Posts tagged ‘submission’
Submission: Moreland Council Budget 2021/22
On Wednesday 2 June Moreland Council had it’s formal submission feedback session to Councillors over zoom on the Draft Council Budget in 2021/22. The Climate Action Moreland submission was six and a half pages in length. Convenor John Englart briefly summarised the submission for Councillors.
Our submission called for increased expenditure to address the climate emergency, and addressed issues across the following areas:
- Infrastructure to improve uptake of Sustainable Transport
- Street trees, in particular the maintenance and protection of trees
- Permeable and low carbon surfaces
- Leisure Centres (in particular Fawkner Leisure Centre redevelopment)
- Open Space
- Comment on other strategic initiatives in the budget, including how to Phaseout gas in council facilities
June 5, 2021 at 9:04 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
Submission: Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria
Matted Flax Lily in Moreland
After the 2019/2020 Summer bushfires we should all be concerned about the loss of biodiversity, the decline in ecosystems. The health of our environment supports the health of human society. Climate change is one of several human related factors driving ecosystem decline. Here is our submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria.
Climate Action Moreland Submission on Ecosystem Decline in Victoria (PDF)
Submission: Zero Carbon Moreland Action Plan 2020-2025
Moreland Zero Carbon action Plan 2020-2025
We welcome the work Council staff have put into the development of a Zero Carbon Moreland Action Plan 2020/21-3024/25, building upon the Moreland Zero Carbon 2040 Framework (Doc). This is a substantial and well thought out Framework plan.
We appreciate that we have already had an opportunity to substantially contribute in the plan preparation through the Brains Trust workshops.
The following points are offered to further improve the plan.
Executive Summary highlighted points:
- Energy Transition: concern over timing of transition of aquatic centres from fossil gas
- Sustainable Transport: Advocacy on Flying Less and aviation emissions
- Sustainable Transport: Support for new Low Carbon mobility solutions
- Sustainable Transport: Support for Hydrogen and low emissions Fuels
- Sustainable Transport: Active Transport differentiation of walking and cycling needs
- Waste and Consumption: Stronger and earlier advocacy on plant based diets
- Waste and Consumption: Urban Community Food Production
- Drawdown: Moreland’s Urban Forest
- Drawdown: Advocacy for retention of high carbon forests in Melbourne hinterland
- Drawdown: Cities for Forests
- Drawdown: Investigate Opportunities for biochar
- Measurement: Public reporting on per capita and total emissions for Moreland
John Englart
Convenor
Climate Action Moreland
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Submission to Climate Change Authority – policies necessary to achieve Australia’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement
Climate Action Tracker June 2019 assessment.
Climate Action Moreland prepared the following submission (PDF) to the Climate Change Authority focussing on three sectors: agriculture, energy (electricity) , and transport. These are key areas for Australia to implement climate policy to achieve reduction in emissions to meet Australia’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement. We appreciate the Climate Change Authority collating this information, even though the present conservative government largely ignores the independent advice of this Authority.
Under the Paris Agreement Australia needs to submit a new Nationally Determined Contribution document that outlines all targets and policies to achieve our targets, by early 2020. No backtracking is acceptable (this is written into the agreement as well) This is the ratchet (ambition) mechanism of the Paris Agreement. On current commitments the world is heading for an average temperature rise of between 2.4 degrees to 3.8 degrees Celsius by 2100, as calculated by the Climate Action Tracker website. Australia’s effort is rated as ‘Insufficient’.
Submission: Setting Victoria’s climate targets for 2025 and 2030
Submission on Victorian Climate Targets
Executive Summary
We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the recommended emissions targets for Victoria as contained in the Interim Emissions Reduction Targets for Victoria (2021-2030) report prepared by the Independent Expert Panel.
We argue that the science strongly indicates we have a climate crisis and that Victoria (and Australia) needs to declare a climate emergency, to focus resources on ambitious emissions reduction and climate adaptation.
While we appreciate the work of the expert panel, we think the recommended targets are still too low, even by their own assessment of the targets required to meet the 1.5C temperature target as contained in the Paris Agreement.
Reducing emissions needs to address equity issues, so we also call for transition programs that address equity, both on the local level and as part of addressing the problem globally. As a matter of global equity and justice Australia as a developed country should decarbonise faster than the many developing countries that need to address poverty and social issues and already have low carbon footprints.
We particularly highlight that the Expert panel failed to address the growth in aviation emissions as part of transport emissions, and the expansion of Melbourne’s airports which induces growth in these emissions. This is a difficult niche area to decarbonise, but the first step should be to stop airport expansion which will cap the growth in aviation and aviation emissions.
This submission (PDF) was a collaborative work by members of Climate Action Moreland and follows the suggested question survey for consultation.
John Englart
Convenor, Climate Action Moreland
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Submission: National Energy Guarantee needs to enable energy transition
Climate Action Moreland has made a submission to the Energy Security Board on the National Energy Guarantee. Our criticism/suggestions revolve around: the need for Demand Response to be prioritised; no undermining or restrictions on state emission reduction targets; Voluntary action must be considered additional to targets; no offsets should be allowed for the electricity sector; Flexible Compliance – Limit the Carrying Forward of Over-achievement; and Setting Emissions Target as an Absolute Value vs Percentage.
The Guarantee was considered by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Energy Council at its last meeting in November 2017 which agreed that further development work and public consultation should be conducted.
We think, in it’s current form, the National Energy Guarantee will embed coal and gas fired generation and restrict the growth of renewables, holding back the energy transition.
We need a rapid transition of the electricity sector as this sector is more easily decarbonised than other sectors, and will also enable the transport sector to then be decarbonised through electrification and battery power.
Our submission follows:
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Submission on Tax deductible status of environmental organisations
The Australia Institute commissioned polling (Sep 2016) on tax deductible status on environmental campaigning and advocacy
The charitable status of Environmental organisations is again under threat by a Treasury discussion paper. We think this is another attack to undermine the funding of climate campaigns, orchestrated in particular by the mining lobby and Minerals Council of Australia.
Organisations such as the Australian Conservation Foundation, Environment Victoria and Friends of the Earth, and even the Climate Council, have tax deductible status which enables them to more easily fundraise for their environmental, climate and social justice campaigns. These campaigns involve important research, education and community advocacy.
You may have noticed that these, and other environmental NGOs have had a particular recent focus on climate change. We think these changes are being suggested at the behest of the Minerals Council of Australia as part of an ideological agenda to undermine the fund raising basis and to sanction environmental NGOs due to the campaign for climate justice and push for rapid emissions reduction, end to fossil fuel subsidies, call for no new coal mines and phaseout of fossil fuel exploitation.
Although we are not directly affected as we are an unincorporated association, we sometimes rely on interactions with 350 Australia, Australian Conservation Foundation, Environment Victoria and Friends of the Earth to help in our advocacy and grassroots and community education work. The tax deductible status of these organisations ensures they can fundraise, and indirectly supports our local community campaigning. Read more on this campaign by Friends of the Earth, or read the Climate Council submission.
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Submission for improving Moreland Council Local Laws on community action and engagement
Moreland Council is updating their General Local laws, with a review and community consultation. Some of the proposed local laws we take issue with as hindering community action, free expression and engagement of Moreland residents, if enforced.
We think this is an opportunity to bring the General Local Law (2007) into line with current community standards and sentiments. As one of the active community groups in Moreland, we appreciate this chance to improve the local laws and how they are applied with justice and fairness.
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Opposing the rule to charge solar owners a fee to feed-in to electricity grid
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) is considering allowing a charge on solar owners for feeding their electricity back to the grid. We think this is grossly inequitable and very problematic for reducing emissions and continuing to encourage take up of solar renewable energy by households and businesses.
The following submission was made on the rule change:
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Federal Climate policy review (2017) submission by climate groups
DCAN Climate Review Fig 1
We chose not to do our own submission to the Federal Government Climate Policy Review, that closed on May 5, but instead made a few corrections to the Darebin Climate Action submission which focused on arguing we need climate emergency policies put in place. Climate Action Moreland was one of the 29 grassroot community climate and sustainability groups that endorsed the Darebin Climate Action submission (see list at end).
This submission covered the following:
- Overview
- The earth is already too hot and global warming is already dangerous.
- We can burn no more carbon for +1.5oC target.
- Worse news: The door to less than +2oC is rapidly closing.
- What action is needed?
- The Government must declare a climate emergency and enact an emergency speed transition.
- Showing the way.
- What is missing is leadership.
