ESG Snapshot: Issue 1
Highlights include a new WA inquiry into how ESG is assisting international investment, Victorian bioenergy grants, an NT blue carbon project, and a federal e-waste consultation.
Events include a clean energy summit, and a sustainable infrastructure event. Jobs include posts with Mars Australia and Recycling Victoria.
ESG Snapshot is a concise weekly update for C-suite executives and sustainability and climate professionals in Australia. Register now on this website to ensure future weekly issues are emailed direct to you.
ESG Snapshot is produced by the Business Council of Sustainable Development Australia (BCSDA), which is the local network partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
News items are listed by jurisdiction. However, they can also be searched by relevant SDG category. To do this, go to the SDG key at the end of this issue and click on the SDG icon that is of interest to you.
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New ISSB disclosure standards on climate and sustainability are being launched in London tonight Austrlaian time, see the BCSD Australia website for more information.
A global summit held late last week in Paris for a New Global Financing Pact, has agreed to work towards a "fundamental reform" of the international development aid framework, agreeing on several measures to aid the green transition – but a push for a global carbon tax or shipping levy failed.
The French government commissioned for the summit a paper on harnessing biodiversity credits for people and planet, and France and the UK have committed to lead work on a global roadmap to harness biodiversity credits.
The Science-Based Targets initiative has launched a six-week consultation on Beyond Value Chain emissions mitigation.
On 21 June, senior representatives of the EU, the US and NATO met in Brussels to discuss climate change and security, describing climate change and environmental degradation as an existential threat to the planet.
Consultation opportunity. Submissions to the review of New Zealand's emissions trading scheme are due by August 11.
The federal government has allocated another $20 billion to the CEFC, comprising $19 billion earmarked for the Rewiring the Nation program, $1 billion to create a Household Energy Upgrades Fund, and $500 million for a new Powering Australia Technology Fund.
The Nature Repair Market Bill has passed the Legislative Assembly, with amendments, and is now in the Senate.
Statutory development and consultation opportunity. Minister Tanya Plibersek has introduced the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Amendment (Using New Technologies to Fight Climate Change) Bill. The Bill would enable a permit to be granted for the export of CO2 streams from CO2 capture processes for the purpose of sequestration, or for the placement of wastes for a marine geoengineering activity. The Senate environment committee will inquire into the Bill and report by July 27.
Consultation opportunity. The federal environment department (DCCEEW) is consulting on regulating waste from small electrical items and PV infrastructure, with a webinar scheduled for 11 July and submissions due by 23 July.
Consultation opportunity. The federal environment department is consulting on bringing energy efficiency requirements for televisions and computer monitors into line with EU requirements, and introducing mandatory energy efficiency labelling and standby and network power requirements for digital signs. Comments are due by July 4.
Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Daniel Westerman has delivered a speech at Energy Week.
The House of Representatives inquiry into plastic pollution is holding public hearings this week.
Statutory development and consultation opportunity. The Senate environment committee has called for submissions by 6 July to its inquiry into the government's Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Amendment (Administrative Changes) Bill. The committee will report by July 27.
The Senate select committee on Australia's disaster resilience is holding public hearings this week.
Resources Minister Madeleine King has released a new critical minerals strategy.
The Albanese government has thrown its support behind a new agriculture investment vehicle, Wilga Farming, that will promote the use of low-emissions technologies and carbon sequestration across Australian farmland.
The CEFC will invest $50 million, in Wilga Farming, which owns a 1200-hectare property in NSW, to support a range of initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and improve productivity. Wilga Farming will be managed by Gunn Agri Partners.
ACCUs last traded on the spot market at $33.50, with spot Human-Induced Regeneration ACCUs trading at $35.00, according to broker Jarden.
CSIRO, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade appeared before a 23 June hearing of a joint parliamentary inquiry into Australia's transition to a green energy superpower.
Sun Cable, SunDrive Solar and the Australian Steel Institute are among those scheduled to give evidence at a July 5 hearing in Sydney of the House of Representatives inquiry into developing advanced manufacturing in Australia.
The Australian Local Government Association has welcomed a federal commitment to establish a new $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund that will co-fund energy upgrades at community facilities with councils.
Grant opportunity. Applications are open until 24 July for grants to land managers under the $17.5 million federal Carbon Farming Outreach program.
Consultation opportunity. The Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water invite comments by 31 July on a prototype dashboard to support environmental-economic accounting in Australia.
Consultation opportunity. Comments close 14 July on proposals to introduce regulatory controls on noxious emissions from non-road diesel engines.
Consultation opportunity. Comments are due by 30 June on the Climate Change Authority's inquiry into "setting, tracking and achieving Australia's emissions reduction targets".
Consultation opportunity. Consultation closes on 30 June on the 2023 offshore greenhouse gas storage acreage release.
Statutory development and consultation opportunity. The state government has released a draft Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Bill that would enshrine its renewable energy targets in law, establish a Job Security Fund, and facilitate construction of the Queensland "SuperGrid", and establish a Renewable Energy Jobs Advocate. Comment closes on 23 June.
Planning Minister Steven Miles has refused part of a Wanless development application to establish a recycling park in Ipswich. The Minister has approved the resource recovery facility and waste transfer station and refused the landfill component.
Consultation opportunity. Comments on a state government discussion paper released following an independent review of the Electrical Safety Act are due by 27 June.
Consultation opportunity. The state government is seeking views on options to better protect the Queensland section of the Lake Eyre Basin, with comments due by 25 August.
A new Sydney air quality health impact assessment report has found that human activities account for 48% of PM2.5 exposure across the NSW greater metropolitan area, with the key sources being wood heaters (42%), industry (21%), on-road motor vehicles (exhaust) (13%), and power stations (7%). The associated annual health cost for wood heaters is $2,046 million, followed by industry ($1,011 million), on-road motor vehicles ($614 million), and power stations ($346 million).
The Audit Office has released a report on Native Public Forestry Regulation, and the EPA has accepted all four recommendations.
The Biodiversity Conservation Trust and WWF have partnered on a program that will support 10 landholders to permanently conserve about 500 hectares of koala habitat in the Northern Rivers region.
Sustainability Victoria has announced 24 businesses and organisations that will share $8 million in bioenergy grants, with the two largest grants of $1 million going to Yarra Valley Water, and Saputo Dairy.
Statutory development. The state government has introduced the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Amendment Bill.
The state government has flagged that it will ban the telemarketing of products and services under its Victorian Energy Upgrades scheme, with a consultation paper due out soon.
The federal government (through $36.1 million from ARENA plus CEFC support) and the Victorian government ($12.3 million) will provide a total of $51 million to establish a 10MW electrolyser (the largest in Australia) near Wodonga, that will use water from a wastewater treatment plant operated by North East Water. The hydrogen will initially be blended into the gas network.
Consultation opportunity. The Essential Services Commission is seeking submissions by 27 July on a proposed enforceable code of practice for electricity transmission companies using their legal powers to access private land.
Members of the public can now apply to the EPA to view environmental monitoring data.
Tasmanians can now obtain loans for insulation products through the state's Energy Saver Loan scheme.
Statutory development. The Legislative Assembly has passed the Environment Protection (Objects of Act and Board Attributes) Amendment Bill, which inserts references to climate change into the objects of the state's main environment law, paving the way for the development of an environment protection policy on climate change.
Consultation opportunity. State Parliament's Public Accounts committee has launched an inquiry into how the state government's progress in achieving ESG outcomes is assisting international investment. Submissions are due by August 11, and the committee will report in August next year.
The state government has gazetted the first listing of threatened ecological communities under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
Consultation opportunity. Comment closes on June 23 on the draft state waste infrastructure plan, and on 11 July on its waste strategy review.
Consultation opportunity. The EPA has invited comments by 4 September on K plus S Salt Australia Pty Ltd's proposed Ashburton salt project.
Consultation opportunity. The EPA is inviting comments by 20 July on whether a research pilot project in the Gulf of Carpentaria, proposed by Blue Carbon S2C Pty Ltd, should undergo environmental assessment.
Consultation opportunity. The Territory government is inviting submissions by 4 August on a proposed new mineral royalty scheme.
The Monash Sustainable Development Institute is running a two-day course on climate change and business risk, on July 19 and 20 ($2,970).
LRQA is offering training courses on the ISO50001 standard on energy management.
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