Sustainability assessment tools aim to promote high sustainability outcomes in residential buildings, ensuring less consumption of water, energy and less emission of greenhouse gases. However, existing literature often presents variations between the estimated outcomes from the assessment tools and actual outcomes after building occupation. Research suggests that actual energy consumption could be significantly influenced by...

The purpose of the annual administrative report is to account for the performance of the two schemes that make up the Renewable Energy Target and to explain how it is administered in accordance with legislation.

Based on the final project reports provided by grant recipients, there is clear evidence the programme assisted local councils and community groups to increase their energy efficiency. While the current Australian Government does not plan to introduce an emissions trading scheme (ETS), these projects are expected to continue benefiting the communities in the longer term...

Cities today absorb the bulk of the world’s natural resources, and their solid, liquid and gaseous wastes are often carelessly dumped somewhere in nature. But ‘environmental boomerangs’ are increasingly in evidence: In their own self-interest, cities urgently need to reduce their environmental impacts and ecological footprints, and to contribute towards regenerating damaged ecosystems.

This toolkit is designed as a first step in helping countries, cities and experts in developing, adopting and implementing their codes. In its present form, this toolkit is set out as a useful reference, but also as a means of assessing the potential of such information to help governments and other stakeholders. The toolkit covers...