KEY POINTS
- The Australian Government has established Clean Business Australia – a partnership with Australian business and industry for tackling climate change.
- Clean Business Australia will support a range of activities aimed at improving our energy and water efficiency and increasing sustainability, with a focus on productivity and innovation.
- There are three program elements:
- Climate Ready which supports small and medium sized businesses to develop projects for innovations that address the effects of climate change
- Re-tooling for Climate Change which supports small and medium sized businesses undertaking manufacturing in Australia to reduce their environmental footprint by improving the energy and/or water efficiency of their production processes.
- Green Building Fund which supports owners of existing commercial office buildings to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by improving building energy efficiency. Assistance is also available for industry organisations, to improve the knowledge, skills and capability of those involved in the operation of commercial office buildings to reduce their carbon emissions.
- Each program is assessed in several rounds per year.
- Applicants compete for limited grant funds, based on the merit of their application.
- The round closing dates may be obtained from the AusIndustry website (listed under each program).
- For further information about the Clean Business Australia programs, visit the AusIndustry website at www.ausindustry.gov.au.
- Alternatively, contact the AusIndustry hotline on 13 28 46 or by email at hotline@ausindustry.gov.au.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Climate Ready
Climate Ready is a competitive grants program which aims to support the development and commercialisation of innovative products, processes and services that address the effects of climate change. The program offered grants from $50,000 up to $5 million on a matching funding basis, for research and development, proof-of-concept and early-stage commercialisation activities. It targeted small and medium-sized businesses, and offered two types of grants - small ($50,000 to $500,000) and large ($500,001 to $5 million). The small grants support small business, as well as companies controlled by universities and public sector research organisations.
The program opened for applications on 28 July 2008 and supports projects that address the effects of climate change. More than 300 eligible applications, seeking more than $228 million, have been received in response to four funding rounds. A total of 105 projects worth $78.7 million in grant funding were offered support under the program through the four funding rounds.
As the effects of climate change will be far-reaching a broad range of project applications for Climate Ready are supported. Funding has been provided for projects that include: wind turbine production; native tree plantations to reduce carbon pollution; water saving solutions; and technology for saving power in standby mode.
Re-tooling for Climate Change
The Re-tooling for Climate Change program aims to encourage small and medium sized manufacturers to reduce their environmental footprint, through projects that improve the energy and/or water efficiency of their production processes.
The program provides grants of $10,000 to $500,000 for up to 50 per cent of the cost of eligible projects. Applicants must have a turnover of less than $100 million in the year prior to application, be undertaking manufacturing activities in Australia, and have the ability to fund their share of the project not met by the grant.
Examples of eligible projects could include:
- Application of water capture, recycling and filtration
- Process re-engineering to reduce energy or water use
- Application of energy efficient technologies
- Energy generation from production waste.
Re-tooling for Climate Change Program applications can be submitted at any time and will be assessed on a continuous basis.
A total of 78 eligible applications were assessed under the first four rounds of the program, resulting in 49 offers of grants to manufacturers from a range of industry sectors, for a total of $9.5 million. Round 5 attracted 40 applications, of which 34, with a combined grant value of $8.5 million, were eligible. The Minister is expected to announce the outcome of round 5 later this month.
Green Building Fund
The Green Building Fund aims to reduce the impact of the built environment on Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, by reducing the energy consumed in the operation of existing commercial office buildings.
Grants of $50,000 to $500,000 are available to owners of existing commercial office buildings, for up to 50 per cent of the total cost of retro-fitting and/or retro-commissioning projects, to reduce base building energy consumption and so greenhouse gas emissions.
Separately, a limited number of grants of up to $200,000 are available to help relevant industry organisations, for projects that improve the knowledge, skills or capability of those involved in the operation of commercial office buildings.
Funded projects have covered a range of retro-fitting and retro-commissioning activities, including installation of new air conditioning plant, building management systems upgrades, lighting updgrades and installation of cogeneration and renewable energy technology. The total projected greenhouse gas savings from the projects is over 101,000 tonnes of CO2 (equivalent) per annum.
The program has attracted strong industry interest and demand, with applications received for office buildings located all over Australia. The first four rounds of the program resulted in 156 offers of grant funding to building owners, for a total of $55 million (and projecting greenhouse gas savings of over 127,000 tonnes per annum). Two industry organisations have received grants for capability development projects.
Funded projects have covered a range of retro-fitting and retro-commissioning activities, including, installation of new air conditioning plant, building management systems upgrades, lighting upgrades and installation of cogeneration and renewable energy technology. The total projected greenhouse gas savings from the projects is over 127,000 tonnes of CO2 (equivalent) per annum.