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Why Green Skills

• Living Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS 2)'s Consumer Trends Report, October 2008, found that consumers believe their choices have a positive impact on the environment, and the report was overviewed here.
• Planet Ark recycling week present regular research updates on their surveys of small business attitudes to the enviroment.
  
  Who Cares about Water and Climate Change in 2007? An annual survey of NSW consumer attitudes.
• It's cheaper to be green (link to come).
• Gen Green: Reports and research on what young Australian tradespeople think of green skills at the Dusseldorp Skills Forums.
• Australia is now a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol.
• Growth in green products and services is set to rise, according to a report by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

Green Skilling Your Staff

Some External courses available for farmers:

• PROfarm courses have been developed by NSW Government for farmers.
• Chemical Card and farm planning training is offered by the NSW Farmers Association.

External courses available for building & construction:

• Housing Industry Association’s GreenSmart training and accreditation program.
• Green Business Council of Australia’s Green Star Accredited Professional course.
• GreenPlumbers training and licensing.
• EnviroPlumber an initiative of the Master Plumbers Association of NSW.
• EcoSmart Electricians offer accredited training.

External courses available for the printing industry:

• The Printing Industries Association of Australia offers environmental management courses.

For more courses available for your industry, please check our green course finder

Resources

The Australian Government's training website is divided into three main areas:

• Training organisations
• Business and Employers
• Apprenticeships and Traineeships

Support

• Find out if your staff are eligible for the Commonwealth Government’s Productivity Places Program which provides funding for 392,000 training places to assist existing workers wanting to gain or upgrade their skills.
• The NSW Government's $150-million Energy Efficiency Strategy aims to help families and businesses save money and help the environment.

Regulation

New South Wales has a number of laws to help protect the environment and provide guidance to business:

• A summary of NSW environmental legislation and compliance that affects all NSW businesses is available on the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change & Water (DECCW) website
• DECC also has a specific website for those doing business in NSW
• In the near future, Australia will be implementing an emissions trading scheme. Find out more about the implications for business of Australia’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme

And, resources to help with regulatory compliance:

• A tool to get you started on developing an environmental management plan
• A self help tool for cleaner production for small to medium enterprises

Specific regulation and compliance links:

• Photo Voltaics: The Commonwealth Governments Solar Credits scheme - the installer must be accredited for design and installation of photovoltaic systems by the Clean Energy Council. Specific information can be found in the Installing Renewables section.
• Green Loans: This Commonwealth program provides Green Loans to assist families installing solar, water saving, and energy efficient products. Homes must be assessed by an accredited Green Loans Household Sustainability Assessor who have completed specified training.
• Home Insulation (from 1 July 2009): The Homeowner Insulation Program requires assessment and installation  by qualified assessors and installers. There is a similar program for renters.
• The Department of Environment, Climate Change & Water (DECCW) administers the Protection of the Environment Operations Act which consolidates most licensing requirements for air, water and noise pollution, and waste management. Some activities require an Environment Protection License.
• You can use the Business License Information Service application on the NSW Department of Fair Trading website to search for licences your business might need.

Tools

• The Australian Government's Used Oil recycling website.
• The Green Vehicle guide compares fuel consumption across various makes and models.
• Planet Ark website: Recycle Near You is a locality guide to recycling centres.

Workplace environmental calculators

• National Greenhouse Energy Reporting System Calculator.
• The Australian Emissions Reduction Model is a downloadable application that allows users to explore options for reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• Climate Positive provides small business with an easy to use web-based carbon calculator for small to medium enterprise.
• Carbon Footprint provides a comprehensive business carbon calculator. (Businesses need to set up an account to access the calculator.)
• The Office Calculator of EPA Victoria measures your business’ ecological footprint.

Links containing tips for greening your office

• GreenPower is a government accreditation program for renewable energy. It is bought by your energy provider on your behalf.
• The Green Lease Guide provides commercial office tenants with a guide of what to consider when choosing a building and designing an office fit out.
• The green office guide has been developed to help you buy and use environmentally friendly office equipment.
• Energy Star guide rating for office equipment.
• Reducing paper waste.
• Reducing office waste.
• The comprehensive Sydney Water easy guide.

Green guides and programs - building and construction

• The environmental best management practice guideline for concreting contractors.
• A environment management guide for painters.
• A environment management handbook for landscapers.
• Measure the environmental impact of your building, based on key data such as energy and water bills, through National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme (NABERS).
• Green Plumbers is a training, environmental product and marketing initiative of the Master Plumbers and mechanical Services Association of Australia.
• The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) has developed a program EcoSmart Electricians to train licensed electricians nationally in energy efficient and environmentally friendly electrical products, technology and installations.
• GreenSmart an initiative of the Housing Industry Association is a practical approach to building that focuses on educating builders, designers, product manufacturers and consumers about the benefits of environmentally responsible housing.
• The Master Builders Association has a specific environment area within its website that provides a range of tools, including directories for Construction and Demolition for the Sydney and Illawarra areas.

Green guides for farming

• Guides on how to develop an environmental management systems for your property.

Green guides for tourism and hospitality

• Improving the environmental management of golf courses.
• Ten ways to green your club.

Green guides for the printing industry

• A guide to environmental action for the printing industry.
• Sustainable Green Print accreditation is the Australian printing industry's own recognisable certification program.
• The Green Table Australia Scheme has been set up by the Restaurant and Catering Association to recognise restaurants and catering businesses that are doing what they can to reduce their CO2 emissions. The program is based on the Canadian Green Table program.