his fantastical jungle resort.
- Ian Neubauer
June
Cannon-Brookes’ $10m office reno tops architecture awards
The focus on giving new life to old buildings is crucial at a time when preserving embodied carbon of existing buildings is an increasing priority.
- Michael Bleby
Is vegan leather just plastic with a fancy name?
An eco-conscious reader wants to wear what’s right for the planet – and wonders if ‘vegan leather’ is just good marketing
- Lauren Sams
- Banking Award Winner
- Women in Leadership
The ‘utterly shocking’ moment that made Westpac leader want to flee
Siobhan Toohill, the winner of the Financial Services - Banking category, faces a new frontier after 10 years leading Westpac’s sustainability efforts, including convincing the board to ditch new oil and gas projects.
- Ayesha de Kretser