Australian Capital Territory

State of the Environment 2015

Red-Necked Wallaby – endemic to south-east Australia. This wallaby is very common in the mountains west of Canberra, but is less often seen in the drier, more open woodlands of Canberra Nature Park. This species is not considered to be endangered or threatened. Photo: Leo Berzins
Recommendations
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11.2 Climate change

11.2.1 Progress against 2011 recommendations

The 2011 State of the Environment Report1 recommended that the ACT Government should:

  • as a priority, develop and implement pathways to achieve carbon neutrality in ACT Government buildings and services. These should be implemented through the second Action Plan of Weathering the Change2 and include monitoring, evaluation of actions and annual public reporting on progress
  • develop and implement a pathway to achieve the legislated climate change emissions reduction and renewable energy targets. This should be implemented through the second Action Plan of Weathering the Change2
  • develop a climate change adaptation planning and implementation response through sector vulnerability risk assessments; monitoring, evaluation and reporting; and integrating adaptation planning outcomes into existing ACT planning and management frameworks
  • develop a regional approach to planning for climate change through partnerships with the New South Wales (NSW) Government, local councils and regional organisations.

The ACT’s second climate change policy and action plan, AP2: A new climate change strategy and action plan for the Australian Capital Territory3 addresses all of these issues. Progress since implementation commenced in 2013 is substantial:

  • The ACT is currently on track to reach its 90% renewable energy target. In 2013–14, 18.6% of the ACT’s electricity supply came from renewable sources. By 2018, the ACT will have secured a renewable energy supply equal to 80% of its forecast 2020 electricity demand through large-scale renewable projects, including
    • the 20 megawatt (MW) Royalla solar farm
    • an additional 20 MW of large-scale solar power
    • 200 MW of wind projects to come on line in 2016
    • a second 200-MW wind auction in 2015
    • the 1 MW Community Solar Auction
    • 50 MW Next Generation Solar Expression of Interest.
  • The combined actions in Transport for Canberraa are designed to improve vehicle efficiency and increase use of walking, cycling and public transport use. The upcoming Low Emission Vehicle Strategy will build on the ACT Government’s Green Vehicle Duty Scheme to further encourage the uptake of low-emissions vehicles.
  • The Zero Emissions Building Policy was included as action 4 of the ACT climate change strategy. The current review of the Building Act 2004 and ACT building regulation system is a key component of this work.
  • Engagement with the community has been ongoing through individual AP2 actions and Actsmart. The ACT Government released a community engagement strategy for AP2. A key avenue for engagement is the Actsmart online sustainability portal, which allows the public to access information on a range of sustainability issues, including climate change.
  • The ACT Government releases an inventory of ACT greenhouse gas emissions each year. This is required under the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010. The ACT has met its first legislated emissions reduction target of per capita emissions peaking by 2013. Territory emissions fell by 8 per cent between 2011–12 and 2013–14, in line with the projections presented in AP2.
  • Work on climate change adaptation has been progressing. The draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, expected in 2015–16, is based on the draft 2013 Australian Government framework, work by National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, the NSW integrated vulnerability and risk assessment, and climate change projections in the NSW and ACT Regional Climate Model (NARCliM). Sectoral vulnerability risk assessments have been undertaken by Health, Emergency Services and strategic planning in the Environment and Planning Directorate (EPD). The ACT Planning Strategy4 incorporates consideration of climate change adaptation and mitigation, and adaptation initiatives are incorporated into centre master plans. Climate change adaptation planning will be included in the Statement of Planning Intent and it is expected that changes to the Territory Plan 2008 will follow the completion of the adaptation strategy.
  • The ACT Government has set a target of carbon neutrality in government operations by 2020. This has been done through the Carbon Neutral Government (CNG) Framework 2012, including cost-effective energy management and efficiency initiatives with support from the CNG loan fund. For example, the installation of LEDs for internal lighting at more than 90 government buildings and schools will have an estimated cost saving of $1.3 million per year and reduce electricity use by 20–30% at most sites. A trial of carbon budgets for directorates commenced in July 2015.
  • Active regional partnerships have been developed. This has been done through:
    • a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in which the ACT is partnering with NSW’s Office for Environment and Heritage (OEH) to ensure cross-border harmonisation on climate change adaptation across sectors
    • the ACT Regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) Planning for Climate Change Project, in which the EPD is consulting and collaborating extensively on the application of spatial planning products and decision support tools to guide adaptation planning for the NRM sector
    • ongoing collaborations with regional stakeholders from NSW (eg NSW OEH, NSW Department of Primary Industries, NSW South East Local Land Services, NARCliM), the Australian Government (eg Atlas of Living Australia, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO) and the C Plus 1 group of six local government areas within one hour commute of Canberra (Palerang, Queanbeyan, Yass, Goulburn–Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan and Cooma–Monaro).

11.2.2 Justification for the 2015 recommendation

The ACT compares well with other Australian and international cities in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Against international targets, it also compares well in terms of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Continued application of a precautionary approach through the application of the most robust and current science is vital to ensuring the effectiveness of the ACT’s climate change mitigation and adaptation actions and policies.

Continued use of best-practice international tools and mechanisms, such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, as well as analysing the approaches of different cities to inform climate change action plans, greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets and, more generally, energy efficiency goals within ACT climate change policy, will ensure the most effective and efficient action.

In the Interim Status Report on AP2, the OCSE found that many of the ACT’s climate change adaptation mechanisms are currently addressed somewhat incidentally and within policies or plans that have other, non-adaptation goals. However, this is being redressed through the recently released first stage of the Government’s Adapting to a changing climate: Directions for the ACT.5 This will provide new opportunities to incorporate adaptation responses into all relevant policies or programs and to coordinate approaches across government.

The adaptation strategy should:

  • use best-practice international tools and mechanisms and draw from analysis of the approaches used by different cities
  • be cross-sectoral and effectively integrated into other key strategies that guide the management of the environment, including planning, nature conservation, water, soils, emergency management, health and economic development
  • incorporate an effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework.

To assist with monitoring, reporting and evaluation, it would be beneficial for the Government to undertake a health check of the proposed adaptation strategy using the cost-effective qualitative tool devised by the OCSE in the 2014 status report on AP2. This tool will also assist the ACT Government to prioritise adaptation actions.

Recommendation 1

That the ACT Government ensures that the new Climate Change Adaptation Strategy is best practice, cross-sectoral and integrated into other key strategies, with effective monitoring, reporting and evaluation.

Bendora Dam. A large expanse of water surrounded by trees and bushland
Bendora DamPhoto: Mark Jekabsons

a http://www.transport.act.gov.au

 

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