Sustainability
Workshop –
st
Hobart 1
May, 2008
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
1
Urgent Fixes are Needed

Water
• 1/3 of world population stressed
for water
• By 2050 2/3 due to global
warming

Waste
• Around 600 million tonnes.
• The underlying moleconomic
flow is poisoning our world

CO2
• Causing global temperature
rises

All these
problems are
interconnected
Energy
• Peak oil has passed and fossil
fuel energy costs set to rise.

Food
• Growing food shortages due to
climate change and production
of bio fuels
To solve these problems we need to change the way we
do things and what we do them with!
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
2
The Atmosphere
The Challenge is to Keep the Atmosphere
Stable. To do this we must take a long term
view and engineer a new way for us to live.
Source: IPCC
Lifetime in Atmosphere
Source: Sam Nelson Greenbase
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.o
rg/wiki/Earth's_atmo
sphere 17 Feb 08
900
800
700
600
Yrs
Even if the annual flow of emissions was
frozen today, the level of greenhouse
gas in the atmosphere would still reach
double its pre-industrial levels by 2050.
In fact, emissions are increasing rapidly
and the level of 550 ppm could be
reached as early as 2035.
1,000
500
400
300
200
100
0
Stern review Executive Summary Page 3 para 6
CFC
Hig h
Lo w
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
CO2
CH4
PCBs
SO2
Water
PM10
Emission
3
CO2 in the Atmosphere
Gigaton CO2
CO2 in the Atmosphere
BAU
Emissions
450 ppm
?
?
Year
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
4
The Kyoto Protocol

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
A treaty intended to implement the objectives and
principles agreed in the 1992 UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Requires governments to agree to quantified limits on
their greenhouse gas emissions, through sequential
rounds of negotiations for successive commitment periods.
The Kyoto treaty is the result of political negotiation and
diplomatic compromise and on the surface not a lot more
than short term promises to reduce emissions that make
politicians look good that their successors cannot possibly
keep. It is not a strategy for survival in the future. A long
term view is required.
Constraint alone is not going to work
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
5
We are Hooked On Fossil Fuel Energy
Assuming Kyoto commitments are
met (which is unlikely) it is estimated
that global emissions will be 41%
higher in 2010 than in 1990 ( Ford, M.,
Matysek, A, Jakeman, G., Gurney, A &
Fisher B. S. 2006, Perspectives on
International Climate Change, paper
presented at the Australian
Agricultural and Resource
Economics society 50th Annual
Conference).
www.aares.info/files/2006_matysek.p
df.
Emissions targets are unlikely to be met whilst fossil fuels remain
A solution is needed of the utmost urgency to preserve history for many, many generations to
come.
Sir Richard Branson at the launch of the Virgin Earth Prize
Gaia Engineering is the way to do so – John Harrison
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
6
Correlation Between WIP and Emissions
World Industrial Product (deflated
world `GDP' in real value - i.e. World
physical production).
CO2 emissions (in CO2 mass
units: Doubling time = 29 years.
Data: CDIAC; statistics: GDI.
The correlation between the WIP and the CO2 emissions is very high. The
correlation coefficient r= 0.995, i.e. practically 1 (total correlation). Di Fazio’s
work demonstrates that we cannot achieve sustainability through efficiency alone.
Di Fazio, Alberto, The fallacy of pure efficiency gain measures to control future climate change,
Astronomical Observatory of Rome and the Global Dynamics Institute
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
7
Synopsis


We are too many and our influence too great. We must
therefore accept our role of maintaining “spaceship
earth” as planetary engineers and find ways of
maintaining the level of carbon dioxide, oxygen and other
gases in the atmosphere at desirable levels.
We are too hooked on fossil fuels and cannot possibly
arrest the alarming increases in carbon dioxide currently
occurring through efficiency, emissions reduction or
substitution by renewables.

Constraint will not lift the third world to our level of
affluence.

We must find new technology platforms that will
otherwise we have no hope of controlling population
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
8
Synopsis
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We have a good chance of preserving the future if we
mimic nature by finding uses for carbon and other wastes.
Uses for carbon and other wastes must result in a real
value that puts profit in the pocket of a large number who
will as a consequence wish to engage otherwise they
cannot be implemented on the massive scale required.
The markets created must be insatiable, large and
indefinitely continuing.
Building with man made carbonate is doable and most
likely presents the only option we have for saving the
planet from runaway global warming until such time as
safe and reliable forms of energy alternative to fossil fuels
can be developed, we more seriously take our relationship
with the planet and our role as planetary engineers and
custodians.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
9
Affect of Leakage on Geosequestration
Source: CANA (2004). Carbon Leakage and
Geosequestration, Climate Action Network Australia.
"The assumption of
exclusive reliance on
storage may be an extreme
one, however the example
illustrates that emphasis on
energy efficiency and
increased reliance on
renewable energy must be
priority areas for greenhouse
gas mitigation. The higher
the expected leakage rate
and the larger the
uncertainty, the less
attractive geosequestration
is compared to other
mitigation alternatives such
as shifting to renewable
energy sources, and
improved efficiency in
production and consumption
of energy."
Downloadable Model at
http://www.tececo.com/files/spreadsheets/Gaia
EngineeringVGeoSequestrationV1_26Apr08.xls
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
10
Size of Carbon Sinks
Modified from Figure 2 Ziock, H. J. and D. P. Harrison. "Zero Emission Coal Power, a New Concept."
from http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/proceedings/01/carbon_seq/2b2.pdf by the inclusion of a
bar to represent sedimentary sinks
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
11
Carbon Sink Permanence
Carbonate
sediment
40,000,000
Gt
Sequestration
Permanence
and time
Plants 600 Soils and
Detritus
Gt
1600 Gt
Methane
Fossil
Fuels 8,000 Clathrates
100,000 Gt
Gt
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
12
Gaia Engineering will Modify the Carbon Cycle
CO2 in the air and water
Cellular
Respiration
burning and
Photosynthesis
decay
by plants and
algae
Limestone
coal and oil
burning
Organic
compounds made
by autotrophs
Cellular Respiration
Decay by
fungi and
bacteria
Gaia Engineering,
(Greensols, TecEco
Kiln and EcoCements)
Organic compounds
made by heterotrophs
Consumed by
heterotrophs
(mainly animals)
More about Gaia Engineering at
http://www.tececo.com.au/simple.gaiaengineering_summary.php
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
13
Can Building and Construction Represents an Insatiable,
Large and Indefinitely Continuing Market for Carbonate?

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The built environment is made of materials and is our
footprint on earth.
• It comprises buildings and infrastructure.
Construction materials comprise
• 70% of materials flows (buildings, infrastructure etc.)
• 40-50% of waste that goes to landfill (15 % of new
materials going to site are wasted.)
Around 25 billion tonnes of building materials are used
annually on a world wide basis.
The single biggest materials flow (after water) is concrete at
around 17 billion tonnes or > 2 tonnes per man, woman and
child on the planet.
40% of total energy in the industrialised world
(researchandmarkets)
Why not use magnesium carbonate aggregates and
building components from Greensols and Eco-Cements
from TecEco to bind them together?
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
14
The Earth System
The earth system
consists of positive
and negative
feedback loops.
Anthroposphere
Small changes
caused by man
such as CO2 and
other climate forcing
as well as pollution
impact right across
all interconnected
systems throughout
the global
commons.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
15
Earth Systems Science
Earth Systems
Atmospheric
composition,
climate, land
cover, marine
ecosystems,
pollution,
coastal zones,
freshwater
salinity etc.
Source graphic: NASA
Earth system science treats the entire Earth as a system in its own right, which
evolves as a result of positive and negative feedback between constituent
systems (Wiki). These systems are ideally homeostatic.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
16
The Techno-Process
Take
Detrimental
affects on
earth
Waste
systems
Underlying the techno-process
that describes and controls
the flow of matter and energy
through the supply and
waste chains are molecular
stocks and flows. If out of
synch with earth systems
these moleconomic flows
have detrimental affects.
To reduce the impact on earth systems new technical paradigms need to be invented and
cultural changes evolve that result in materials flows with underlying molecular flows that
mimic or at least do not interfere with natural flows and that support rather than detrimentally
impact on earth systems.
I am contemplating profitable bottom up change of immense proportion and importance.
John Harrison, TecEco
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
17
Detrimental Impacts of the Techno-Process
Detrimental
Linkages that
affect earth
system flows
Take
manipulate
and make
impacts
Use impacts.
Materials are in
the TechnoSphere Utility
zone
End of
lifecycle
impacts
There is
no such
place as
“away”
Materials are everything between the take and
waste and affect earth system flows.
Greater Utility
Less Utility
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
18
Moleconomic Flows
Take → Manipulate → Make → Use → Waste
[
←Materials flow→
]
[ ← Underlying molecular flow → ]
If the underlying molecular flows are “out of tune” with
nature there is damage to the environment
e.g. heavy metals, cfc’s, c=halogen compounds and CO2
Moleconomics is the study of the form of atoms in molecules, their
flow, interactions, balances, stocks and positions. What we take from the
environment around us, how we manipulate and make materials out of
what we take and what we waste result in underlying molecular flows
that affect earth systems. These flows should mimic, balance or
minimally interfere with natural flows.
To fix the molecular flows that are impacting our planet we must first
fix the materials flows in a bottom up approach
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
19
Innovative New Materials the Key to Sustainability
The choice of materials for building and construction controls emissions, lifetime and
embodied energies, user comfort, use of recycled wastes, durability, recyclability and the
properties of wastes returned to the bio-geo-sphere.
By changing how we make “things” and what we make them with
we can fix the underlying molecular flows that are destroying the
natural homeostasis of our planet
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
20
Economically Driven Sustainability
$ - ECONOMICS - $
New, more profitable
technical paradigms are
required that result in
more sustainable and
usually more efficient
moleconomic flows that
mimic natural flows or
better, reverse our
damaging flows.
Change is only possible economically. It will not
happen because it is necessary or right.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
21
Consider Sustainability as Where
Culture and Technology Meet
Increase in demand/price ratio for greater
sustainability due to cultural change.
$
ECONOMICS
We must rapidly
move both the
supply and demand
curves for
sustainability
Equilibrium
Shift
Supply
Greater Value/for impact
(Sustainability) and
economic growth
Increase in supply/price ratio for
more sustainable products due to
technical innovation.
Demand
#
A measure of the degree of sustainability is where the demand for more
sustainable technologies is met by their supply.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
22
Changing the Technology Paradigm
It is not so much a matter of “dematerialisation” as a
question of changing the underlying moleconomic
flows. We need materials that require less energy to
make them, do not pollute the environment with CO2
and other releases, last much longer and that contribute
properties that reduce lifetime energies. The key is to
change the technology paradigms
“By enabling us to make productive use of particular
raw materials, technology determines what constitutes
a physical resource1”
1.Pilzer, Paul Zane, Unlimited Wealth, The Theory and Practice of Economic Alchemy, Crown Publishers
Inc. New York.1990
Or more simply – the technical paradigm
determines what is or is not a resource!
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
23
Cultural Change is Happening!
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Al Gore (SOS)
CSIRO reports
STERN Report
Lots of Talkfest
IPCC Report
Political change
Branson Prize The media have an important
growing role
Live Earth
(07/07/07)
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
24
Changing the Techno-Process
Take => manipulate => make => use => waste
Driven by fossil fuel energy with take and waste impacts.
By changing the
technology paradigms
we can change the
materials flows and
thus the underlying
molecular flows.
Reduce
Re-use
Recycle
This is
biomimicry!
Reduce Re-use
Take only
renewables
Manipulate
Make
Use
Waste only what is
biodegradable or can
be re-assimilated
Recycle
=> Materials =>
The Flow of Atoms and Molecules in the global commons
Moleconomics
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
25
Nature is our Mentor (Biomimicry)

All that is alive is very efficiently in balance with
surrounding conditions including all else that is
alive.
• The waste from one plant or animal is the food or home
for another.
• Photosynthesis balances respiration.
• Growth balances disintegration.

There is a strong need for similar efficiency and
homeostatic balance in the techno process.
• To balance emissions of carbon dioxide with uses and
waste nothing that has no natural role on the planet.
By studying Nature we learn who
we are, what we are and how we
are to be.” (Wright, F.L. 1957:269)
Nature provides us with survival knowledge from
a four billion year old experiment. It is this
knowledge, not our genetics that is the key.
John Harrison
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
26
Biomimicry - Geomimicry
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The term biomimicry was popularised by the book of the
same name written by Janine Benyus
Biomimicry is a method of solving problems that uses
natural processes and systems as a source of knowledge
and inspiration.
It involves nature as model, measure and mentor.
Geomimicry is similar to biomimicry but models
geological rather than biological processes.
The theory behind biomimicry is that natural processes and systems have
evolved over several billion years through a process of research and
development commonly referred to as evolution. A reoccurring theme in natural
systems is the cyclical flow of matter in such a way that there is no waste of
matter and very little of energy.
Geomimicry is a natural extension of biomimicry and applies to geological rather
than living processes
All natural processes are very economical. We must
also be MUCH more economical
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
27
Biomimicry - Ultimate Recyclers

As peak oil starts to cut in and the price of transport rises
sharply
• We should not just be recycling based on chemical property
requiring transport to large centralised sophisticated and
expensive facilities
• We should be including CO2 and wastes based on physical
properties as well as chemical composition in composites
whereby they become local resources.
Jackdaws and bower bird recycle all sorts of things they find nearby based on
physical property. The birds are not concerned about chemical composition and the
nests they make could be described as a composite materials.
TecEco cements are benign binders that
can incorporate all sort of wastes without
reaction problems and bind strongly to
them by polar bonding with them. We can
do the same as the Jackdaw or bower bird
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
28
Localized Low Transport Embodied Energy
Materials
No longer an option?
As the price of fuel rises past peak oil, the use of localised
low embodied energy materials for construction will have
to be considered. We will have to mimic the jackdaw or
bower bird.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
29
Utilizing Carbon and Wastes
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During earth's geological history large tonnages of carbon
were put away as limestone and other carbonates and as
coal and petroleum by the activity of plants and animals.
Sequestering carbon in calcium and magnesium
carbonate materials and other wastes in the built
environment mimics nature in that carbon is used in the
homes or skeletal structures of most plants and animals.
CO2
In eco-cement concretes
the binder is carbonate and
the aggregates are
preferably carbonates and
wastes. This is
“geomimicry”
CO2
CO2
C
CO2
Waste
Pervious pavement
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
30
Geomimicry

There are 1.2-3 grams of
magnesium and about .4 grams of
calcium in every litre of seawater.
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Carbonate sediments such as
these cliffs represent billions
of years of sequestration
and cover 7% of the crust.
There is enough
calcium and magnesium
in seawater with replenishment
to last billions of years at current
needs for sequestration.
To survive we must build our
homes like these seashells using
CO2 and alkali metal cations. This
is geomimicry
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
31
Geomimicry for Planetary Engineers?

Large tonnages of carbon (7% of the crust) were put
away during earth’s geological history as limestone,
dolomite and magnesite, mostly by the activity of
plants and animals.
• Orders of magnitude more than as coal or petroleum!


Shellfish built shells from carbon and trees turn it into
wood.
These same plants and animals wasted nothing
• The waste from one is the food or home for another.


Because of the colossal size of the flows involved the
answer to the problems of greenhouse gas and waste
is to use them both in an insatiable, large and
indefinitely continuing market.
Such a market exists for building and construction
materials.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
32
Geomimicry for Planetary Engineers?
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Such a paradigm shift in resource usage will
not occur because it is the right thing to do.
It can only happen economically.
To put an economic value on carbon and
wastes
• We have not choice but to invent new technical
paradigms such as offered by TecEco and the
Global Sustainability Alliance (Gaia Engineering).
• Evolving culturally to effectively use these technical
paradigms

using carbon dioxide and other
wastes as building materials we can
By
economically reduce their concentration in
the global commons.
Materials are very important!
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
33
Why Magnesium Carbonates?
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
Because of the low molecular weight of
magnesium, it is ideal for scrubbing CO2
out of the air and sequestering the gas
into the built environment:
Due to the lighter molar mass of
magnesium more CO2 is captured than
in calcium systems as the calculations
below show.
CO2
44

 52%
MgCO 3 84



CO 2
44

 43%
CaCO3 101
At 2.09% of the crust magnesium is the
8th most abundant element
Sea-water contains 1.29 g/l compared
to calcium at .412 g/l
Magnesium compounds have low pH
and polar bond in composites making
them suitable for the utilisation of other
wastes.
Seawater
Reference
Data
Cati
on
radiu
g/l
s
H20 (pm)
Chloride (Cl--)
19
167
Sodium (Na+)
10.5
116
Sulfate (S04--)
2.7
?
Magnesium
(Mg++)
1.29
86
Calcium
(Ca++)
0.41
2
114
Potassium
(K+)
0.39
9
152
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
34
Making Carbonate Building Materials to
Solve the Global Warming Problem
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Magnesium materials from Gaia Engineering are potential low
cost. New kiln technology from TecEco will enable easy low cost
simple non fossil fuel calcination of magnesium carbonate to
make binders with the CO2 recycling to produce more
carbonate building material to be used with these binders.
How much magnesium carbonate would have to be deposited
to solve the problem of global warming?
•
The annual flux of CO2 is around 12 billion tonnes ~= 22.99 billion tonnes
magnesite
• The density of magnesite is 3 gm/cm3 or 3 tonne/metre3

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22.9/3 billion cubic metres ~= 7.63 cubic kilometres of
magnesite would have to be deposited each year.
Compared to the over seven cubic kilometres of concrete we
make every year, the problem of global warming looks
surmountable.
If magnesite was our building material of choice and we could
make it without releases as is the case with Gaia Engineering,
we have the problem as good as solved!
We must build with carbonate and waste
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
35
Only the Built Environment is Big Enough
The built environment is our footprint, the major proportion of the
techno-sphere and our lasting legacy on the planet. It comprises
buildings and infrastructure
Source of graphics: Nic Svenningson UNEP SMB2007
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
36
Building is Going Ballistic!
Source of graphic: Rick Fedrizzi SMB 2007
The relative impact of the built environment is rising as
the East catches up with the West!
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
37
Huge Potential for Sequestration and Waste
Utilisation in the Built Environment
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Reducing the impact of the take and waste phases of
the techno-process by.
• including carbon in materials
they are potentially carbon sinks. Many wastes including CO2
can contribute to physical
• including wastes for
physical properties as
properties reducing lifetime
well as chemical composition
energies
they become resources.
• re engineering materials to
reduce the lifetime energy
CO2
of buildings
A durable low pH high bonding
CO2
binder system is required
for effective waste utilisation
such as TecEco Tec and
Eco-Cements
CO2
C
CO2
Waste
Pervious pavement
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
38
Implementation of Carbon Trading

The system must serve different
requirements
• Incentives/costs as a result of increases or
decreases in emissions
• National accounting

Not impose a burden on
• The building construction and
• Rental industries (Affordability crisis anyway)
• Owners

Comply with the Kyoto Protocol
• E.g. no double counting
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
39
WBCSD & WRI
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
Published some
guidelines that the
Australian
government seem to
be following.
According to the
methodology:
• Emissions can be
accounted for on a

Control basis, or
• At an organisational or
financial level

Equity basis
• As in consolidations
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
40
WBCSD & WRI
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Everything must be accounted for at and
organisational or equity level in order to
apply incentives or disincentives, but at a
national level double counting must be
eliminated
To help delineate direct and indirect emission
sources, improve transparency, and provide
utility for different types of organizations and
different types of climate policies and
business goals, three “scopes” (scope 1,
scope 2, and scope 3) have been defined:
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
41
WBCSD & WRI Scopes
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Scope 1
Covers direct emissions from sources within the boundary
of an organisation, such as fuel combustion and
manufacturing processes.
Scope 2
Covers indirect emissions from the consumption of
purchased electricity, steam or heat produced by another
organisation. Scope 2 emissions result from the combustion
of fuel to generate the electricity, steam or heat and do not
include emissions associated with the production of fuel.
Scopes 1 and 2 are carefully defined to ensure that two or
more organisations do not report the same emissions under
the same scope (i.e. so double counting can be eliminated
at a national level).
Scope 3
Includes all other indirect emissions that are a consequence
of an organisation’s activities but are not from sources
owned or controlled by the organisation. These estimates
are provided for information only as Scope 3 emissions and
are not be required to be reported under the National
Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 , but may be
reported on a voluntary basis.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
42
Implementation in Building and Construction

Characterised by
• Long supply and waste chains with
many different operators all contributing
to emissions
• Fragmented representation at both the
building and construction as well as use
levels
• Some scope 1 emissions but mostly
scope 2 and 3.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
43
The Built Environment

(RMIT 30-50%)


(GBCA 45%)
Nick Svenningson UNEP at SMB2007
Materials in use
have a big influence
on scope 2
emissions
AASMIC believe
materials (using
factors) should be
included (scope 3)
Scope 3 emissions
approx 10%
(Interpreted from
RMIT Report)
Mainly lifetime heating, cooling
and other running costs
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
44
Players

BPIC (http://www.bpic.asn.au/bpic_bpi.html)
• The Building Products Innovation Council will be a
major driving force in advocating a technical and
building regulatory environment that will support a
world class Australian building product manufacturing
and supply base

NATSPEC (http://www.natspec.com.au/)
• Founded in 1975, is a not-for-profit organisation that is
owned by the design, build, construct and property
industry through professional associations and
government property groups. It is impartial and is not
involved in advocacy or policy development. NATSPEC’s
major service is the comprehensive national specification
system endorsed by government and professional
bodies. The specification is for all building structures
with specialist packages for architects, interior
designers, landscape architects, structural engineers,
service engineers and domestic owners.
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
45
Players

Green Building Council of Australia
(http://www.gbcaus.org/)
• The GBCA is a national, not-for-profit organisation that
is committed to developing a sustainable property
industry for Australia by encouraging the adoption of
green building practices. It is uniquely supported by
both industry and governments across the country.

GECA (http://www.aela.org.au/)
• Good environmental choice - Committed to credible
product information for sustainable development

Asbec (http://www.asbec.asn.au/about)
• Claims to be a peak body?

Many others
Presentation downloadable from www.tececo.com
46