The Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka is preparing to commence construction on a new class of eco-friendly bulk carriers that include electric power for Norwegian shipowner Misje Eco Bulk AS. This order is the second time recently that a Norwegian shipowner has contracted for construction of innovative ship designs from shipyards in this part of the world.
The bulk carriers to be built in Sri Lanka are innovative as they will have lower emissions compared to conventional bulk carriers of the same size. Each vessel will measure approximately 293 feet in length and is powered by a 4-stroke diesel engine with an electric hybrid system supplying additional power through a battery system. They will have a load capacity of 5000 DWT, carrying cargoes including grain, timber, unit loads, and containers.
The concept and the basic design for these innovative bulk carriers was developed by Wartsila Ship Design Norway AS and the detailed design work will be carried out by Colombo Dockyard.
The contract for the construction of six eco bulk carriers, with an option for four additional vessels, was signed on March 14, 2020, and is scheduled to become effective in September 2020, subject to final board approval. The first vessel of the series is scheduled to be delivered in 18 months and the subsequent vessels will be delivered at four-month intervals.
Misje Eco Bulk AS is a fully owned subsidiary of Kåre Misje & Co., a family-owned Norwegian company that provides a complete package of services from chartering and operation to technical and financial management.
Colombo Dockyard, which is 35 percent owned by the Sri Lankan Government, has been targeting the European market, especially for the construction of eco-friendly bulkers, cable laying and repair vessels, service operation vessels, and alike, which it believes are in demand and align with the shipyard’s capabilities.
A month ago, India’s Cochin Shipyard also announced that it signed contracts for the construction of two autonomous electric ferries for ASKO Maritime AS, Norway with an option to build two additional vessels. These autonomous electrical vessels are part of a project funded by the Norwegian Government aimed at emission-free transport of goods across the Oslo fjord. The 220-foot vessels will be Full-Electric Transport Ferries, each powered by 1846 kWh capacity battery. After commissioning of autonomous equipment and field trials in Norway, it will operate as a fully autonomous ferry that can transport 16 fully loaded Standard EU trailers on each trip.
An electric bicycle designed and manufactured in Sri Lanka, a first for the island, Rhoda AT (All Terrain) is a bicycle range that’s designed to promote the cycling habit in the country while also functioning as a solution for Sri Lanka’s increasingly congested and polluted streets by switching to an emission-free mode of transportation.
Described as Sri Lanka’s first electric mobility company, Rhoda AT launched their new product at an event held last Thursday (24) at Hatch, a co-working space in Colombo, where Rhoda AT Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eyas Fazul – a mechatronics graduate – demonstrated the functionalities of the product. Fazul pointed out in his presentation that they aim for the bike to be three things: convenient, sustainable, and economical.
He shared that the bike’s powerful electric motor with a range of 60 km on a single charge provides it with a capacity enough for the commute to work, take more than just a few detours, and journey back home. The average speed of the bike is 19 kmph and the maximum is 25 kmph.
Source: https://get.rhoda.life/
It is a “smart bicycle” using a system called distributed computing – that is where the “brain” of the bicycle is on your phone, allowing for it to be a smartphone-powered bike, complete with biometric authentication. Fazul shared that as your phone is now an extension of you, they opted to utilise it.
Regular bicycles do not have cruise control; whereas the Rhoda AT electric bicycle, paired with its electric motor and smart app capabilities, eliminates the need for peddling while allowing you to gain momentum without peddling. Fazul explained the feeling to be something akin to a “magic carpet ride”.
Referring to the legalities surrounding the use of such a machine, the Founder shared that while electric bikes would ordinarily require registration, the Rhoda AT is designed in such a way that it does not need to be registered (registration is required if the motor is above 750 watts), and no license is required.
He communicated to us come personal experiences of a few friends and colleagues of his who used the bike. Kings Co. Co-founder Hash Bandara, who is currently using an electric scooter, had the opportunity to test the Rhoda AT out, and she shared that it was an exhilarating experience whilst confirming the Founder’s claims that the bike can indeed travel on the beach as well as multiple terrains.
Another user shared that while he hadn’t ever ridden a bike, despite never having learned to ride, he faced no difficulty in mastering the Rhoda AT; he too was able to ride it comfortably and quite confidently.
Once the event came to an end, the Founder brought forward a prototype model to be tested by those present, giving way to an interactive session where guests shared their thoughts and requirements for customisation – a lot of which was within the realm of possibility for Rhoda AT.
It is important to note that the Rhoda AT is affordable; it is an economical bicycle with very little service required and you are sure to experience a significant drop in commute time and cost. The starting price of the bicycle is Rs. 129,000 and preorders are now being taken to be made within the first quarter of 2021. “Our target is to reach 1,000 ‘Rhodies’ by the end of 2021,” said Fazul. The first 50 customers to order will be set to receive a few complementary packages.
To reduce the negative impact on the environment, many businesses and individuals have switched to sustainable products. One such important switch has been using alternatives to plastic straws. Many restaurants across the country are now serving beverages with straws made from materials like paper, bamboo, wheat stubble, and metal.
Evlogia Eco Care, a Bengaluru-based startup founded in 2018, is one such organization making eco-friendly straws named ‘Kokos Leafy Straws’, made using dried coconut leaves.
“While the midrib that holds the coconut leaves are used to make brooms, the leaves are discarded as agricultural waste at the farms. The straws are made using those discarded leaves after they undergo an intense cleaning process,” says Manigandan Kumarappan, the founder of the startup.
How is the straw made?
The dried coconut leaves are procured from four farms located in Tamil Nadu – Palani, Dindigul, Madurai, and Ottanchathiram.
Here, women are employed in farms run by NGO-supported Self Help Groups. Each farm has a varying number of women who collect these leaves, wash them under running water, and dry them under the sun for a few days.
“The leaves are then sent across to the production unit in Bengaluru which is also the head office. Here, it undergoes a pressure-heating process which is a deep clean method. Using a machine developed in-house, the leaves are washed in 120 degrees celsius steam which helps to make them soft and roll them easily into straws.”
At the production unit, Manigandan has currently employed 15 women from the local neighborhood in Kanakapura who roll the leaves into straws.
Women making the straws at the Bangalore production unit.
“With the help of three in-house employees, we made a rolling machine which is like a sewing machine that helps to roll the leaves into straws. The device is powered manually by applying pressure from the feet. This helps to roll the leaves by maintaining the desired diameter of 3 millimeters,” he says.
Finally, using a cutting machine the straws are cut into a standard size of 8.25 inches. But, Manigandan says, if a customer places a bulk order, the size can be adjusted according to their requirement. The straw can be made in a size ranging from 4 inches to 12 inches. Based on the size the price varies from Rs.1.5 to Rs 3.
From preparing the raw material to packaging the final product, the work is entirely done by women. Manigandan claims the product can be kept in hot beverages for half an hour and cold beverages for up to 6 hours.
The inspiration behind the product
The founder, Manigandan has previously worked with several Multinational Companies. In 2016, he decided to leave the corporate life and become an entrepreneur. On that note, he started Tenco – a company that sells half-trimmed coconuts over e-commerce platforms.
“The product was delivered to the customer along with a plastic straw. But, some customers gave us feedback about the same and requested that we switch to a sustainable alternative. This made us think about what we could do, and soon we stumbled upon the idea of using coconut leaves which are the least used product from the tree,” says Mani adding that the leaves are sturdy, and can even pierce through tetra packs without bending.
Nakul Mysore Jayaram, the owner of World of Coffee Cafe in Chikmagalur has been using the product since September 2019. He says this straw is more versatile compared to paper straws which he used earlier to serve beverages.
“The coconut leaf straw is sturdy and does not get soggy like paper straws. Earlier customers used to complain about the paper straws and would request to replace it repeatedly or ask for a plastic one. But with the coconut leaf one we have had no complaints from the customers,” says Nakul.
About the startup
The company was founded in 2018 along with his wife Radha Manigandan. The duo raised seed investments supported by Hindustan Petroleum. In January 2019, the production of straws began with one employee which has now grown to 15 employees.
Earlier, the company was making 100 straws/ day, now, their capacity has increased to 10,000 in a day.
The founder Manigandan, co-founder Radha Manigandan, and the three engineers.
Manigandan says, “We had only a rolling machine to maintain the size of straws, but could not increase production capacity as the pressure-heating sterilization had to be done using a cooking grade pressure cooker. This could hold only a few leaves at a time, and the process took 50-60 minutes. Three months ago, we introduced the pressure-heating machine which was made in-house with the help of three engineers who are interns turned full-time employees. Though this machine takes the same time to sterilize the leaves, it can hold a larger capacity and help to produce 10,000 straws in one day.”
Currently, the straws are being distributed across Canada, UAE, Germany, USA, and a handful of restaurants in Bangalore. Apart from straws, the startup has also ventured into making air-tight food containers from Areca leaves.
If you wish to place an order for the straws, you can contact the startup through their website.
Post offices around the country will collect E-waste starting from October 5 to October 11 to prevent harmful materials being released to the environment by recycling the discarded electronic devices.
Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera told reporters yesterday that the programme will be launched under the theme “A country that breaths, Sri Lanka without E-waste,” to coincide with Postal Day.
E-waste will be collected from all 653 main post offices around the country starting from October 5 to October 11 from 8 am to 5 pm.
Amaraweera said that the Ministry has understood that the harm done by E-waste to the environment is higher than by other types of waste because there are no proper methods to effectively recycle this type of waste in Sri Lanka.
Amaraweera said E-waste poses the risk of releasing dangerous materials such as Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic which are harmful to the environment.
Moreover, he said that there is a rapid increase of E-waste in the country in recent years as more and more people are using and disposing of electronic devices.
He added that in the case of mobile phones users discard their old phones as the latest model comes on the market.
“There are more mobile phones than people in the country. No one has an idea of what is happening to the discards,” he said
The Minister said that the government expects to recycle some of the E-waste materials such as Iron, Aluminium and plastic which could be recycled in the country, while other materials which cannot be dealt with in the country will be sent overseas.
The recycling process within the country will be given to institutions which are registered under the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) which will also supervise the process.
The items that will be collected at the main post offices are as follows:
TV, Cassettes and radio, fans, desktop and laptop computers, mobile phones and accessories, fixed telephones, fax machines, grinders, blenders, toners, rice cookers, printers, batteries, air conditioners, washing machines, CD and DVDs, DVD players, electric kettles, electric heaters, electric stoves, electronic sports items, electronic exercise machines, CFL machines, CRT monitors and other electronic devices.
The items which will not be collected are:
Refrigerators, tube lights, electronic devices which have been broken to parts or devices where internal parts are removed, devices covered in sand and mud, large scale E-waste from industries and shops.
Sustainability is going to be more important to large companies as a result of Covid-19, according to new research.
Over 70% of companies interviewed for the research commissioned by the Carbon Trust said environmental management and/or sustainability priorities are likely to become ‘somewhat more important’ or ‘significantly more important’ for them as a result of Covid-19.
Even those companies that have been significantly impacted by the pandemic still believe sustainability is going to become more important. Of those experiencing significant disruption, 69% expect environmental management and/or sustainability to become ‘somewhat’ or ‘significantly more important’.
The Carbon Trust commissioned B2B International to undertake the ‘Corporate attitudes towards sustainability’ research for a second year. It conducted 453 interviews with large companies (minimum 1,000 employees and over a quarter with more than 5,000 employees) in the following countries: Germany, France, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, and the UK.
The research was undertaken in July of this year so does not reflect business confidence following more recent ‘second spikes’ in Europe especially, however our experience suggests that the findings are likely to still be accurate.
Business priority
Hugh Jones, Managing Directory, Advisory at the Carbon Trust commented: “The findings of this research are consistent with what we are seeing in the market.
Sustainability is rightly a growing business priority and the increasing demand for our services aimed at helping corporates to decarbonise and adapt for the future demonstrates that, despite extremely challenging market conditions, this is one area that businesses are continuing to prioritise.
“The global health crisis is perhaps elevating the need for action on risk in boardrooms globally, and the climate crisis presents risks that no business can afford to ignore.”
The global health crisis is perhaps elevating the need for action on risk in boardrooms globally, and the climate crisis presents risks that no business can afford to ignore.
Three quarters of organisations interviewed had been negatively impacted by Covid-19 – with 4% saying it represented an existential threat to their organisation from which they may not be able to recover, while 32% said they had been significantly impacted by the pandemic, with operations heavily impaired, or sales/revenue badly impacted.
The worst disruption was experienced in Spain but the impact was reasonably consistent across all geographies.
Large companies in Germany and Mexico are most likely to think their sustainability priorities will become more important as a result of the pandemic (82% and 79% of those interviewed in each country respectively) with sustainability covering the use of natural resources and the reduction of environmental impact across the organisation.
The sectors that are most optimistic about the growing importance of sustainability as a corporate priority are wholesale and retail, construction, engineering and mining, manufacturing, and healthcare. No matter what the sector, only around a third of companies expect there to be no change or that environmental management/sustainability will become less important.
Green recovery
Hugh Jones, Managing Directory, Advisory at the Carbon Trust added: “Organisations around the world are considering their role in delivering a green recovery – achieving net zero targets at the same time as fostering economic activity.
“We know from working with corporate clients on their net zero targets and strategies, that many will be leading the way when it comes to achieving green growth and these research findings support this. Without corporate commitment a green recovery will be challenging to deliver so the research is great news.”
Budgets for sustainability are also expected to increase as a result of Covid-19 – 63% of those interviewed said their budgets will get ‘significantly’ or ‘somewhat bigger’ and only 16% said they would be ‘somewhat smaller’.
Organisations around the world are considering their role in delivering a green recovery…
The majority of companies (74%) believe that sustainability will become more important to their customers as a result of Covid-19 – with almost a third saying it will become ‘significantly more important for their customers’ – and this is especially the case in Mexico (82%), Germany (81%) and Spain (79%).
This is the second year that the Carbon Trust has commissioned research on attitudes towards sustainability, although this year has seen the addition of companies from Singapore, Mexico and the UK to the research.
Compared to 2019, all trackable markets have seen environmental management/sustainability become more of a priority for organisations, especially in Germany.
More organisations also have dedicated sustainability professionals than in 2019 (39% in 2020 compared to 35% in 2019), although now half of companies say that this role is combined with other duties (up from 46% in 2019).
French food company Danone says it will make its New Zealand milk formula brand, Karicare, carbon neutral by 2030.
Karicare will join other Danone brands – including Evian bottled water, which is already carbon neutral – as it moves to becoming a net-zero carbon company by 2050.
Karicare Gold Plus+ Organic is expected to be certified carbon neutral in 2022, with the rest of the range progressively certified up to 2030 at the latest.
Danone managing director for Nutricia Oceania, Rodrigo Lima, said the company was committed to making products in a way that minimised impacts on climate change.
“Danone’s approach to carbon neutrality is to focus on reductions first and foremost,” Lima said.
“We continuously act together with our partners to reduce our emissions in agriculture, operations and packaging, then taking responsibility for offsetting remaining emissions to achieve a carbon neutral position.
“With carbon neutral Karicare, we’re providing consumers with a more sustainable option and giving them the opportunity to choose a better future for their family.”
Danone infant formula has about 40 per cent market share in New Zealand.
It’s New Zealand processing plants make base powder for other Danone plants in the Asia-Pacific region and international products for the domestic and Asia-Pacific markets.
Last year Danone announced a $40 million investment to build a biomass boiler at its milk spray drying plant in Balclutha, making it carbon neutral by 2021.
The boiler, powered by forest waste, would cut the plant’s carbon emissions by 20,000 tonnes per year.
Danone also planned to move to 100 per cent renewable electricity at its New Zealand plants next year.
Between the move to renewable energy and biomass-based heating, the total operational carbon emissions at the Balclutha plant were expected to be reduced by 95 per cent.
All Karicare packaging will be either recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025, the company said.
China’s President Xi Jinping surprised the global community recently by committing his country to net-zero emissions by 2060. Prior to this announcement, the prospect of becoming “carbon neutral” barely rated a mention in China’s national policies.
China currently accounts for about 28% of global carbon emissions – double the U.S. contribution and three times the European Union’s. Meeting the pledge will demand a deep transition of not just China’s energy system, but its entire economy.
Importantly, China’s use of coal, oil and gas must be slashed, and its industrial production stripped of emissions. This will affect demand for Australia’s exports in coming decades.
It remains to be seen whether China’s climate promise is genuine, or simply a ploy to win international favor. But it puts pressure on many other nations – not least Australia – to follow.
Goodbye, Fossil Fuels
Coal is currently used to generate about 60% of China’s electricity. Coal must be phased out for China to meet its climate target, unless technologies such as carbon-capture and storage become commercially viable.
Natural gas is increasingly used in China for heating and transport, as an alternative to coal and petrol. To achieve carbon neutrality, China must dramatically reduce its gas use.
Electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles must also come to dominate road transport – currently they account for less than 2% of the total fleet.
China must also slash the production of carbon-intensive steel, cement and chemicals, unless they can be powered by renewable electricity or zero-emissions hydrogen. One report suggests meeting the target will mean most of China’s steel is produced using recycled steel, in a process powered by renewable electricity.
Modeling in that report suggests China’s use of iron ore – and the coking coal required to process it into steel – will decrease by 75%. The implications for Australia’s mining industry would be huge; around 80% of our iron ore is exported to China.
It is critically important for Australian industries and policymakers to assess the seriousness of China’s pledge and the likelihood it will be delivered. Investment plans for large mining projects should then be reconsidered accordingly.
Conversely, China’s path towards a carbon neutral economy may open up new export opportunities for Australia, such as “green” hydrogen.
A Renewables Revolution
Solar and wind currently account for 10% of China’s total power generation. For China to meet the net-zero goal, renewable energy generation would have to ramp up dramatically. This is needed for two reasons: to replace the lost coal-fired power capacity, and to provide the larger electricity needs of transport and heavy industry.
Two factors are likely to reduce energy demand in China in coming years. First, energy efficiency in the building, transport and manufacturing sectors is likely to improve. Second, the economy is moving away from energy- and pollution-intensive production, towards an economy based on services and digital technologies.
It’s in China’s interests to take greater action on climate change. Developing renewable energy helps China build new “green” export industries, secure its energy supplies and improve air and water quality.
The Global Picture
It’s worth considering what factors may have motivated China’s announcement, beyond the desire to do good for the climate.
In recent years, China has been viewed with increasing hostility on the world stage, especially by Western nations. Some commentators have suggested China’s climate pledge is a bid to improve its global image.
The pledge also gives China the high ground over a major antagonist, the US, which under President Donald Trump has walked away from its international obligations on climate action. China’s pledge follows similar ones by the European Union, New Zealand, California and others. It sets an example for other developing nations to follow, and puts pressure on Australia to do the same.
The European Union has also been urging China to take stronger climate action. The fact Xi made the net-zero pledge at a United Nations meeting suggests it was largely targeted at an international, rather than Chinese, audience.
However, the international community will judge China’s pledge on how quickly it can implement specific, measurable short- and mid-term targets for net-zero emissions, and whether it has the policies in place to ensure the goal is delivered by 2060.
Much is resting on China’s next Five Year Plan – a policy blueprint created every five years to steer the economy towards various priorities. The latest plan, covering 2021–25, is being developed. It will be examined closely for measures such as phasing out coal and more ambitious targets for renewables.
Also key is whether the recent rebound of China’s carbon emissions – following a fall from 2013 to 2016 – can be reversed.
Wriggle Room
The 2060 commitment is bold, but China may look to leave itself wriggle room in several ways.
First, Xi declared in his speech that China will “aim to” achieve carbon neutrality, leaving open the option his nation may not meet the target.
Second, the Paris Agreement states that developed nations should provide financial resources and technological support to help developing countries reduce their emissions. China may make its delivery of the pledge conditional on this support.
Third, China may seek to game the way carbon neutrality is measured – for example, by insisting it excludes carbon emissions “embodied” in imports and exports. This move is quite likely, given exports account for a significant share of China’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
So for the time being, the world is holding its applause for China’s commitment to carbon neutrality. Like every nation, China will be judged not on its climate promises, but on its delivery.
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) for its “efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday.
The win draws attention to the organization at a time when the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis have increased the number of people at risk from starvation worldwide. At the same time, UN organizations including the WFP have experienced a dip in funding in recent years as countries, including the U.S., reduce the money they give to international bodies, CNN reported.
“With this year’s award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to turn the eyes of the world towards the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger,” committee chairwoman Berit Reiss-Andersen said when she announced the prize.
The WFP was founded in 1961, according to CNN. In 2019, it provided food assistance to 97 million people in 88 countries, the most since 2012. It is also the primary UN body in charge of meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating world hunger, the Nobel Committee pointed out, but that goal has gotten harder than ever to reach in recent years.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute director Dan Smith told CNN that the number of people experiencing hunger had begun to increase in the last four years after decades of decline, largely because of climate change.
The situation has gotten even worse because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Nobel Committee noted. In countries like Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan and Burkina Faso, the pandemic has combined with armed conflicts to put significantly more people at risk from starvation.
WFP head David Beasley told NPR earlier this year that 135 million people had been at risk for starvation in 2020 before the emergence of COVID-19. After its spread, that number had shot up to almost a quarter of a billion.
“In the face of the pandemic, the World Food Programme has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts,” the committee said. “As the organisation itself has stated, ‘Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos.'”
Beasley said he was “speechless” in the face of the award and credited the organization’s staff for the win.
“It’s because of the WFP family,” Beasley said in a video shared on Twitter. “They’re out there in the most difficult, complex places in the world. Whether it’s war, conflict, climate extremes — it doesn’t matter. They’re out there, and they deserve this award.”
We are deeply humbled to receive the #NobelPeacePrize. This is an incredible recognition of the dedication of the @WFP family, working to end hunger everyday in 80+ countries.
The prize was announced in Oslo and comes with an award of 10 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.14 million), The Guardian reported. This year, there were 318 nominees for the prize, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. President Donald Trump.
When announcing the award, the committee praised the WFP for its role in “multilateral cooperation.”
“The need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is more conspicuous than ever,” the committee said in the opening line of the announcement.
Smith told CNN that he thought the committee had intentionally chosen an international organization over an individual at this time to highlight the importance of collaboration.
“Donald Trump is the embodiment of the spirit of anti-cooperation and by contrast the World Food Programme is the embodiment of the spirit of cooperation,” Smith said. “And I think that the Nobel Peace Prize started its announcement with a reference to solidarity and multilateralism as a kind of gentle rebuke to the leaders of the great powers, including Donald Trump, obviously Putin and President Xi as well.”
In her remarks to the press after the award, Reiss-Andersen also criticized the rise of populilst nationalism.
“When you follow international debate and discourse, it’s definitely a tendency that international institutions seem to be discredited more than, let’s say, 20 years ago,” she said, as CNN reported. “It is part of populism that it has nationalistic flavor … everybody, every nation, supporting their own interests.”
Landcare Australia is proud to announce a three-year partnership with iconic Australian brand Country Road who have committed $600,000 over three years to support the conservation of Australian farming landscapes.
This unique partnership will come to life through biodiversity restoration projects across Australian farmlands, with support from the Australian cotton industry.
The initial project will be implemented by the Kahl family in the Namoi Valley, NSW—a region significantly affected by biodiversity loss and in need of restoration. Prominent third generation cotton farmers, the Kahl family will participate in the program by revegetating a river system that flows through their property. Benefits of the project will include increased habitat and shelter for native animals, reduced erosion along the river bank, improved water quality and enhanced biodiversity.
Research findings from ‘Management of Biodiversity in the Cotton Landscape: Iconic and Threatened Species’, a report developed by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation with support from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program Smart Farming Partnership Initiative Round 1, have been used to identify regions and projects that best support environmental outcomes.
Landcare Australia will receive funding for the project as a result of Country Road contributing a minimum of $600,000 to the partnership over three years, via a corporate contribution and funds raised through the sale of its famous Verified Australian Cotton Heritage Sweats. The funding will provide Landcare Australia with the means to conduct multiple biodiversity projects in the region and invite more Australian farmers to participate in the program.
By purchasing a Country Road Verified Australian Cotton Heritage Sweat, customers can actively support farmers in regenerating Australian landscapes.
Country Road Managing Director, Elle Roseby, says “As an iconic Australian brand, Country Road has a role to play in protecting what matters and using our platform to benefit Australia’s natural landscapes. By partnering with such a renowned environmental organisation, we hope to support the incredible efforts of Australian farmers, whose life’s work depends on having an intimate understanding of changing environmental needs.
Landcare Australia shares Country Road’s deep appreciation for what makes our backyard so special. Their vision of ‘All Australians caring for the land and water that sustain us’ is one that resonates, more so than ever, with both Country Road the brand and our wider community.” said Elle.
Landcare Australia CEO, Dr Shane Norrish, says “Landcare Australia is very proud to launch this partnership with Country Road to develop projects focused on biodiversity conservation with cotton farmers. The projects will help to restore local ecosystems and contribute to the sustainable management and productivity of the landscape.”
“The partnership with Country Road is a powerful example of how Landcare Australia brings together organisations to work on projects that will have a meaningful impact for farmers, the environment and the local community. We are very pleased to be working with Country Road and the Australian cotton industry on biodiversity projects that will protect habitat for a range of native plants and animals, including threatened species.”
The Australian cotton industry has played a supporting role in this partnership by providing the findings of its research to inform priority areas for biodiversity restoration in cotton farming landscapes, identifying farmers to participate in the program and working with them to develop on-ground projects that deliver benefits to the natural environment.
“Protecting and improving biodiversity in cotton landscapes is a key focus for the industry. This partnership will accelerate these efforts, showcase the benefits of improving biodiversity to other cotton farmers and provide a lasting legacy for our farms, communities and the natural environment,” Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said.
The Landcare Australia partnership follows a number of recent milestones for Country Road, including scientifically verified Australian fibres, achieving 5 Star Green Star rated stores through the Green Building Council and the launch of Our World—an online platform dedicated to sharing the brand’s sustainability journey with the wider community.
Australian and New Zealand based EHL Group have developed an offshore wave technology system to convert the abundant 24/7 potential energy for grid integration and produce zero emission potable water via new onboard desalination technology. AZURA reduces the impact on current water sources (artesian bores, environmental river flows, etc) assisting the water and energy supply security of Australian coastal towns and regional island communities. Identifying the ongoing challenges of climate change, and the need for emissions reductions, the systems have been under development since 2004 and are now Commercial Ready.
Rigorous development and engineering have expanded the system capabilities so the AZURA Wave Technology system can produce potable water, energy, or both from a single unit. Utilising the resource that surrounds us with higher efficiency, 24/7 uptime, and without the horizonal impact or land use of wind turbines and solar farms. AZURA is additionally suited to supply energy to forecast hydrogen production facilities in coastal locations, close to export gateways. The AZURA will form part of the supply mix ensuring energy supply if the sun is not shining or the wind not blowing.
Following successful prototype ocean testing over 2 x 18 month deployments at the US Navy’s Wave Energy Testing Site (W.E.T.S) and third party validation from the University of Hawaii and University of Oregon, commercialisation is underway, EHL Group will now place an energy only unit at the W.E.T.S facility in Hawaii with co-funding and support from the US Department of Energy and US Navy. EHL are also hopeful of engaging support from Australian business and Government to assist the build and placement of a Water / Energy AZURA unit in the energy rich waters off Victoria. The AZURA is the first verified wave energy technology verified to supply energy to the US grid.
EHL’s Australian Director, Michael Byrne stated “EHL plan to establish the key manufacturing facility for these and future units in Western Victoria to create long-term Regional jobs, community growth, and establishing a new export industry niche. Support from Councils and Regional business has been enthusiastic, but Australian renewables generation funding seems centred on wind and solar which are both predominately not made in Australia. EHL are passionate about retaining this opportunity here and investing in Australia’s future jobs growth and manufacturing capability, but we run the risk of this technology being lost offshore”
With economic growth and environmental impact being critical at this time of focussed recovery, EHL Group encourages State and Federal Government to take action to further this project and maximise the positive results for long-term Australian jobs and industry.
EHL Group are an Australian and New Zealand based engineering and project company with offices and workshops in Hamilton – Victoria, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand and New Plymouth, New Zealand.
