Home Research Environmental sustainability Environmental sustainability Climate change responses, transitioning to a zero-carbon built environment, protecting biodiversity, green space, and food and water resources. Climate change responses, transitioning to a zero-carbon built environment, protecting biodiversity, green space, and food and water resources Urban policy frameworks across Australia present an uneven treatment of environmental issues. While some metropolitan planning strategies are explicit about the role of cities policy in addressing climate change, for example through preparing for rising water levels, increasing likelihood of natural disasters and other environmental hazards, others do not account for this in detail. Australian cities have grown rapidly, extending the built environment into former greenfield sites, increasing the consumption of natural resources and creating the need for better urban amenity in densifying built-up areas. At the same time, environmental changes are impacting Australia’s cities through higher average temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events and diminishing availability of fresh water. Read the full brief News and Briefs AHURI news and briefs examining how urban policy strategies have addressed the resilience of Australia’s cities to climate change, the environmental impact of urban growth and the sustainability of the built environment. Research publications AHURI research on environmental sustainability objectives in Australian cities now, and into the future Latest News and Briefs brief Floods and the future for housing insurance The impact of floods and other disasters may affect people’s perception of liveability in moving to regional cities and towns view details brief Climate change and low-income housing The impacts of increasing temperatures, rainfall and strong wind events due to climate change are a serious concern for Australia’s housing stock. view details brief Is a ‘green recovery’ the key to post-COVID housing stimulus? Internationally, improving the environmental sustainability of residential property has been identified as an important way to ensure that economic stimulus spending is invested wisely. It can reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions, improve comfort and health and support employment in the construction sector. view details brief Implementing environmental sustainability objectives in Australian cities now, and into the future Urban policy frameworks across Australia present an uneven treatment of environmental issues. While some metropolitan planning strategies are explicit about the role of cities policy in addressing climate change, for example through preparing for rising water levels, increasing likelihood of natural disasters and other environmental hazards, others do not account for this in detail. view details brief Bushfires likely to increase the cost of living in regional Australia The recent extended bushfire season across Australia has affected people living in rural and remote areas in many different ways: from having to evacuate from their home, to missing work when fire closes down local businesses, to the disaster of having their home and possessions destroyed by fire, to the health risks of living with bushfire smoke for long periods of time. view details brief Despite energy saving upgrades, home owners spend more on power than renters Amidst concerns about rising energy costs for Australian households, a look at AHURI research published in 2010 brings to light interesting differences between the energy expenditure of home owners and renters. The report, which examined 2006 HILDA data, found that on average, home owners spent more on energy running costs than households renting a similar size home in the private rental market. view details news Many Australian households who rent their housing experience energy hardship It is estimated that up to 40 per cent of Australian households who rent their housing may be experiencing energy hardship, due to a meeting of rapidly rising energy costs, a large stock of poor-quality and energy-inefficient dwellings in the rental sector, uneven access to efficient technologies and government interventions, and a large number of households in financial hardship. view details brief With rising energy costs, a growing need to measure energy stress When extremes of weather sweep in, either colder or hotter, the impacts of energy poverty for lower income households become severe, with more than 6 per cent of deaths in Australia each year due to living in cold environments and one per cent of deaths heat related. view details
brief Floods and the future for housing insurance The impact of floods and other disasters may affect people’s perception of liveability in moving to regional cities and towns view details
brief Climate change and low-income housing The impacts of increasing temperatures, rainfall and strong wind events due to climate change are a serious concern for Australia’s housing stock. view details
brief Is a ‘green recovery’ the key to post-COVID housing stimulus? Internationally, improving the environmental sustainability of residential property has been identified as an important way to ensure that economic stimulus spending is invested wisely. It can reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions, improve comfort and health and support employment in the construction sector. view details
brief Implementing environmental sustainability objectives in Australian cities now, and into the future Urban policy frameworks across Australia present an uneven treatment of environmental issues. While some metropolitan planning strategies are explicit about the role of cities policy in addressing climate change, for example through preparing for rising water levels, increasing likelihood of natural disasters and other environmental hazards, others do not account for this in detail. view details
brief Bushfires likely to increase the cost of living in regional Australia The recent extended bushfire season across Australia has affected people living in rural and remote areas in many different ways: from having to evacuate from their home, to missing work when fire closes down local businesses, to the disaster of having their home and possessions destroyed by fire, to the health risks of living with bushfire smoke for long periods of time. view details
brief Despite energy saving upgrades, home owners spend more on power than renters Amidst concerns about rising energy costs for Australian households, a look at AHURI research published in 2010 brings to light interesting differences between the energy expenditure of home owners and renters. The report, which examined 2006 HILDA data, found that on average, home owners spent more on energy running costs than households renting a similar size home in the private rental market. view details
news Many Australian households who rent their housing experience energy hardship It is estimated that up to 40 per cent of Australian households who rent their housing may be experiencing energy hardship, due to a meeting of rapidly rising energy costs, a large stock of poor-quality and energy-inefficient dwellings in the rental sector, uneven access to efficient technologies and government interventions, and a large number of households in financial hardship. view details
brief With rising energy costs, a growing need to measure energy stress When extremes of weather sweep in, either colder or hotter, the impacts of energy poverty for lower income households become severe, with more than 6 per cent of deaths in Australia each year due to living in cold environments and one per cent of deaths heat related. view details
