News & Views

The NSW Government is committed to reducing the harm caused by single-use, unnecessary and problematic plastics and has now developed a report; "Plastics:The way Forward" which proposes actions to reduce highly littered plastics in the environment, remove harmful chemicals from plastics, and to reduce microplastic contamination in the environment. 

As part of this process, the NSW Government is consulting with the community, environment groups, businesses, industry, and other key stakeholders to understand whether the actions put forward in the paper will be an effective way to reduce the harm of unnecessary and problematic plastic in our society.

Read the report and proposal and have your say HERE.

A new study from The Australian National University (ANU) has found that Indigenous-owned businesses in Australia employ Indigenous staff at a rate 12 times higher than non-Indigenous-owned businesses.

According to lead researcher Dr Christian Eva, the findings demonstrate that non-Indigenous-owned businesses must do more to better integrate Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices into the workplace and boost the number of Indigenous staff.

The findings highlight the need for businesses to create pathways for indigenous recruitment and progression into senior management roles and to ensure that there are equitable opportunities for all employees.

Read the release from ANU and the Report HERE

The United Nations Global Compact Network Australia (UNGCNA), along with 20 other major businesses have launched 'Nature Positive Matters', which will allow action to be taken on nature and efforts to reverse biodiversity loss.

The Network was launched on the eve of the Global Nature Positive Summit, which brings world leaders, environmental groups, First Nations Peoples and more together to drive private investment in nature repair. This government-backed initiative creates a network of leaders who recognise the growing international importance and economic value of looking after nature.

Read more HERE

The year 2023 marked not only the hottest year, but the driest year for global rivers in over three decades, according to a new report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which signalled critical changes in water availability in an era of growing demand.

They state that "Climate change makes the hydrological cycle more erratic and difficult to predict and we are faced with either too much or too little water."

 The report also notes that currently, 3.6 billion people face inadequate access to water at least a month per year and this is expected to increase to more than 5 billion by 2050, which is far off track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation. 

Read the WMO Report HERE.

The Australian Pro Bono Centre has published the 17th Annual Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Target (Target), reflecting a substantial 11.5% increase in pro bono hours in the last financial year. This year, the Target Signatories reported over 780,000 hours of pro bono work, an average of 39.6 hours per lawyer. 

See the Australian Pro Bono Centre media release HERE which includes a link to the report.

With more frequent and extreme climate events, climate change presents a serious health and wellbeing challenge to Australians. The World Health Organization has described climate change as the greatest threat to global health this century. To understand and address this, the Government and 19 major organisations have announced they will work together to deliver a framework for action on climate and health. This includes supporting a workforce-led health system response to climate change. See the media release HERE

A new research report from WGEA released in September has identified an important shift in how employees choose to engage in the workforce, as they increasingly seek flexibility and opportunities to tailor work schedules and locations to their needs. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the evolving nature of part-time work and implications of this change for the future of work in Australia. See the media release for this report from WGEA HERE

As reported by HR Leader, there is much debate about organisations mandating 'return to work', however there is a belief that our offices are inadequate, lacking privacy and being crude, noisy and cramped. 

This potentially gives rise to psychosocial risks, and can affect team culture and employee engagement and overall employee wellbeing.

See the article from HR Leader HERE

Volunteering Australia has released the "Volunteering Gateway", which is designed to connect Volunteer Managers, Coordinators and Leaders across Australia with the tools and resources to help them succeed.

Volunteering Gateway provides a diverse range of tools and resources which have been carefully selected to help recruit, train, manage, and retain volunteers, improving the volunteer experience and fostering a vibrant community that makes a difference.

There are many resources on the Volunteering Gateway site, so make sure you take a look HERE. 

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has released their 2024 Global Wind Report which shows that the global wind industry installed a record 117GW of new capacity in 2023, making it the best year ever for new wind energy.

The report finds the wind industry is entering a new era of accelerated growth driven by increased political ambition, manifested in the historic COP28 adoption of a target to triple renewable energy by 2030.

Fifty-four countries representing all continents built new wind power installations, totalling 117GW in generation power, an increase of 50% over 2022. 

Go to the GWEC Website HERE.