Examining Carbon Management and Net-Zero Carbon Goals in the Aviation Industry, Through the Qantas Group

Carbon management strategies are crucial for businesses to decrease their contribution to climate change. The aviation industry currently contributes 2% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. As part of the aviation industry, Qantas Group has enacted ambitious carbon management goals to reduce its carbon emissions. As of the 2020 financial year, the company's Scope 1 emissions are 1,919,212 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (t CO2-e) and its Scope 2 emissions are 4,642 t CO2-e. The company has reduced its emissions through strategies, such as carbon offsetting, sustainable fuel investment, increasing fuel efficiency and reducing its landfill contribution. The Group's carbon management goals were examined through a framework, which found these goals to be absolute, broad scoped, ambitious, and set over a long-time frame. These are reflective of providing a successful environmental performance and mitigating its climate risk. Although Qantas has made significant progress in its carbon management goals, there is still much to be improved upon and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain to be seen. The Group still requires extensive alterations to its practices to achieve its net-zero emissions goal. © 2022 by the Regents of the University of California.

A Critical Review of Australian Law Reform Architecture for Developing National Uniform Legislation: Reinvent, Create, or Strengthen?

This article critically examines the institutional architecture for developing national uniform legislation with a focus on the functioning of National Cabinet, the Australian Law Reform Commission, and the Australasian Parliamentary Counsel's Committee. Federalism, which grounds our entire system of government has, for the past century, seen the Commonwealth as the ascendant power. We examine how the COVID-era has, to an extent, interrupted that trajectory. This research finds that Australia's nine jurisdictions would benefit from stronger national approaches, with ad- hoc responses occasionally suiting local vested political interests. Our findings show that the federation's architecture for national uniform legislation can be improved. Further, the significant roles played by the States and Territories during the pandemic should be acknowledged in planning new law reform architecture and in future assessments of when uniform action is required. Not surprisingly, resourcing and co-ordination are highlighted as keys.

Evaluation of QR code use in inperson versus virtual congresses for posters in the COVID-19 era: Are we reaching our audiences?

Objective: During the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific congresses have moved from in-person to a fully virtual setting. We evaluated whether QR code metrics may provide insight into the reach of congress poster presentations in the virtual vs in-person setting, specifically posters pertaining to rare diseases in Hematology, Immunology, and Transplantation. Research design and methods: QR download metrics (via browser, email or SMS) for global Takeda-sponsored posters at select scientific congresses were obtained from the Takeda congress website. QR metrics were evaluated for two time periods: (1) pre- COVID period (January 2019-February 2020) and (2) COVID period (March-December 2020). The transition to the virtual setting during the COVID-19 pandemic was evaluated and QR metrics for each congress that switched from the in-person to virtual setting compared. Results: Database searching identified 193 posters at 54 in-person congresses (all of which were prior to 28 February 2020) and 67 posters at 27 virtual congresses (all after 1 March 2020). QR data were available for both the 2019 in-person and the 2020 virtual format for 17 congresses: posters presented in-person generated on average 2.4-fold greater QR code downloads (805 downloads/ 78 posters;mean 10.3 per poster) than virtual posters (222/52;mean 4.3 per poster). Conclusions: Our findings provide insights into the current complex scientific communication environment, where congresses in 2020 have switched to a virtual setting or been cancelled/ postponed, impacting the reach to audience. As virtual scientific congresses have become the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, QR codes are one tool that may provide a better understanding of the reach of poster presentations.