Roadmap to a Global Circular Economy

Just days before COP26, Australia’s long-awaited climate plan has been slammed by civil society, scientists and opposition politicians as void of substance and full of spin.  For years now, the Australian Government led by climate denier Scott Morrison, has been seen as a climate laggard, one still deeply addicted to dirty fossil fuels and an outlier when it came to concerted international action on climate.  Let’s not forget that the Government is led by the same Scott Morrison who, when Treasurer of Australia, brought a lump of coal into the House of Representatives supplied by the Minerals Council of Australia.  “This is coal,” he told his bemused fellow parliamentarians. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t be scared.”

Could wood become the material of choice to build the cities of tomorrow? The further we move into the 2020s, the more pressing this question becomes. The answer could never be as simple as a yes or a no – steel is here to stay and thankfully so with its insurmountable benefits, and neither is concrete going anywhere.  Yet side-by-side, the environmental and sustainability agenda continues to chug along, with governments actively pursuing their goals of net-zero emissions and efficient resource usage, potentially making wood a government mandated material.  The question also develops into how well timber products and steel framing (light gauge or structural) could complement each other at a mass scale, or, can they do so at all? 

LyondellBasell has commercialised the production of PP and PE made from certified carbon-14 (C14) renewable content. The renewable feedstock, marketed globally as CirculenRenew, is made from 100 per cent bio-based waste and residues, such as used cooking oils. It is supplied by Neste, following the announcement of a long-term commercial relationship in June. As well…

Virgin Orbit is one step closer to getting approval to launch satellites from Guam, a US island territory in the Western Pacific.
The Federal Aviation Administration on August 27 released its final environmental assessment that found “no significant impact” for Virgin Orbit to conduct launches using its Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft and LauncherOne rocket from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
William Pomerantz, Vice President of special projects at Virgin Orbit, was quoted saying that the favorable environmental review marks a “significant step towards achieving our launch license for orbital spaceflight from Guam. We’re very grateful to the team at the FAA for the constant dialogue as we have moved through the process.”