www.sustaingroup.net

Deakin University Centre for

Sustainable and Responsible

Organisations (CSaRO)

Carbon Management Public Seminar:

Local Government, Sustain Group Fact

Sheet

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This fact sheet should be taken with the general presentation give to Victorian Local Government

representatives and interested parties as part of the public seminar held at Deakin University on the 16th

of

July 2012. For more information on carbon price implications please contact the team at

lgcarbonproject@sustaingroup.net

Covered in this fact sheet:

1. Speaker Bio: Matthew Tukaki, CEO of the Sustain Group

2. About Carbon Farming and Local Government

3. “Local Government Action for a Low Carbon Future” paper released in June 2012:

4. Best Practice Example: Auckland City Council

5. Liable Entities Database: Checking for suppliers who may be liable

Issues:

1. Speaker Bio: Matthew Tukaki, CEO of the Sustain Group: Matthew Tukaki is the CEO and

Executive Chairman of the Sustain Group and Australia’s Representative to the United Nations Global

Compact. Matthew also sits on a number of public and private sector Boards including Australia’s

Peak mental health body, Suicide Prevention Australia and the National Indigenous Chamber of

Commerce as well as chairing the Living Earth Initiative, a concept that encourages young people to

participate more fully in local and community ecology, and as a Director of the Board of the United

Nations Global Compact Network in Australia. Matthew is a leader in the field of transitioning

business and government towards a low carbon economy and is respected for his work in the areas of

sustainability, the green economy and green jobs. Matthew is also one of Asia Pacific’s most

respected employment and labor commentators having previously led the nation’s oldest and largest

labor and employment companies, Drake International. Matthew is also a recognized leader in the

field of knowledge management having conducted operational reviews into the Joint House

Department of the Parliament of Australia and the Australian Communications Authority. Mr. Tukaki

is also widely regarded for his work in the education space across developing countries and regions

having been responsible for the development of higher and technical education systems in South

Africa, Indonesia and South East Asia. He is a former Chairman of the CIO Council, the Australian

Government Policy Advisory Panel, and member of the New Zealand Ministry of Education’s Tender

Evaluation Panel for School Management Systems and Chairman of the Skills for Schools for Initiative.

2. About Carbon Farming and Local Government: 1The Carbon Farming Initiative is part of the

Australian Governments new suite of policies and legislation on reducing the nation’s carbon

emissions. The CFI allows farmers and land managers to earn carbon credits by storing carbon or

reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the land. These credits can then be sold to people and

business wishing to offset their emissions. Specifically, the CFI is a carbon offset scheme. Local

Government is amongst the largest single landholders group in Australia and, therefore, may be

eligible to be part of the scheme when the application guidelines are released in 2012. Local

Government also bear a significant burden in terms of direct liability and will feel the carbon price

impacts both directly and indirectly through the supply chain. It could be the case that identified land

could be used to develop Carbon Farming Initiatives that could in turn mitigate Council’s own liability,

but also provide a source of carbon credit purchasing for other directly liable entities in the local

government area. Notwithstanding there is also the opportunity for carbon credits to be purchased

from other liable entities outside of the local government area such as business and industry. A range

1 Taken from the website of the Department of Climate Change to ensure clarity over the definition

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of landholder groups are looking into the CFI and work is being carried out to identify various projects.

For more information see: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/cfi/ or contact Sustain @

lgcarbonproject@sustaingroup.net

3. “Local Government Action for a Low Carbon Future” paper released in June 2012: As

discussed during the presentation this paper is the most recent in terms of research and analysis that

has been published specifically on the subject of carbon and its implications on local government.

Some of the key points relate to the use of software applications to assess carbon intensity and

footprint as well as the need for deeper collaboration (and the benefits thereof). The report has been

jointly published by the Australian Centre for Excellence for Local Government and the Council of

Capital City Lord Mayors. For more information and to download a copy of the full report:

http://www.acelg.org.au/upload/program1/1340074932_Final_Local_Action_for_a_Low_Carbon_Fut

ure_13jun2012_lowres.pdf

4. Best Practice Example: Auckland City Council: as discussed, Auckland City Council has faced

a similar series of challenges and issues as it relates to carbon pricing and emissions trading

legislation. Over the last two to three years the Council has done a significant amount of work on

developing not only its plans, but risk, mitigation and operational planning initiatives. The Council has

recently released “the Auckland Plan” and it has a significant amount of information that participants

and project members may find useful. The plan can be downloaded here:

http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/newseventsculture/OurAuckland/Documents/Auckland%20

Plan_OurAuckland.pdf and you will find links to energy and climate change mitigation here:

http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/planspoliciesprojects/plansstrategies/theaucklandplan/clima

techangemitigationstrategy/Pages/home.aspx

5. Liable Entities Database: Checking for suppliers who may be liable: The list of currently

liable entities is now available through the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Regulator. These

are the liable entities for financial year 2012-13. We advise checking the list for entities who may be in

your supply chain and, therefore, be aware of the potential for carbon price pass through (explained

in the presentation). The database can be downloaded here:

http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/Carbon-Pricing-Mechanism/Liable-Entities-Public-

Information-Database/LEPID-for-2012-13-Financial-year/Pages/default.aspx

For more information: www.sustaingroup.net or email lgcarbonproject@sustaingroup.net