National Australia Bank CEO Cameron Clyne has lent his support to the government’s climate change policy, saying pricing carbon was superior to the Opposition's direct action plan. "If you're asking for an economic assessment of the two (policies), a carbon price followed by an ETS is economically superior to the direct-action policy," he said at a Melbourne luncheon on Tuesday. "It will drive certainty, it will drive investment, so as a straight comparison between the two, that's the choice." He did say, however, that if there was a better third option, then he would be interested in that.

Meanwhile, Rio Tinto CEO Tom Albanese has warned the federal government to be cautious in its approach to the carbon tax, saying it should refrain from experimenting with its economy and that any carbon price should be modest. “The big polluters are those that also provide the big jobs… If you start vilifying industries, you run the risk of chasing away capital,'' he told a mining conference in Perth.

Gauging green jobs

Australia’s first national green business salary survey – the Sustainability Roles and Salary Survey – is being conducted this month by Sydney-based sustainable recruitment group Turning Green Consultants. The 10-minute online questionnaire – developed with the backing of the Green Building Council of Australia, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Australian Green Infrastructure Council, Environmental Jobs Network, and Models of Success and Sustainability – came about when Turning Green managing director Lisa Tarry noticed an information gap on salary benchmarks in the sustainability sector – where roles can be as diverse as technical environmental scientist, to carbon financial consultants to corporate social responsibility professionals. The survey questions participants on their work history, current salary, job satisfaction, team demographics, and key sustainability drivers. In return, participants get a free executive summary of the resulting report, giving workers in the sector valuable insight into how their salary compares; while employers can compare salary benchmarks, get a high-level view of employment trends, and an indication of the scope and expertise of environmental professionals working in Australia.

"(This) survey is really about getting an idea of what people are worth to the industry, and just as importantly, what businesses will have to pay to attract the right talent for the right roles,” says Tarry – including talent from overseas. And with similar surveys conducted at a global level – like the Acona, Acre and Thomson Reuters "Carbon Salary Survey" – the local data can be used to compare Australia's track record to that of other regions. The one thing the survey will not do, according to Turning Green, is act as a driver to increase salaries of environmental and sustainability workers. "The subjective aspects of a position...[are] just as important as the objective outcomes of prestige, power, money and advancement," says Tarry. The survey will remain open until July 3. The report will be launched August 8, at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants annual sustainability conference.

 Team biofuel

Australia’s Algae.Tec says it has signed a deal to build its proposed algae harvesting and production facility at the Nowra ethanol plant of Manildra Group, the largest ethanol producer in Australia. Algae.Tec executive chairman Roger Stroud said the algae photo-reactors would be sited next to the main facility and take a carbon dioxide feed from the main ethanol fermenters. “Algae.Tec is one of only a few advanced biofuels companies with a technology designed to grow algae on an industrial scale," says Stroud. "The photo-reactors are currently being assembled at the company’s USA headquarters, in Atlanta, Georgia." Algae.Tec says its enclosed module systems occupy less than one tenth the land footprint of pond growth options.