Sustainable Business Weekly QLD Edition [Carbon Tax, Carbon Disclosure, Zero Carbon, Carbon Economy, Green tape]

Carbon Tax

This week the minority Labor Federal Government passed its Carbon Tax legislation through the Senate: 36 to 32 with the support of the Greens. The most unfortunate part about the Federal Opposition’s approach is that the legislation passed without amendments or real scrutiny.

Carbon Disclosure Project

One might like to see this report released last week by Deloitte for the Carbon Disclosure Project in Australia for the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).

Obviously, the report is more relevant to publicly listed companies but others will also have to go down this path at some point. One may also need to consider the costs and implications of Carbon in one’s supply chains.

Transitioning to a low carbon economy

One may also be interested in reading a 2010 e-doc from the OECD about Transition to a low carbon economy.

A summary and download details are available here.

One can also browse the book online for free though it's not free to download as a pdf.

Zero Carbon Australia

All are welcome to attend a briefing by –Brad Schultz from Beyond Zero Emissions on Wednesday 16 November 2011 12:30 - 13:30 at the Wet Tropics Room, Level 3, 400 George Street

Zero Carbon Australia 2020 (ZCA) is an exciting initiative of Beyond Zero Emissions & the University of Melbourne's Energy Research Institute and is supported by Climate Emergency Network, (CEN), Climate Positive and generous Australians from all walks of life.

The ZCA project:

· Is a roadmap to repower the Australian economy with 100% renewable energy in 10 years

· Uses only existing, commercially available technologies that are already powering China, Spain, Germany and the United States.

· Recommends baseload solar thermal, wind power, and an upgraded transmission network.

· Is fully costed and affordable.

· Is jobs rich, providing over 150,000 direct jobs in construction, manufacturing and ongoing operation and maintenance.

Brad Schultz is a Mechatronic Engineer who works as an Energy Specialist improving energy efficiencies in large buildings. He has recently returned from working as a volunteer in the small scale renewable energy field in Nepal. He is also one of over 100 volunteers around Australia sharing their vision of 100% renewable energy by 2020.

Beyond Zero Emissions works with volunteer technical experts to demonstrate how Australia can act now for a safe, healthy, zero emissions future.

Take this link for a copy of Zero Carbon Australia 2020 & more about Beyond Zero Emissions

http://beyondzeroemissions.org/

Another Green Tape Update

The Environmental Protection (Greentape Reduction) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 (Greentape Reduction Bill) is a key component of the Greentape Reduction project. It was introduced into the Legislative Assembly on 26 October 2011.

ASBG has made submissions to the consultation process & has lobbied for & supported the reform. Consultation has been a key part of the Greentape Reduction project.

Feedback received during consultation on the discussion paper and regulatory assessment has been used to inform the development of the Greentape Reduction Bill. It will also be used to inform:

· implementation of the proposed legislative framework

· the non-legislative aspects of the Greentape Reduction project such as the development of guidance material.

The consultation report provides responses to the key issues raised on the discussion paper and Regulatory Assessment Statement (RAS). An updated RAS also outlines the final costs and estimates of the savings proposed in the Greentape Reduction Bill.

The Qld Government believes that the Greentape Reduction Bill will result in savings of $12.5 million per year. Some of the changes in the Greentape Reduction Bill include:

· an integrated approval process for all environmental authorities

· a more proportionate licensing framework, including standard applications

· a simpler and quicker process for amending approvals

· corporate licenses that allow an operator to have one approval for multiple activities

· removal of the need for an environmental management plan for resource activities.

Further information about the benefits of the Greentape Reduction Bill, including updated frequently asked questions, can be found on the DERM website.

The Greentape Reduction Bill makes the licensing framework easier and more flexible by adopting simpler administrative processes. The amendments in the Greentape Reduction Bill represent process improvements, and do not affect the outcomes which are sought by the Environmental Protection Act