In all of the noise and fury being generated over the passage (or not) of the Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), we risk losing sight of one key fact.  No matter what form the CPRS finally takes, it will not be nearly enough on its own to address Australia’s emissions.

Per capita, we are the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.  Yet the CPRS will impact directly only our 1,000 most polluting companies, which leaves over 7 million registered businesses and 21 million citizens with no direct incentive to change their behaviour.  The modest price signals that will flow from the CPRS will be too small to drive emissions reductions in any meaningful way.

Furthermore, all cap and trade schemes suffer from a common structural defect.  While a cap defines a level above which emissions should not rise, it also defines a floor below which emissions will not fall.  This is because there is no incentive for anyone to take action to reduce emissions below the cap.

However, there is one striking shaft of sunlight amongst the gloom.  A host of concerned businesses, organisations and individuals who want to do the right thing are taking action right now and doing so voluntarily.

If you believe the economists, this should not be happening.  Economic theory tells us that public benefit and private cost are not natural bed-fellows.  Strange creatures that we humans are, we would rather wallow in our communal mess than risk giving our fellow citizens a free ride at our expense by paying for the cleanup.  That’s why we have tax and welfare systems, to socialise the costs of what we euphemistically call externalities (minor things like ensuring clean air, healthy people and not cooking the planet).

However, many of us are taking voluntary action on climate change.  Reducing energy consumption, installing renewable technologies like solar hot water and solar electricity, buying green power and purchasing carbon offsets can all make a significant difference to our national emissions and reduce them beyond the modest targets set by governments.

As a result voluntary markets are growing rapidly and, in Australia, we are more than doing our fair share.  Last year, the global volume of voluntary carbon trades doubled and, after the US and Europe, we have the largest number of companies taking voluntary action.

We need to encourage this trend and, finally, the Government is moving to provide support.  Buried in the raft of amendments tabled to encourage the Coalition to support the CPRS is a commitment to ensure voluntary action is accounted for separately to mandatory action.

This resolves a particularly bewildering paradox that has constrained voluntary action until now.   As a result of Australia having committed to a binding national target for its emissions by ratifying the Kyoto protocol in January last year, no voluntary activity undertaken within Australia since then has had any additional impact on our emissions.  In fact, the more that voluntary action has cut emissions, the more room big polluters have been given to pollute.

To explain this anomaly, let’s consider something familiar – the education system.  The government’s policy on education commits them to providing a certain level of funding for schools.   Imagine if the policy went on to say that, for every dollar of additional funds raised voluntarily by parents (through sausage sizzles and the like), the government would withdraw one dollar.  Overall, the funding target would be met but the incentive for any parent to act voluntarily would be totally removed.

So it has been with emission reductions.  While the overall Kyoto target will have been met, anyone acting voluntarily has been giving a free kick to a big polluter who would otherwise have been forced to reduce their emissions.

The Government should be applauded for moving to fix this absurdity.  (Although we still await the policy detail to explain exactly how this will be done.)

The Government also deserves recognition for finalising their long awaited National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS).  This is intended to ensure that consumers have confidence in the voluntary carbon offset market and the integrity of the carbon offset and carbon neutral products that they purchase. Quite rightly, voluntary actors want to be absolutely certain that their actions are having a direct and meaningful impact on reducing emissions. They can now have that certainty.

But these changes, while welcome, do not explain why businesses and organisations are acting voluntarily.  Good corporate citizenship is one reason, but to fully understand voluntary action requires a deeper look at the commercial drivers and benefits.

By being seen to take a leadership position, businesses can differentiate themselves and their products and services.  By acting in anticipation of the inevitability of a low carbon future, they can build the capabilities that will be required to measure, manage and reduce their carbon footprint.  And finally, they can satisfy demand from customers, staff and investors that they act.  And act now.

Businesses then have to identify the best way to act.  They need to find a way of growing profitably whilst reducing their emissions in absolute terms. This can be achieved internally by reducing activities that generate carbon emissions and using sustainable and renewable technologies.  However, pursuing this course, although critically important, takes time and will not achieve in the short-term the drastic cuts in carbon which we need today.

To achieve deep carbon reductions immediately, businesses must consider offset strategies that complement direct internal reductions.  There are a number of reasons why offsets should be a core part of any strategy to reduce emissions:

Speed

We simply do not have the time or the commercially available technologies to allow organisations to reduce their emissions at the rate that science tells us is needed.  Organisations can reduce waste, buy more fuel efficient vehicles and change manufacturing processes but all of these activities take time.  Even the most diligent organisations typically achieve only modest internal carbon emission reductions.  Offset based carbon management is the most immediate method of achieving deep reductions and allows organisations to reduce their net carbon footprint to zero.  In many cases, the fastest way to deal with the bulk of emissions in the short term is carbon offsetting.

Quality

The environment does not discriminate as to how a tonne of greenhouse gas is saved: a reduction in CO2 is a reduction regardless of location.  Emission reductions achieved through high-quality offsets face much greater scrutiny than internal emissions reductions.  For example, have the internal emissions reductions reported by a business actually been reduced, or have they reduced because the business has shrunk or because certain business processes have been outsourced?  Offsets are subject to internationally recognised reporting and certification standards whereas internal reduction statistics are not.

(For example, as part of NCOS, the Government has now endorsed the two leading global standards for offset projects, the Gold Standard and the Voluntary Carbon Standard.  These standards have been developed by leading global NGOs such as WWF to ensure that offset projects are validated, monitored and verified by the same international auditors that certify Kyoto projects.)

Cost efficiency

Carbon offsets provide a cost effective complement to internal reduction.  Reducing emissions at source may require significant capital investment and actually generate low carbon reductions.  Offsetting, on the other hand, helps ensure that organisations make sound investment decisions which generate the maximum amount of emission reductions, both internal and external, when combating climate change.

Establishing a price for carbon

Carbon offsetting should form part of a commercial strategy for business.  By establishing a market price for carbon in operating budgets, companies become focused on finding the most cost-effective ways to reduce emissions at source and thereby limit offset purchases to the portion of its footprint that is either unavoidable or uneconomic to reduce directly.
Stimulating innovation and technology transfer.

Carbon offsetting finances the creation of emission reduction projects which would otherwise not have existed.  Also known as carbon finance, this investment helps stimulate the development of innovative technologies to reduce emissions.  In addition, these offset projects also stimulate the transfer of low carbon technologies to the most in need communities.  Many offset projects deliver a range of other economic, social and environmental benefits to communities, particularly in developing economies, who may be most exposed to the impacts of climate change.

Voluntary action is a critically important part of our response to the global problem of climate change, and carbon offsetting is a key component.  We do not have to wait for complex cap and trade legislation or for internationally coordinated government action.  Nor should we make the mistake of thinking that such government action, if and when it eventuates, will be enough.

However, notwithstanding the CPRS debacle, the Australian government is taking steps to provide the certainty and confidence that we need in order to act voluntarily.  And Australian businesses, organisations and individuals can and will continue to respond.

Freddy Sharpe
CEO
Climate Friendly
T: (02) 9356 3600

Background on Climate Friendly :
Climate FriendlyTM is a pioneer in providing innovative carbon management solutions to businesses and individuals.  Our goal is to make it quick and easy to take immediate, meaningful action on climate change.  We do this by investing in renewable energy projects that effectively keep carbon where it belongs, in the ground.

Climate Friendly is consistently rated at the top of its field in local and international surveys for the quality of its carbon solutions. Our focus on product development enables us to provide choice, flexibility and value to customers who want to act, and positions us at the forefront of the rapidly growing voluntary market.

With an international client base and a recognised, trusted brand, we continue to offer global solutions to the global challenge of climate change.

Climate change may be a global challenge, but variable weather patterns will present specific risks to the management of major projects at a local level. By Nick Withers

Variable climate, or climate change, is just one of many agents of possible environmental impairment to be considered in project risk management.

Environmental impairment can be thought of as a historic, present or future adverse change to the quality, form or function of social, economic, and environmental assets.

Projects create, amend, maintain, repair, replace or remove social, economic and environmental assets. Therefore, environmental impairment is a hazard that can impact project goals.

Local focus

The impact of climate change that is under consideration in this article is not global or regional, but local (area specific, or project specific). At a local scale, climate change has an impact on the patterns of winds, temperatures, rainfall, evaporation, and sea level. These potentially affect all other categories of project hazards and hence could have a profound effect on project risk.

The management of project risk from local climate change therefore needs to be multidisciplinary and holistic. Climate change also compels adaptive project risk management, because:

• at any moment in time there is less than an ideal amount of information and knowledge about climate change (especially at the local scale) on which to base choices and decisions; and
• this causes uncertainty, which can affect all project hazards and project stakeholders.

As time passes the amount of information and knowledge will increase, and the uncertainties should decrease. Therefore, adaptive project risk management would give projects, and the people involved in them, the resilience to adapt to real, rather than imagined, climate change and its effects at the local scale.

Precautionary principle

This would be a prudent application of the precautionary principle. It would help project sustainability in the face of changing socio-political realities, laws and policies, consumer and market realities and environmental conditions, as these react to (perceptions and understanding of) climate change.

It would also help with environmental due diligence over a project’s life in an era of climate change, during which compliance requirements are likely to evolve at a slow rate that lags social, environmental and economic needs – until, or unless, prompted by some catastrophe.

Compliance

Adaptive project risk management needs to be reinforced and encouraged by compliance legislation and policies. It should include:

• defensible multidisciplinary assessment of material (i.e. that which is deemed important through a screening process), risks and opportunities that:
  • accounts for uncertainties;
  • considers ‘whole of life’ or ‘triple bottom line’ costs;
  • uses the outcomes to drive priorities and decision making in respect of strategies, tactics and actions to achieve goals;
  • applies the precautionary principle so that decisions today do not unavoidably constrain decisions of tomorrow; and
  • balances social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability;
• regular review and revision of material risks and opportunities, and of progress towards goals in the light of changes in knowledge about local climate change and the monitored outcomes from the project;
• transparency / equity of process and engagement of all key stakeholders, whereby:
  • goals for sustainability need to reflect their diverse needs; and
  • risk assessment needs to be informed by their diverse perspectives / judgments; and
• protocols for management decisions (for project design, construction, operations, maintenance and decommissioning) to be informed by the multidisciplinary assessment of material risks and opportunities.

Into action

Actions stemming from adaptive project risk management can involve a mix that changes over time:

Delay and buy time
A delay strategy can help to deliver a better decision, if the delay time is used to improve your knowledge by combining it with research or monitoring, for instance.

Research
Proactive or strategic; for example, use research to better understand local climate risks and performance of adaptation options.

Monitoring
Reactive: Adapt planning decisions, compliance requirements, project features based on climate impact monitoring (for example, monitoring sea level or groundwater level, or changes in weather patterns, or monitoring the impacts of these on water supplies, population health, ecosystems, land productivity, fire patterns, or flooding events).

Contingency planning
Strategic planning for low probability, high consequence events (for example, ensure emergency procedures and equipment are updated to meet increased risks.)

Diversification or bet hedging
Proactive technical or policy response. ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.’

Insurance
Proactive, fiscal response (for example, insure business against weather losses).

Defend and manage
Proactive or reactive technical measures (for example, upgrade stormwater, waterways, and wastewater systems to cope with increasing intensity of rainfall; upgrade sea defences).

Change of use
Proactive or reactive. Includes planning responses, with or without technical measures.

Retreat and abandon
Proactive or reactive. Includes strategic planning response (for example, accept loss of some coastal areas to sea level rise).

Safety factors, climate headroom, buffering measures
Proactive or strategic. Includes technical and regulatory response.

Summing up

In conclusion, climate change risk management at the project or local scale:

• is multifaceted and multidisciplinary, and requires involvement of all key stakeholders throughout the life of a project;
• requires meaningful, targeted leading and lagging metrics
• decisions on what to measure need review and adaptation over the life of a project:
• understand context and assess issues;
• decide material issues;
• develop key objectives for material issues; and
• define performance indicators with metrics of progress towards key objectives;
• requires the application, evaluation and communication of the metrics so all stakeholders can react and adapt appropriately, given their role/relationship to the project; and
• is a subset of ‘sustainability management’ for which diverse, well established tools and resources exist.

photo by Garry - www.visionandimagination.com (via flickr)

As we adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, experts speak about new challenges and opportunities to understand and embrace.

The weight of scientific evidence shows that climate change is here. Australia is particularly vulnerable because of our heavily urbanised and coastal population, already changing climate and unique flora and fauna.

For Australians, a quickening social consensus has replaced the question of do we need to do something about climate change with two new questions: what should be done? And who should do it?

Sea change

Local councils in Australia’s coastal areas are faced with major challenges. With rising sea-level and escalating storm severity, private properties and important tourist beaches are vulnerable.

Professor Rodger Tomlinson from the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management says there are two options when it comes to protecting our coastal communities in the longer term.

“We could continue to build structures and walls and live on the coast or we could retreat from these areas and curb new development projects at the beach and on low-lying coastal land,” he says.

Tomlinson leads the Queensland Smart State funded Future Coastlines project and his research team is also looking at historical case studies of extreme storms and engineering robust and flexible infrastructure solutions to withstand the worst storms to come.

Professor Jan McDonald, Director of Griffith’s Climate Change Response Program, says when governments decide between structural solutions and retreat options, complex legal issues will surface.

“The central issue will be who should pay when properties come under threat,” she says.

“Is it the responsibility of the local councils who approve waterfront or floodplain development, or the property developers who have been known to fight and overturn council’s concerns? Should private property owners take more responsibility on where they build their homes and actively seek information on climate change impacts?”

McDonald is pioneering the thinking behind the potential legal liabilities of climate change and leading the national project South East Queensland Climate Adaptation Research Initiative, supported by the CSIRO.

Cities feel the heat

Heatwaves claim more lives than any other natural hazard, yet remain a hidden emergency.

More than 350 people died in the 2009 Melbourne heatwave, which also caused power outages in Australia’s second largest city.

By 2070, climate change experts predict that the number of days with temperatures above 35 degrees will jump alarmingly in many Australian cities — from 11 to 227 in Darwin.

According to Griffith’s urban planning expert Associate Professor Darryl Low Choy, city planners need to design naturally cooling precincts, provide strategically located open space with more vegetation to cope with the increasing heat stress.

Low Choy says with climate change, traditional planning wisdom will be increasingly questioned.

“In the past century, planners have consolidated urban areas which have led to many densely populated city areas. This has put urban populations at particular risk of heat stress as concentrations of buildings and hard surfaces tend to absorb and retain heat and prevent natural cooling,” he says.

Moreover, Low Choy says local councils’ emergency plans typically rely on a normal supply of electricity to power air conditioners and the like.

“Existing infrastructure is likely to fail in supporting a sudden rise in energy demands, so we need to consider other cooling options, particularly from natural sources.”

Apart from heatwaves, cities loom as giant potential flood or other disaster traps and adaptation strategies are critical.

Shift attitudes

With nonstop media images, sound bites, warning messages, and popularised science accounts of planetary threat, how can we best manage how we are feeling, thinking and act on our concerns?

Environmental and social psychologist Dr Joseph Reser believes understanding people’s psychological responses will ultimately determine the success of climate change adaptation initiatives and the acceptance of policies, programs, regulations, technologies and innovations.

“For adaptation to succeed, we need to know people’s understandings and risk-perceptions of climate change, and their psychological response to both local experience and media coverage on the issue,” Dr Reser says.

He and his research colleagues at Griffith University are planning to undertake the country’s first in-depth national survey examining Australians’ understandings and concerns, and psychological and societal responses to the threat and unfolding impacts of climate change.

Leading adaptation

In 2006, Griffith University led the national adaptation research community by establishing the Climate Change Response Program, focusing specifically on the information needed to help governments, businesses and communities adapt to the physical impacts of climate change.

Griffith’s leadership in this field was recognised in 2007 when it won the right to host the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, funded by the Australian Government.

The University set up the country’s first environmental school and is now planning a capstone project to cement its 35-year history in leading environmental science. The project, named the Sir Samuel Griffith Centre, is an innovative 6 Star Green Star rated teaching and research building utilising zero emission energy. It aims to further build critical capacity in climate change adaptation research and bridge the gap between environmental scientists and businesses, which is critical for the global uptake of sustainability principles.

The University’s environmental scientists, engineers, psychologists, urban planners, health and legal experts are working together to develop cross-disciplinary solutions to a range of climate change threats.

With a track record in providing environmental solutions, Griffith University is well-prepared to continue its ground breaking research and lead policy debate in climate change adaptation.

The new issue of Sustainability Magazine is being distributed worldwide as I type.

While you wait for your hard copy, please enjoy this electronic preview. Click the image on the right to open.

photo by joiseyshowaa (flickr)

One thing is certain – the energy industry has been transformed forever. With environmental factors, stricter regulations and a carbon-constrained future, energy costs are on the way up. With demand also on the rise, we have entered a dynamic new era of energy where sustainable and renewable solutions must lead the way. Are you prepared for the new energy reality? It has just arrived.

The power to change

The supply of traditional gas and electricity are part of today’s energy picture, but they’re not the future. At AGL, we’re committed to climate change and to developing integrated and sustainable solutions that will take us through the next century and beyond. Whether it’s our Hallett wind farms in South Australia or the Bogong hydroelectric power station in Victoria, we’ve been investing seriously in sustainable energy businesses for years.

AGL was the first Australian energy company to provide an accredited Green energy product, and was the first Australian company to join the Chicago Climate Exchange, the world’s first carbon trading exchange. In joining the CCX, AGL has committed to a 6% reduction in emissions, based on 1998/2001 levels. It is the only Australian energy company which has imposed such strict carbon limits on itself.

AGL commands a pre-eminent position in preparation for a future carbon-constrained world. In little more than 12 months the company has committed to invest m

ore than $2 billion in renewable generation and has under construction a number of wind and new hydro facilities.

It’s an exciting time to be in the energy business. We are looking forward to the challenge and are already tackling it head on. If you want to prepare for tomorrow, AGL Carbon Management Services can help you today.

About AGL Energy Limited

AGL is Australia’s leading renewable energy company and is Australia’s largest private owner, operator and developer of renewable generation assets.

AGL is taking action towards creating a sustainable energy future for our investors, communities and customers. AGL has major investments in hydro and wind, as well as ongoing developments in key renewable areas including solar, geothermal, biomass, bagasse and landfill gas. AGL also operates retail, merchant energy and upstream gas businesses and has over three million customer accounts.

Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX code: AGK), AGL is an S&P/ASX 50 company. AGL has been operating in Australia for 170 years and was one of its first listed companies. AGL maintains a BBB investment grade credit rating from Standard & Poor’s.

AGL’s strategy is about building a world class customer focussed energy company:

• Leverage leading retail position to capture value and growth opportunities.
• Grow upstream gas and power generation portfolios.
• Market leadership in renewables to benefit under a carbon constrained future.
• Drive retail economies of scale and enhance customer service capability.

Your sustainable energy partner

Combining our experienced in-house energy and carbon management teams with specialist industry partners, AGL offers end-to-end energy and sustainability solutions for businesses.

With a proven track record of results over many years, we can work with your business to lower energy consumption, reduce your carbon footprint, meet your compliance requirements, save money and prepare for the realities of a carbon-constrained future.

By partnering with AGL, you receive competitive rates that save you money today, plus the expertise to manage risk, secure your long term energy supply and face tomorrow’s energy reality with greater certainty. Ranging from assessment and strategy development right through to implementation, results reporting and optimisation, our range of tailored solutions include:

• Total carbon management services
• Energy efficiency & conservation
• Sustainable energy strategy
• GreenPower renewable energy
• Performance benchmarking and KPIs
• Lighting, power & air conditioning audits
• Accredited NABERS assessments
• Energy co-generation
• Assistance with Government Grants
• Highly competitive gas and electricity
• End-to-end project management

We understand that a thick report on a shelf is not helpful. That’s why we prepare practical recommendations and then work with you to implement them to realise the benefits.

Energy in Action

AGL delivers dozens of major sustainability projects each year across Australia, and currently has over $72 million in energy assets under management on behalf of our customers. We help many of Australia’s leading businesses reduce energy usage, save money and prepare for the new energy reality.

In our experience, within most organisations today there are a number of ‘quick-win’ energy projects that can deliver a significant return on investment in less than three years.

The investment may be a lot less than you think, and the potential savings much greater. We invite you to join us in leading the sustainable energy solution.

Managing carbon risk in an uncertain regulatory environment – Compliance Only?

Australian business has been operating on a two tier basis for the past five to ten years. Tier one has been focussing of managing carbon and energy risk, tier two has been managing risk of non-compliance of carbon regulation.

The majority of corporate activity in carbon management over past ten years has been in sustainability reporting or managing risk of non-compliance (i.e. reporting of activities, emissions or energy efficiency opportunities).  However, with an increasing volume and complexity of regulation, this process is increasingly resource intensive and absorbs an ever expanding number of resources – resulting in more ‘fire fighting’ and less review of business impacts.

A smaller selection of Australian business has altered the focus towards managing carbon risk.  The impetus for this are varied, sometimes corporate targets, stakeholder/investor demand or obvious exposure to carbon and energy price shocks.  Managing carbon risk is much broader than mere non-compliance.  Whereas non-compliance may result in a fine or reputational risk, broader carbon risk has potential impacts on the balance sheet, overall competitiveness and business sustainability.

Carbon risk is comprised of a number of elements: regulatory; business continuance; supply chain management; and an understanding of energy management.

The increasing regulation and profound structural impacts to the economy warrant a consideration of carbon risk in business planning.

Understanding the Regulatory and Policy Framework

The first step in managing carbon risk is to understand the regulatory and policy framework with which you are faced. This includes existing legislation that currently affects your business and proposed policies that may affect your business.

Identifying adverse outcomes of a proposed policy early on enable a business to engage with the policy maker to seek amendment to the policy to reduce business risks. Examples include engagement with the Department of Climate Change for consideration of emissions intensive trade exposed (EITE) elements of the Government’s proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

Managing the Risk

Many businesses are paralysed when dealing with the uncertainty. The important thing for businesses to understand is that the ‘uncertainty’ is mostly around the processes that the scheme will employ or require businesses to employ. Of the various policies that have been proposed, whether they be an emissions trading scheme, a carbon tax or a form of incentive scheme, the opportunities for internal abatement in a business typically remain unchanged. The abatement opportunities that are present are the same opportunities regardless of the scheme; i.e. they will reduce the number of permits that must be purchased, the amount of carbon tax to be paid or will increase the eligibility for incentive payments. The actual projects (i.e. the internal abatement opportunities) are business specific not scheme specific. Such opportunities can include: fuel switching; optimi

sation of processes; embedded generation, renewable energy and energy efficiency: including lighting, motors, air conditioning and handling; and optimisation of controls. AGL Carbon Management Services has been working with many of its industrial and commercial customers to identify, evaluate and implement these projects to drive abatement, improve profitability and reduce carbon risk.

AGL Carbon Management Services’ experience with our clients has been that abatement opportunities are typically already justified with current energy costs, however, when projected carbon prices are factored in the implementation of these projects becomes highly attractive. Identifying these opportunities is crucial in managing carbon risk regardless of the scheme implemented.

Powering tomorrow starts today

Want to see how AGL Carbon Management Services could help save you energy and money today, and prepare your business for a carbon-constrained tomorrow? Please contact your AGL Account team or visit agl.com.au/cms

photo by darkpatator (flickr)

An integrated sustainability framework delivers value beyond traditional economic measures.

The efficiency and effectiveness in which environmental resources are managed is the pathway to the licence to operate within communities and with government regulators.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the use of clean water, land disturbance and waste to landfill contributes to the key concept of “doing more with less” and has a positive effect on operating and regulatory costs – ultimately benefiting both the company and the environment.

Government regulators and financial stakeholders demand high standards of environmental and social performance. Strong relationships in the communities enhance corporate reputation and the licence to operate in new countries.

In keeping with community sentiment, employee motivations are often linked with environmental and ethical standards. A solid reputation in sustainability can influence the attraction and retention of skilled human capital and in return can enhance the knowledge and skills of the workforce.

Applying a sustainability framework can improve the company’s reputation, reduce business interruption, protect the licence to operate and is a pathway to future growth.
At Santos we are committed to integrating the principles of sustainability into our business and seek to play a key role in transitioning Australia to a low carbon economy.

Natural gas – a strategic opportunity

An Australian energy pioneer since 1954, Santos is one of the country’s leading gas producers, supplying Australian and Asian customers. Santos has been providing Australia with natural gas from the remote outback for more than 40 years. The company today supplys 18% of the nation’s gas needs.

Gas represents approximately 8% of the domestic electricity market in Australia, with coal 85%, hydro 6% and renewables 1% (Australian Electricity Report, 2009).

Natural gas is a low emission, reliable and abundant energy source that can form the cornerstone of the world’s future energy mix.

Modern gas-fired power generation (combined cycle gas turbines) emit 60% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than existing black coal power stations. The key advantages of natural gas include:

• low carbon, water and land-use intensity of gas-fired electricity generation;
• reliable, proven power generation technology of gas-fired electricity;
• a large resource base, equivalent to several hundred years of current use;  and
• its affordability as a power source.

Natural gas is the ideal partner for intermittent renewable energy and is ideally placed to transition Australia to a lower carbon economy.

You simply can’t grow economies without electricity and you can’t address greenhouse gas emissions without addressing the role of cleaner burning fuels in generating this electricity.

Australia’s abundant natural gas resources offer immediate and long-term potential to meet baseload power needs while significantly reducing Australia’s emissions intensity. With its abundant natural gas resources, Australia has the opportunity to:

• begin the transition of baseload power generation away from high-carbon fuels;
• support and accelerate the integration of intermittent renewable power generation;
• supply growing Asia-Pacific demand for LNG, displacing higher-emissions fuels; and
• develop a major domestic economic driver.

Bureau Veritas – helping to improve and demonstrate the environmental performance of your buildings.

The need for businesses to understand, benchmark, and demonstrate improvements in environmental performance of buildings has never been greater. The direction in which legislation and policy is heading, as demonstrated by the development of mandatory rating systems like NABERS*, illustrate this need for an efficiency focus.  It makes sense for existing buildings and facilities to be first priority in achieving and promoting improvements in your organisations environmental efficiency strategy.

Bureau Veritas is a leading global conformity assessment group, and can provide a comprehensive range of services to assist your businesses environmental efficiency or “green building” initiatives.   [www.bureauveritas.com.au]

Our services can include;

• Green Building Certification
• Energy & Water Efficiency Audits,
• Dynamic Thermal Modelling of buildings to help assess & optimise energy performance.
• Monitoring of Energy Consumptions,
• Renewable Energy Feasibility Studies
• Air And Water Quality Studies
• Noise And Acoustic Studies, Surveys And Monitoring
• Green Rating (www.green-rating.com)

In addition to these services, Bureau Veritas can assist in the designing or retrofitting phase, offering clients customised solutions to reduce consumption, operational costs and carbon emissions.

Who Are Bureau Veritas?

Bureau Veritas is a leading global conformity assessment services organisation.

With over 50 offices across Australia & New Zealand, Bureau Veritas have 2500 experienced professionals serving over 5000 clients.  Against a backdrop of increasing risks and ever more complex regulation, Bureau Veritas offers services covering all Health, Safety & Environmental issues for a diversified client base. Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development are vital for a successful strategy and Bureau Veritas ensures your company can move forward with confidence. [www.bureauveritas.com.au]

Melbourne Head Office Contact details:
Green Services Contact:  David Raymond.
Phone: + 61 (0)3 9922 0700
Email: bvaus@au.bureauveritas.com

*National Australian Built Environment Rating System.  A rating system to benchmark or compare Australian buildings/facilities of over 2000 square meters in area.

Amphibians are the hardest hit by the wave of extinction events that have been occurring to animal species around the world. Internationally, out of about 5800 species of amphibians such as frogs and toads, Perth Zoo says 43% are in decline while 2% are already thought to be extinct. In contrast, a mere 1% of species are on the rise.

The Amphibian Crisis (Source: www.edgeofexistence.org)

Ninety-three percent of the world’s frog species can be found Australia. And with nine of these already extinct and 27% of endemic frog species threatened with extinction, this is an issue Australia can’t afford to ignore.

Why are amphibians more affected than other animal groups?

Amphibians are cold-blooded animals that breed and develop in the water. They have felt the effects of climate change and other anthropogenic factors just as keenly as their warm-blooded counterparts. But amphibians are the only animal group to be affected by a chytrid fungal outbreak. This particular species of fungus has been described as “the worst infectious disease ever recorded among vertebrates in terms of the number of species impacted, [with a] propensity to drive them to extinction,” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The fungus, which scientists believe have spread through the commercial trade in clawed frogs, results in Chytridiomycosis, a disease that shuts down amphibian heart muscle functions, and eats into their skins.

The disease is fatal because amphibians rely on their skin to breathe. Chrytid fungus spreads effectively through water and amphibian-to-amphibian contact, making it extremely hard to contain.

What is our role in this?

Most conservation efforts are currently being shouldered by local zoos, and include captive breeding programs in place at Taronga and Perth Zoos.  These programs have been yielding successful results with large batches of frogs bred in captivity being released into the wild only a year after the program began.

Some might argue that only ‘Mother Nature’ herself can combat the amphibians’ extinction through the natural process of evolution.

But it is important to remember that there are also anthropogenic factors that are contributing to the dwindling numbers of amphibian species, and therefore an argument for the notion that all individuals are responsible for ensuring the preservation of natural environments for the remaining wild populations.

In a study published in the Jan 2010 edition of Austral Ecology journal, researchers identified habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and isolation, and the degradation of habitat quality as some of the harmful human-induced impacts on amphibian populations.

Their study, carried out in Melbourne, found that there have been some serious losses and declines in frog species in urban areas.

However, their findings also indicate that frogs may also have an innate ability that will in later years allow many to adapt to our urban environments over a reasonable time frame. Data shows that 13 out of 16 frog species tested are expected to have over a 95% chance of remaining extant in urban environments in future.

Such species are able to do so by slowly evolving to modified and disturbed habitats such as gardens, parks, small remnant patches and riparian strips.  For example, the brown tree frog has successfully adapted to using artificial waterbodies in urban environments.

Nevertheless, the study only touches on the impact of urbanization, and does not include the current impact that the chytrid fungal outbreak already has on frog populations. As such, it is important to continue conservation efforts.

Founder of “SAVE THE FROGS!” Foundation, Kerry Kringer told conservation news website Mongabay, “ I actually think the average person can do a lot to save frogs. Mostly it comes down to the basic question of “What effect do my actions have on the environment?”

“If everyone steps up, gets involved and does their part, then we have a high chance of saving frogs from extinction,” he said.

It’s not too late! To find out how you can help, go to the Save The Frogs Foundation website at: http://www.savethefrogs.com/

Whether you are a professional fisherman, recreational fisherman, or simply a seafood lover, you will inevitably feel the impact of overfishing.

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, 75% of global fish stocks are either fully exploited or over exploited. Bruce Lilburn, Acting Director of Australian Fisheries Division told ABC news that “the fishing stocks around Australia, no matter what they were before, they’ve really been annihilated.”

Is there a solution to overfishing? (Source: www.greenpeace.org)

As the full extent of the problem has become clear, efforts have begun to address the issue. For example, modern aquaculture and fish farming now accounts for half of all the seafood consumed globally. Also, marine parks and monitoring programs have increased in number over the past decade in an attempt to conserve local biodiversity.

However, the benefits of these initiatives also have their costs. For example, researchers have found that while marine aquaculture is effective in feeding a growing world population, it also puts significant strain on marine resources used as feed for stock. In addition, fish farms contribute to pollution and some contain high concentrations of parasites that could potentially infect wild populations.

Locally, fishing businesses claim that the high number of restrictions placed on marine parks have deterred recreational fishing, causing a decline in business.

Similarly, a  recent call for a marine park scheme to protect native species in the Murray Darling Basin has been resisted by anglers. South Australian Recreational Fishing Advisory Council executive officer Trevor Watts, told ABC news “We support the idea in principle, but not in my backyard thank you. Certainly, we’re worried about fish stocks – they are the anglers’ future [but] the world is the way it is now and we can never go back. I’m sure there are other ways – like restocking – to build up fish stocks.”

So why are measures to stop calamitous over-fishing failing? On ABC radio show Rear Vision, experts recently revealed technology as the main cause of the global decline in fish stocks.

Chris Mann, senior officer of Pew Environmental Group, pinpointed the dramatic development of powerful diesel engines around the time of WWII, which facilitated the hauling of big trawl nets.

Further, attempts to limit the number of fishing vessels did not work because evolving technology constantly increases the fishing power of individual vessels.

Experts still believe there is hope, however, provided we act quickly. Quentin Grafton, Professor of Economics and Research Director at ANU, reminds us that there are ways that have been tried successfully here in Australia and indeed in other countries.

He cited the success story of dolphin-friendly tuna harvesting in the Eastern Pacific, where a dolphin mortality limit was put in place. To avoid having to halt harvesting once the limit is reached, vessel owners began fishing more cautiously. This scheme thus provided fishermen incentives to not only fish sustainably for tuna, but also significantly reduced their impacts on dolphins.

“We hear all these stories about the world oceans in crisis. We need to get concerned, we need to be challenged by it, but I think we also need to realise that there are ways that we can move forward,” he says

One of Australia's Tourism Gems - Fleurieu Peninsula (Source: www.ecotourism.org.au)

There are many emerging green industries that aim to provide the same services as their non-green counterparts, with a smaller carbon footprint, i.e. in a more ‘ecologically sustainable’ way.

Ecotourism is one such industry that is booming around the world, and particularly in Australia, where international nature visitors have increased at an average annual rate of 4% since 2003.

By focusing on introducing tourists to natural attractions, it simultaneously diverts attention away from carbon-intensive sightseeing activities and fosters awareness of environmental concerns and conservation efforts.

Tourism Australia estimates that in 2008 alone, international nature visitors brought $20.2 billion into the Australian economy.

As the demand for ecotourism services rises, so too (in theory) should the ecologically friendly practices of businesses associated with the traditional tourism industry.

But there are also fears that many businesses will try to cash in on the eco-tourism boom without operating in the spirit of the concept, and abuse the good will of tourists who genuinely believe their tourism practices are environmentally sustainable.

A 2009 study on various regions of popular ecotourism destination Costa Rica found that many rural communities lacked the infrastructure or preparation for the sudden influx of eco-tourists, and disrupted local social and cultural structures.

“When this [Manuel Antonio] community became more and more dependent on tourism, too little attention was paid to problems that arose from it,”said the study’s authors, Jacobus Franciscus Koens, Carel Dieperink and Miriam Miranda.

“A lack of local involvement and distrust among the local population has caused problems.  In the Monteverde region, the ‘community planning’ system stopped functioning after the community became too large,” they said.

The study, published in the December issue of the ‘Environment, Development and Sustainability’ journal, concluded that eco-tourists are also disturbing wildlife and actually contributing to an increase in sewerage pollution and waste.

Australia pioneered the world’s first certification program to enable tourists to distinguish between authentic and fake ecotourism businesses. Three levels of ECO certification labels have now been established:

“Nature Tourism: Tourism in a natural area that leaves minimal impact on the environment.

Ecotourism: Tourism in a natural area that offers interesting ways to learn about the environment with an operator that uses resources wisely, contributes to the conservation of the environment and helps local communities.

Advanced Ecotourism: Australia’s leading and most innovative ecotourism products, providing an opportunity to learn about the environment with an operator who is committed to achieving best practice when using resources wisely, contributing to the conservation of the environment and helping local communities.”

(Source: Ecotourism Australia)

Non-profit organisation ‘Ecotourism Australia’, administers the program, ensuring that only businesses that comply to these strict conditions monitored and accessed by experts can bear an ECO certification logo.

CEO of Ecotourism Australia, Kym Cheatham says that all tourism businesses must be credible and authentic to truly capitalise on the eco-tourism boom.

“Ecotourism is no longer about niche products and experiences – demand for responsible travel has positioned tourism as a front-runner in the new green economy,” Cheatham told Australasian travel news website Thumbrella in October 2009.

“What we do and how we run our businesses will directly reflect on all of us – the reputation of brand ‘Australia’ is at stake,” she said.

Find out which Australian businesses are eco-certified at: http://www.ecotourism.org.au