Smart meters are proliferating in the households of New Zealand at breakneck speed, with benefits to both power companies and consumers. ADAM GIFFORD If knowledge is power, then getting more knowledge about power amounts to a double whammy. The roll … Read more
The hills are alive with the sound of… developers opining on their proposed blocks of flats. Should the RMA move out of their way? TE RADAR: RADAR’S RANT I was bewildered to discover that throughout the country local councils have … Read more
By Andy Kenworthy. A world-renowned architect recommends more New Zealand businesses look to the trees when it comes to commercial building design. Toronto-based Tye Farrow has designed iconic buildings with the extensive use of wood, including schools, commercial buildings and … Read more
Development of an energy measurement and rating scheme that will raise the bar for energy performance in New Zealand office buildings is underway. Helping to reduce energy costs for tenants and enhance building value for owners, NABERSNZ™ will measure and … Read more
Photo: Desso Stratos Blocks. All of the office products here are designed to be infinitely recyclable – the ultimate green solution. DESSO STRATOS BLOCKS 9990 (PATTERNED) & STRATOS 9990 (PLAIN) Stratos Blocks give you extensive creative options and with the … Read more
By Amelia Reynolds America’s mega-store Walmart, which earned $269 billion in revenue in 2012, has introduced the Supplier Sustainability Index. The Index, developed by the non-profit, big-corporation coalition The Sustainability Consortium (TSC), works with Walmart’s suppliers to assess and improve … Read more
Fat, oil and “fatberg” build-ups are the new fuel products for a power station in east London which will produce enough power to run 39,000 homes. The Beckton power station, built by company 20C, will provide more than half of … Read more
The Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington, is where office furniture goes to die. Except that it doesn’t – a dedicated team of workers takes the equipment, applies a little TLC, and recycles it for another life.Since 2005 The New Zealand … Read more
Environmental Choice launches Office Activities certification. Les Mills Auckland is, officially, the first company to apply for a brand new green office certification – the Office Activities Standard – administered by the government-owned eco label Environmental Choice. The system is … Read more
The skincare certification mark known as NATRUE may not yet be a household name in New Zealand, but forward-thinking companies are getting on board for its rigour and international calibre. By Yvonne Kerr What is natural? And what is … Read more
In a new monthly segment, Element correspondent Rosie Condon will check out some of Australia’s hottest, ethical joints. This month: Sheebeen, Australia’s first not-for-profit bar based in Melbourne. Tucked down an alleyway, like many other quintessential Melbourne bars, Shebeen is … Read more
Ontario, Canada is on the brink of becoming the first industrial region in North America to eliminate all coal-fired power stations. Next year the last plant will close, capping 10 years of dedicated work to replace coal stations with renewable … Read more
52.6 million Retail sales of Fairtrade products in New Zealand for 2012-13 – up 16.5% from 2012 $28m Worth of Fairtrade coffee sold in 2012-13 – up 16% from 2012 $18m Fairtrade chocolate sold in 2012-13 $3m Of Fairtrade bananas … Read more
The recently released ‘Deforestation survey 2012’ showed that 62,000 hectares of forest will be, or have been, chopped down between 2008 and 2020. The survey shows that 86 percent of these areas will be converted to dairy farms. An amendment … Read more
Fair Trade Fortnight is upon us. Kate Beecroft takes looks at Fairtrade cafes in the capital. Fair Trade products have been taking off in New Zealand twice as fast as the rest of the world. But Oxfam are asking us … Read more
Nominations are open for the 2013 Unpackit Awards which seek to find the country’s best and worst packaging in terms of its impact on the environment. Statistics from the Packaging Council show that 72kg of packaging waste is thrown in … Read more
For decades our office environments have been become ever-more insulated from the outside world – artificial light, air-conditioned environments and office furniture made from strange alloys of petrochemical-based plastics. But now the tide has turned, with designers making use of … Read more
Take a tree. Each year it cleans the air, rejuventates the soil, fixes nitrogen, stores carbon and provides a habitat for a multitude of creatures, all without waste. Cradle to Cradle creators William McDonough and Michael Braungart want everything we … Read more
By Andy Kenworthy. Herman Miller furniture Designer office furniture company Herman Miller places sustainable and environmentally responsible high quality design at the very heart of its operations. As part of this it has partnered with one of McDonough and Braungart’s … Read more
Photo: “We have to slow down to the right pace living our life rather than rushing through it,” Carl Honoré, journalist and author in the Interactive Session: Happiness in a Modern World. Young New Zealander Mahoney Turnbull represented Australasia at the … Read more