Ryan Hollis

Thanks to Ciara Sterling, CEO of Thriving Communities Australia (TCA), who talked with the Essential Services Commission team about our Safety by Design Partnership Project this week. This project is developing better practice guides for energy and water businesses to support customers experiencing family violence. The guides will use a Safety by Design approach, to help businesses identify risks and harms in their systems and processes. We heard from Ciara that business products, services and processes can be weaponised by perpetrators against women and others experiencing family violence. Businesses do not intend this but play a critical role in protecting against misuse of their products and services, including through technology. Following this internal event, Commissioners and staff joined business and community representatives in the annual Walk Against Family Violence to stand in solidarity with victim survivors. Thank you to all who joined us to reflect on the impact of violence against women. We stand for a community where all people are safe, equal and respected. More info about the Safety by Design project is on our website: https://lnkd.in/gMSmT7_a

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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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The third leg of the legislative framework to implement Local Water Done Well has been introduced. Commonly known as as Bill 3. The Bill sets up a new regulatory framework for water services delivery in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Bill provides for— - arrangements for the new water services delivery system; - a new economic regulation and consumer protection regime for water services; and - changes to the water quality regulatory framework and the water services regulator. Water New Zealand will host Department of Internal Affairs (NZ) to talk through the legislation on Thursday 23 January. Members can register here https://lnkd.in/gQsUVDaT Legislation is available, search “Local Government (Water Services) Bill”. Www.legislation.govt.nz

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https://lnkd.in/g9S3sR6p dear linked in family , please see the attached comments from the current mayor of waipa, obviously this woman doesn't understand the waste system how it works , and what would be good for the community , for 5 years we have been charged for value, while being treated poorly by both the WDC and the WRC, while we pay there elite planners for advice and work that was never completed, now we find out these councils actually recieve funding from landfills of 50% of the waste levy received by dumping any waste in the ground while it produces poisons, that needs further treatment it is called leachate, that if they find water ways are extremely damaging to the environment, also emissions are not captured they are flared to the sky, to have trusted these councils to do there job was an error by me, as they are conflicted with the value they recieve , by poisining the ground and your minds through poor media ,they cannot see that energy fpr waste is an important tool accross the globe in treatment of waste, please do not beleive political BS, by peolle paid within the waste system by waste minz fund , they also recive funding for there employment and politics by the waste levy also for landfills , we want to go forwards not backwards , we want to remediate landfills and create usable land, this is the way forward, choose your vote carefully do not vote for this person follow your waste and see what they do, and then receive recycling reports which are BS, the charge you for service also ... every tonnes in the ground local councils will receive $30 per tonne, with more landfills being consented this will mea recycling will be ignored as there is no value and it will be hidden from view so your children have to clean up the mess... fonterra burning coal 100 years or more no problem for the council, now wood chip no problem from this mayor , we allready incinerate peolle , pets, health waste, tyres,coal, wood chip, within NZ , and a new horse incinerator in tekauwhata non notified by your councils for the wealthy.all non notified! where are you the people! NZ I better than this.

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I’ve been wondering recently why the deep tech conversation hasn’t explored circular economy or resource recovery success stories yet..? To continue developing the circular economy in Australia, the deep tech barrier is posing significant issues nationally. Nearly every solar panel recycler I’ve spoken too, have experienced the following challenges; ⚡️rising plant operations costs ♻️inconsistent buyers, with inconsistent commodity prices 🌏access to recovery plant equipment and repair parts is increasing and challenging 💡business models don’t have multiple revenue streams and multiple production outflow streams 🚀deep tech r&d investment model has yet to invest in the space with confidence in Australia, while the USA has a number of success stories 💰raising funding via a VC fund partner that will go all way with you, a 7+ year journey As we watch the offshore wind sector gear up, the timeline could be similar to nail the resource recovery sector publicly and privately… of course a small part of the overall circular economy… #circulareconomy #circulardesign #circularity #regenerativedesign #hcd #socialinnovation #cleaneconomy #bioeconomy Green Lab Futures https://lnkd.in/grMPq439

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Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise GHD is at the TSBE industry event in Dalby this week. Key highlights from the Renewables Panel discussion led by John Sheldon who opened with the topic of social licence and discussing renewables with the panel participents from OEM, Developer and DNSP perspective respectfully: Richard Petterson ( Tindo Solar ) a GW solar factory is a target and would provide 250 jobs for the region, risk for projects being backed is a concern, global competition for equipment is real, investing in Australia’s capability is a desire, $250-$300million a year, the region in general has been proactive in creating the capital for renewable energy to make it desirable for OEM’s to come here. David Smith (Cubico Sustainable Investments ) Wind, Solar and CSP developer globally. Supply chain for renewables is very important, Australia projects are competing against Europe and US markets. Solar economics in utilities in Queensland are not as lucrative as Wind right now. Focus on the 35 years that the project is running and the supply chain is a focus because there are few OEM’s in the wind turbine space and mostly manufacturered offshore, but there are other local investment through council, labour, land lease and sourcing local services or construction jobs. Primarily local jobs for BOP, roads (80km’s), gravel that needs to be sourced, earthworks. Investment in Western Downs. Tower manufacturing locally would’ve been ideal but there is risk involved. Many projects are under development in the region. A pipeline if 10-15 year of projects will need people and there are real opportunities. Lessons learnt from the coal/gas industry during social licence are taken into account, the renewables industry are focussed on the journey of making sure that social licence is done correctly and that there is a code of conduct for developers. There is a lot of innitiatives in progress. Glenn Springall (Energex) Globally Queensland is one of the leading rooftop solar capacity at 6GW and expect in the next years to come it will double to 12GW. Renewable Energy allows customers to take part in their own electrification of their home. This includes electrical vehicles. Small businesses are participating and taking advantage of the roof space. As we move to a greater penetration the centralised projects play a key role, but the decentralised projects all contribute to a greater and diverse electrification. #labour #construction #renewables #queensland #oem #solar #developers #energex #tindosolar #cubico #ghd #power #utilities #energy #community #TBSE ✨🌱 we would love to hear from you and how we can work with your organisation to reach your goals in the Renewable Energy & Power Generation Industry Daniel Todd Chetan Chauhan Steve Yeardley ————————————————————- GHD are providing clients with integrated solutions through engineering, environmental, design and construction expertise helping communities with resilience and sustainability.

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Simeon Brown spoke to the Regional Sectors Group of Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) this week. He had clear messages around Local Water Done Well: - Water Service Delivery Plans (WSDPs) provide a pathway to assess financial sustainability of water services and chart a course for improvement - WSDPs are a promise to future generations that their access to clean, safe and reliable water services will be safeguarded - water revenues must be ringfenced for water infrastructure - water service CCOs will be able to access finance through the Local Government Funding Agency - corporatised structure, operational autonomy from council owners and legislated revenue streams are critical factors in securing a higher level of leverage from lenders and credit agencies - Commerce Commission and Taumata Arowai will regulate whether water services are delivered via a CCO or in house. - business as usual is no longer an option - regional approach is strongly encouraged for its long term efficiencies - strong expectation that councils will look regionally - regional CCOs will allow Councils to pool resources, improve access to financing and reduce costs to ratepayers while maintaining ownership of assets - there is international evidence that water services authorities servicing populations of ~200,000 people achieve best balance efficiency and sustainability - merging water services does not mean tariff harmonisation from day one. It took 6 years for Watercare Services Limited to achieve this - clock is ticking - 3 quarters are left to complete Water Services Delivery Plans - Crown Facilitators are available to provide tailored guidance, facilitate collaboration or assist joint planning - Taumata Arowai and Commerce Commission will be consulting on levies to fund regulation from July 2025. - wastewater standards and infrastructure design solutions are being developed Water New Zealand #water #reform Read his speech here https://lnkd.in/gcGhZ4U4

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Here it is! Purpose Capital’s 2024 Impact Report. So why take some of your precious time to read it? ✅ See the cool NZ companies and projects we’ve invested in. ✅ See how we use best practice to measure social and environmental impact. ✅ See how that it’s possible to drive social and environmental change and financial return. Highlights include: ✨ Cool Group’s significant GHG emissions avoided since our investment (3,834 tonnes CO2e) and its massive 100,000 tonnes CO2e potential. ✨ Lodestone Energy’s solar electricity generation to date (16.8GWh), along with estimated total energy generation capacity of their phase one and two projects, 320GWh p.a. and 486GWh p.a. respectively. ✨Q & A with company leaders about their big, audacious impact goals. View the full report on our website: https://lnkd.in/g9iSKD4b For more updates, subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gNfSYSb3 #ImpactInvesting #ImpactReporting #IMM

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Really great webinar hosted by Otago on the 2nd Emission Reduction Plan A select quote from each speaker to wet your interest: Christina Hood on the ETS settings "I find the ERP a bit confused on this <Forestry units>, because on the one hand the modeling used unlimited forestry, but on the other hand the government does have a proposal to limit forestry..." Robert McLachlan on transport sector emissions "<The ERP2> is not least cost as it stands, it is high cost, high risk and low ambition" tui warmenhoven on Forestry and Tairāwhiti "It aims to use forestry to offset emissions rather than reduce emissions and secondly proposes that forestry be mostly exotic, or pine trees, on very low classes of land. Erosion prone lands." "Sustainable Livelihoods, we cant have those, when permanent pine plantations are expanding ever so rapidly, and actually being forced upon us, with little consultation. No or little consultation with land owners, with communities, with Whanau, with Hapu, all the people in this place that bear the brunt of the impacts of exotic Forestry in our place often do not have a voice." I have only captured a tiny part of the insights and recommend anyone interested in New Zealand Climate Policy to watch this webinar. Thank you Janet Stephenson and team for organizing this.

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Feeling more confident and wiser about the road ahead for the Offshore Wind industry in Australia after a panel 'chat' with the Ambassadors to Australia from Denmark, Norway and Ireland at Australia Wind Energy 2024. Learning and collaborating with early market adapters. Key words of advice from.... Ambassador 🧀 Dahler Kardel: ‘As the offshore wind sector takes off in Australia, it will create jobs and economic opportunity locally. That is what we have seen in Denmark – and other places where Danish companies have installed offshore wind - and there is no reason to think it would be any different in Australia.’ Ambassador 🏔 Riise Anne Grete 'Finding the best and most experienced partners and collaborate across the whole supply chain seems to be key in the growing offshore wind sector' Ambassador 🍀 Tim Mawe : ' "With the possible exception of the equator, everything begins somewhere." – CS Lewis. From a public policy perspective, putting good frameworks and supports in place may be boring and predictable but it is necessary and worthwhile and definitely a good place to begin.' Thanks to the panel, organising committees and volunteers involved, a huge event well done! #offshore #wind #deloitte #emissions #solutions #oceanenergy #AuWE2024

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Are you ready for Australia's imminent mandatory climate-related disclosures, the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (#ASRS)? The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) stated today that "to maintain Australia’s place in the global economy ... it’s essential there is a climate reporting framework that incentivises high quality, useful and internationally aligned climate-related disclosures." They emphasised that this presents "a once-in-a-generation change to corporate reporting, which will require significant investment and upskilling across the Australian market". Do you need more information and upskilling? Do you know if your business is ready to start disclosing climate-related information? You can now find out how prepared your business is for Australia's mandatory climate disclosures, with Socialsuite's ASRS Readiness Assessment. Join Ilona Marchetta and me in Socialsuite's virtual launch of the ASRS Readiness Assessment this Wednesday 24 April, 1pm AEST. We will provide an overview of the ASRS, take you through the key components of the ASRS Readiness Assessment, and of course give you access so you can get started immediately! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gDBhz-wE #climate #TCFD #ISSB #reporting ESG Today FS Sustainability Australian Accounting Standards Board ESG News ESG Investor GreenBiz Group

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A recent exposé by The Saturday Paper argues that a key component of Australia's carbon offset scheme is failing, with experts suggesting the scheme should be referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. 1. The project type is question is called human-induced regeneration (HIR), which claim to regenerate native forests. 2. While HIR projects make up a large portion of Australia's carbon offset program, they've made a negligible difference to carbon sequestration, despite receiving over 42 million credits across an area larger than Japan. 3. Evidence suggests changes in tree cover within HIR projects is not significantly different from adjacent non-project areas, meaning any increase in cover is likely due to rainfall, rather than carbon offset efforts. 4. Large polluters covered by Australia’s carbon pricing scheme, known as the safeguard mechanism, are expected to rely heavily on credits from HIR projects to meet their emission reduction obligations. 5. But the legal framework and execution of these HIR projects is now in question, as many include uncleared lands with mature trees, contradicting the basic requirement for regeneration from cleared land. 6. Despite the red flags and over $300 million already invested, the scheme is on track to potentially misappropriate billions by 2030, as credits continue to be issued based on flawed assumptions and models rather than actual sequestration. This revelation not only undermines Australia's environmental policies but also indicates a need for an independent inquiry into the carbon offset scheme. The clear lesson here is that companies should avoid offsetting wherever possible, and HIR projects altogether. #Sustainability #Sequestration #CarbonOffsets #EnvironmentalPolicy https://lnkd.in/gWNf_3Wz

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New on WalkSydney.org: Submission to the Climate Change Authority’s Targets, Pathways and Progress This submission prepared by David Martin and Marc Lane. WalkSydney welcomes the opportunity to provide input to CCA’s advice to government on pathways to support Australia’s transition to net zero.  We welcome the framing of the paper highlighting the need for urgent, science-based action to even stay within hope of achieving a +1.5 degree temperature rise. CCA’s issues paper “The Paper” emphasises the achievability of pathways and targets as a key consideration. However, Australia is no stranger to reform in economic, cultural and social domains. The importance and urgency of climate change action should be clear. Political vision and leadership will be required for embarking on economic, cultural and behavioural change to achieve Net Zero. Governments at all levels will need to demonstrate that they are committed to bringing about the change required. Political and institutional timidity is not an option.  Reducing transport emissions will make a significant contribution to this transition, both directly in reducing ICE vehicle kms, as well as integrated land use and transport planning.  Figure 5 of your report shows Energy and Transport alone are almost 50% of all Scope 1 emissions.   The Paper overstates the benefits of vehicle electrification and understates or misstates the benefits and opportunity of supporting more walking and riding   Disappointingly the Advice discusses transport only in relation to decarbonisation by electric cars or vehicles using new fuels.  Car-based transport is 87% of sectoral emissions (in your calculation), and you make the point that BEV is mature, yet take-up in Australia is slow.  CSIRO projections show a likely undershoot against targets without more concerted action.  Therefore, relying on fuels alone is unlikely to achieve decarbonisation – so a ‘technology driven’ solution is inadequate.   Mode shift is key to low emissions transport Your discussion of mode shift as a solution starts in the negative, “Mode shifting to active and public transport can be impeded by consumer preferences, safety concerns, weather conditions and fitness of travellers, but can be enabled by well planned cities and service improvements. Co-benefits include improved health, reduced congestion and increased road safety” (at 25).   This not only undersells the capacity for mode shift to decarbonise transport, but repeats half-truths that are contrary to evidence that it is consumer preference, weather and safety concerns, rather than lack of infrastructure and service patterns, and conversely the massive investment we make in roads that makes car driving preferable, that makes active and public transport unattractive. Failure to recognise these facts will hinder setting policies and trajectories to achieve Net Zero transport.  The countries that are changing their transport emissions the fastest are embracing mode s...

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These community engagement guidelines for transmission projects were released on 19 July by the Australian Government's "energy & climate" ministers. Essential reading for those in the sector & it's a document that has consolidated a lot of helpful advice in one place, including around community benefits programs - which can tend towards simplistic (and sometimes inappropriate) buying of community support & inequitable outcomes if not designed properly. It was especially good to see the inclusion of #evaluation expectations too. I would have liked there to be less emphasis though on #sociallicence as the primary objective for projects and for the recommended primary evaluation focus. Especially for projects that are a publicly funded, there's an argument for framing to be ultimately around social performance and public value /in the public interest (with social licence as a sub-component or second tier goal). There's an inherent assumption with using social licence as the main social objective for projects that the project is deserving of community acceptance (not always true) and also that if a project doesn't have social licence it shouldn't proceed (which also is not always true in the public interest). Having said that, it is quite interesting (and a positive development IMO) to see the evolution over the past few years of the social licence models being used in Australia, reflected in these guidelines. The social licence model used (see p. 9) puts in its first box of factors underpinning social licence: "Whether the community thinks the project will bring benefits to the broader society". That's a notable & welcome shift towards prioritizing public value compared to past SLO models. #socialvalue #communityengagement #energy #socialimpact

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"Three things developers should know before embarking on the renewable energy journey" is a practical guide tailored for renewable energy professionals in Australia, including development managers, engineers, and land acquisition specialists. This resource highlights the critical challenges developers face—such as accessing land, obtaining approvals, and connecting to the grid—and offers insights into mitigating risks in a complex and evolving landscape. In this eBook, Tristan Cockman addresses these gaps, including policy and operational hurdles. This guide will equips readers to make informed decisions and to navigate the energy transition with greater confidence and strategic foresight. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e8Qp3KTa #renewableenergy #energytransition #construction

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