Energy & Sustainability

Composting & Carbon Emissions Analysis

Sustainability Analyst InternSustainable House, SydneyJan 2026 — Jun 2026

A Coolseat composting bench in Chippendale: a timber seat on a corrugated steel compost bed planted with flowers and herbs

Project overview

Turning Climate Reports Into Graphs People Can Read.

At Michael Mobbs's Sustainable House, I turned City of Sydney emissions, temperature, and water data into clear graphs for stakeholders, and did hands-on community composting in Chippendale.

I led the graphs document through Revisions K to V. It draws on the City of Sydney Green Reports, Bureau of Meteorology records, and the 2025 National Climate Risk Assessment. The graphs show that the Council cut its operational emissions by 78% from its 2006 baseline, missing its 2025 target of 80%. They also show that community partnerships are needed to reach the 2030 and 2035 targets.

Key Work & Outcomes

Analyzed Council emissions by source (2006–2025) in Excel against the 2025, 2030, and 2035 targets.
Simplified dense reports into single-message visuals, such as a thermometer for temperature rise and stacked bars for emissions.
Maintained Coolseats composting benches across Chippendale that produced 5 tonnes of compost for the community.
Co-wrote the Coolseats “Worms at Work” live compost data blog, explaining how to read the trial's pH, temperature, and moisture data.

Data story

Selected Graphs From The Document

Each graph makes one point, labels it directly, and cites its source report.

Stacked bar chart of City of Sydney Council emissions by source from 2006 to 2025 with the 80% and 85% target lines — Council emissions by source, 2006–2025: the 2025 result (−78%) sits just above the 80% target line. Sources: Green Reports 2015–2025

Bar chart comparing the 2025 result of 78% with the 80%, 85% and 100% reduction targets — Gap to the targets: 2 points missed in 2025, and 7 more for 2030 and 22 more for net zero by 2035

Thermometer graphic comparing Sydney's 1910–1940 and 2025 average minimum and maximum temperatures — Thermometer comparison of Sydney's average temperatures, 1910–1940 baseline against 2025. Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Area chart of waste emissions from 2020 to 2025 showing a potential 40% reduction band — Potential of community initiatives: composting could cut waste emissions by up to 40%. Source: Green Report

Line chart of Council, residential and non-residential water consumption change from 2021 to 2025 against a projected band — Change in water consumption since 2021 for Council, residential, and non-residential users, against projected consumption

Field work

Composting In Chippendale

Coolseats turn street food scraps into compost that goes back to the neighbourhood.

I learned to use an auger, secateurs, compost bins, and a harvesting knife, and worked out a rotating aeration schedule with the other interns to keep the benches active. Moving compost also gave me a practical feel for torque and resistance, which connected to my Engineering Mechanics coursework.

Coolseat composting bench with a timber seat over a planted compost bed — A Coolseat in Chippendale: the compost bed under the seat feeds the plants around it

Hessian bags filled with pruned branches and leaves beside a street tree, with a bow saw and a tool bucket — Pruning a bay leaf tree and bagging the leaves and branches for personal use, community donations, and composting

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