Jill Riseley AM

The lack of proper #fauna and #flora studies and inadequate #community #engagement has led to massive opposition against large-scale renewable projects (83% are against these projects in the Have YourSay survey: https://lnkd.in/gp_SCbzC). It should not come as a surprise because altering the #environment and #lifestyle of communities and #FirstNations peoples, and interfering with #nature inevitably triggers backlash. When projects of such magnitude are proposed without thorough consideration of their impact on local #ecosystems and without involving the affected communities in decision-making processes, it disrupts established ways of life. It raises valid concerns about #environmental degradation and loss of #cultural #heritage. This resistance reflects an instinct to protect the #environment and #traditions, especially when they feel their interests and voices are not adequately represented or respected in the planning and implementation of these projects. To address these challenges, The Community Engagement Review led by Andrew Dyer made recommendations including establishing independent rating schemes for #developers, implementing clearer project zoning, and prioritizing genuine community benefit sharing and communication programs, underscoring the crucial role of building trust and integrating community engagement efforts into project development. Coalition for Conservation Inc. Australian Wildlife Conservancy UN Biodiversity The Biodiversity and Climate Change Network (BCCN). United Nations Steven Nowakowski Animals Australia Bush Heritage Australia Landcare Australia American Conservation Coalition Nature Conservation Council NSW Ben Goldsmith

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our initial thoughts for "Team Australia" on the aftermath post COP29, we'll have a special edition of our international updates and a COP29 Symposium on 5 December “COP29 was imperfect but remarkably, given the global political context, managed achievements including to lay out goals for decarbonisation and resilience investments in developing nations. Notably, after almost 10 years of negotiations, parties delivered Article 6 resolution, agreeing mechanisms for international cooperation through country to country carbon credit trading, new UN backed international carbon market and non-market initiatives,“ https://lnkd.in/gHDDSb8Q

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If you're heading to the Energy Efficiency Council's National Conference this month, make sure you catch my panel session on harnessing diversity to deliver net zero. It's sure to be a fantastic discussion, and, to use the professional term, "yeah the girls!"

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Consumer electricity resilience makes sure that if people lose electricity, they can quickly respond and recover 💪 But who is responsible for building this resilience? And how can this be done in a way that focuses on consumer outcomes and remains equitable? 🤔 Join our webinar on 21 November @ 1:30 PM AEDT to hear from Jill Cainey (Erne Energy), who will provide insights from her new report on consumer electricity resilience, followed by a discussion with members of the report's Advisory Group. 🗓️ Register here: https://loom.ly/Otot6WY

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A few years ago the Investigations Unit at Australian Conservation Foundation noticed coal mines in NSW receiving extensions of up to a decade to legally protect their environmental offsets. It made us wonder: (1) how well protected are offsets in national environmental (EPBC) approvals? (2) Are some industries worse than others? (3) What role does the Department play in this? Our report was released yesterday after years of analysis. We analysed the offsets required in 5 years' worth of approvals and here is what we found: (1) 🌳 Offsets are not well-protected, if at all (2) ⛏ Fossil fuel companies are stand-out poor performers on delay and poor protections... (3) 👮‍♀‍ mostly because the Department writes especially poor requirements for fossil fuel companies, and because the Department lets that industry get away with not meeting the requirements more than for other industries. Full report here: https://lnkd.in/gKECfvqd Further info: One in five offsets are not protected at all and a good chunk of these (27%) are related to expired approvals – so they will never be protected. Meanwhile the approved habitat destruction happened and was irreversible 100% of the time. An area the size of K’gari (Fraser Island) should have been protected. About 150,000 ha. Of that, half is not protected, or we could not even locate the offset to check (often the Dept had no idea either). Only a quarter (36,254 ha) is protected adequately. More than two-thirds of cases overall did not require adequate legal protection in the first place. One in three cases involved the Department changing requirements to allow delay. Gas had the lowest adequately protected offsets. Only one in five nature offsets for gas projects are adequately protected. It’s no surprise when you see 89% of gas projects involved weak requirements in the first place. This is significantly higher than for other industries. The gas industry also takes on average close to nine years to protect offsets (much higher than the total average across industries of around five years). Along with coal, it was the industry that enjoyed the most approved delays by the Dept. Coal was the next slowest, with an average of nearly six years to protection. Interestingly, two out of three coal mining cases involved approved delays by the Dept. The average timeframe allowed by the Dept was about 2.5 years overall but for coal it was more than double that. Every single nature offset in our study with more than 10 years of Dept-approved delays was for a fossil fuel project. Compare that with the only ever punishment for delayed offset protection: an infringement notice to Crudine Wind Farm for being a little over a year overdue. Protection was ultimately achieved by the company four years after commencement (which is a better-than-average result in NSW according to the data in this investigation).

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I recently contributed to this great summary of what Boards should be focusing on with the climate change legislation changes. It's a challenging space, and will only get more so. One thing more I should have contributed is the need for Boards to understand IPCC projections. An example is RCP8.5 commonly referred to as a worst case scenario by many. It was a 90th percentile case based on policy outcomes. There were outcomes with greater warming. Understanding is key for Board risk appetite and informed decisions on strategy.

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Policy Insights from LETA: The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Guide for Large Emitters. Under its Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, the NSW EPA has a role in supporting the NSW Government to meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. This includes public consultation on the draft Guide for Large Emitters. Why Guide for Large Emitters Matters: - It outlines the requirements project developers will need to meet in their Environmental Impact Assessments. - It requires detailed emissions information from large-emission projects. - It provides the community with information about emissions from new projects. As an organisation committed to advancing low emission technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and globally, and as a member of the EPA, LETA recently submitted feedback on the draft Guide. LETA’s Submission in a Nutshell: - We called for framework simplification: Stating that the Draft Guide complicates the existing regulatory framework and duplicates a national approach. We recommend simplifying it to ensure project developers clearly understand the requirements. - We called for clarification of requirements: Stating that clear guidelines are needed for conducting a Greenhouse Gas Assessment and creating a Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Plan. We will continue to advocate for improvements and keep you updated! Read more from our submission here: https://lnkd.in/g7DgZUm6

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How much of their carbon emissions should businesses be allowed to offset, rather than actually reduce to meet science based carbon targets? I think zero, but the SBTi are debating it - leading to the resignation of the CEO. ………………………. Presently, companies aiming to align with the SBTi’s Net-Zero Standard can use offsets for only 10% of their total emissions across all scopes; however, surveys revealed that many firms are struggling to align with the Standard due to the challenge of reducing Scope 3 (indirect) emissions. The new consultation is expected to consider whether to increase the carbon credit allowance beyond the 10% limit. This has sparked a heated debate within the green economy, with some advocating for increased use of carbon credits by businesses, while others strongly oppose their use.

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The Clean Energy Regulator has opened a consultation on the new unit and certificate registry and proposed a possible carbon exchange trading model. Efficient, deep and transparent carbon markets play an important role in supporting Australia to meet its legislated climate targets of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. To support the future expansion of Australia’s vibrant carbon markets as the result of the reformed Safeguard Mechanism and implementation of new schemes such as the Guarantee of Origin Scheme, the Clean Energy Regulator is seeking feedback from carbon market participants on: its needs and priorities for the establishment of new market infrastructure, including a modern registry, that allows market participants multiple pathways to access carbon markets; and the feasibility and views on a proposed Australian Carbon Credit Unit exchange trading model. Your feedback will help inform the development of key carbon market systems and processes that will facilitate future carbon market growth and efficiency. Read more on our website, including how to have your say and to register your interest for targeted virtual consultation sessions 👉 https://bit.ly/4h2PwvG

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This week Rachel Perkins, Cultural Heritage Director for NNTC and First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance and Anirudha Nagar, Director of Clean Energy and Investment for NNTC sat down with Rose Mary Petrass from FS Sustainability for an engaging conversation on legislation, risk, best practice, storytelling as a tool for change, and the concept of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) around First Nations Peoples' Cultural Heritage. Australia has a crucial responsibility to protect and respect First Nations cultural heritage spanning over 65,000 years, with serious consequences if things go wrong. The conversation also dives into the recently launched Dhawura Ngilan Business and Investor Guides, which are the only First Nations-led resources on proactive best practice in strategy, operations, and business relationships. To listen to the podcast we invite you to click on the link in the comments section below. #culturalheritage #protection #legislation #bestpractice #FPIC #business #investors #resource #aboriginalaustralia #torresstraitislander #podcast

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The Essential Services Commission annual Victorian Energy Market Report, published last week, includes a focus on how energy retailers respond to payment difficulties. The report shows fewer customers being disconnected—a very good thing—but it also shows more people are experiencing financial stress: 🔎 Eight percent of electricity and gas customers missed a bill payment each month in 2023–24. This was an increase of 18,000 electricity and 16,000 gas customers compared to 2022–23. 🔎 Around five percent of electricity and gas customers owed their retailer at least $300 each month in 2023–24. This was an increase of around 20,000 electricity and 14,000 gas customers compared to 2022–23, with more than half not receiving payment difficulty assistance from their retailer. 🔎 While more customers are receiving assistance such as payment plans, almost half exit payment plans due to non-compliance, with great inconsistency across retailers. This data raises questions about the suitability and effectiveness of those payment plans offered by retailers. Energy retailers must provide assistance to residential customers to help them avoid getting into arrears and assist those who are in arrears. It is important that retailers communicate effectively with customers experiencing difficulty paying their energy bills rather than placing too much reliance on disconnection warning notices. The latest data is all on our Energy Market Dashboard: https://lnkd.in/gBDutUxu Victorian Energy Market Report: https://lnkd.in/g3CNvKN3 News Update: https://lnkd.in/gGM8DTAc Also covered by today's The Australian newspaper: https://lnkd.in/gP5iBgfz

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Climate change is arguably one of the most important challenges facing New Zealand’s public sector. Public organisations need to understand the long-term nature of the impacts of climate change and establish enduring strategies and a commitment to address them. Robust planning will also strengthen the resilience of communities and of infrastructure. The Auditor-General has a strong interest in making sure that public organisations approach all their climate change-related activity – including governance, planning, risk management, data collection, and reporting – with integrity. Doing so will help ensure that public organisations are able to provide New Zealanders with transparent, meaningful, and understandable information about the organisation’s responses to, and how it is affected by, climate change. It will also facilitate the public sector’s effective and efficient transition to a lower carbon economy. Read our collection of climate change resources: https://lnkd.in/gFvGYRde

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As advocates for sustainable transport solutions, NALSPA recognises the vital role of decarbonisation in achieving Australia's net-zero goals by 2050. Our members are committed to supporting the electrification of the motor vehicle fleet, fostering economic and social benefits such as reduced emissions, lower transport costs, enhanced air quality, and job creation in green industries. Click the link to read NALSPA's submission to the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Water's Inquiry into the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). #Sustainability #NetZero2050 #EVTransition

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Today I had the opportunity to speak at a conference in Launceston, which is focused on renewable energy and other development opportunities in Bell Bay, Northern Tasmania. It’s an exciting time for renewable energy development in our region, but with great opportunity comes the responsibility to do things right. Genuine community engagement isn’t just a box to tick—it’s the foundation for sustainable, meaningful, and trusted partnerships between developers and the communities they operate in. I spoke about the 3P Advisory approach where we believe that successful projects are built on understanding and aligning with the values, aspirations, and concerns of local people. I shared our 5-stage engagement approach, which is designed to foster collaboration and trust:
1) Context and Connection – Understanding the unique characteristics of each community.
2) Timing and Sequencing – Engaging at the right time and in the right way for maximum impact.
3) Framing and Narrative – Using language that is jargon free, open and invites dialogue and respects the way of life of local people. 4) Project Flexibility – Adapting to feedback and being open to compromise.
5) Trust and Shared Purpose – Building relationships that last beyond the project's lifespan. This framework isn’t just about achieving project goals; it’s about creating long-term value for everyone involved. Renewable energy projects have the potential to contribute to shaping the future of Northern Tasmania, and contribute to Tasmanian, national and global sustainable development goals. But they must be developed with the community at the heart of the process. Let’s prioritise people, place, and purpose (3P!) as we navigate this critical energy transition. @Informa BBAMZ

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If your washing machine breaks, would you fix it? What about if it was your kettle or toaster? Check out the video below where my colleague Lauren Brumley describes some of her excellent research into the drivers and barriers of e-waste repair. If we are to move to a more circular economy, we need to move away from a focus on recycling and consider strategies like repair or re-use of products and materials. Lauren's work will provide important insights into how consumers can be supported to repair electrical items, rather than just disposing them (hoping they will be recycled) and buying new ones.

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Waste not, want not. That was the theme when Greenhill Energy Co-founder and Managing Director Nicholas Mumford joined InDaily for a recent discussion.   Committed to addressing climate change issues and emission reductions, Greenhill Energy is focused on upcycling sustainable biomass and landfill waste into hydrogen energy. And with its planned $425 million waste-to-hydrogen processing plant in SA set to divert 200,000 tonnes of waste annually from landfill, the company is taking serious steps towards a net zero target.   Read more about Greenhill Energy’s plans for the future here: https://lnkd.in/grmdtgKq   #Bespoken #GreenhillEnergy #Hydrogen #RenewableEnergy

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Feeling unsure about the next steps in your organisations sustainability? No matter where you are in your sustainability journey, Morphum can help you take the next steps by identifying activities and their associated environmental and social impacts and provide solutions that are right for you. Find out more about our sustainability consulting services here: https://lnkd.in/g_BgchSS

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