2018-01-15 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                               15 JANUARY 2018


Whilst it is recognised that the ZEN Strategy calls for a 5 year, and ultimately a 10 year action
plan, initially a 3 year plan has been developed. As Council is still determining the nature of the
landfill emissions and potential reduction strategies, and given the rapidly changing nature of
technology and solutions with regard to emissions reduction initiatives, it is considered prudent
and agile for an initial 3 year plan to be developed with an annual review.

The Zero Emissions Noosa Organisational Action Plan

The Zero Emissions Organisational Action Plan 2017-2020 (The ZEN Action Plan) has been
developed to achieve the core objectives of the ZEN Strategy, namely
   To help mitigate climate change and provide a sustainable future by reducing Council’s
     Green House Gas (GHG) emissions to a zero net position; and
   To ensure that reduction in GHG emissions will not impact on Council’s long-term financial
     sustainability nor result in any significant financial impost on ratepayers.

The ZEN Action Plan has been developed utilising information from the following documents and
reports:
    Noosa Council Carbon Footprint 2015/16 and 2016/17 which identified Council’s emission
      sources;
    The ERM Power audits of Council’s highest electricity consuming buildings and facilities
      which identified and prioritised emission reduction projects based on a cost-benefit
      analysis;
    Council policies and procedures that have the potential to impact upon Council’s
      emissions; and
    Consultation with the ZEN Project Control Group and ZEN Operational Team.

The ZEN Action Plan details specific actions to achieve the following objectives:
   A coordinated approach to reducing emissions throughout Council’s operations, policies
     and procedures;
   The cost-effective reduction of Council’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions; and
   A cost-effective approach to offsetting Council’s residual emissions.


A summary of the actions is provided below and detailed in Attachment 1.

1.   Provide a coordinated organisational approach to carbon reduction

The ZEN Action Plan stipulates a number of initiatives to embed emission reduction throughout
Council processes and operations as a standard way of doing business.

Council’s carbon footprint will be calculated on an annual basis in accordance with the National
Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) methodology as amended from time to time. This annual
calculation will track Council’s carbon footprint over time and highlight the effectiveness of the
reduction initiatives.

All Council staff have an opportunity to contribute to achieving the net zero emission targets
through their everyday actions and choices. To encourage staff across Council, a behavioural
change strategy will be developed to recognise and reward staff initiatives for carbon reduction.
Regular communication to all stakeholders is an important component of the behavioural change
strategy.




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