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FUTURE COMMITTEE REPORT Agenda Item 5.3

11 May 2010 TRANSITION DECADE

Portfolio Eco-City,

Division City Planning and Infrastructure

Presenter Krista Milne

Purpose

1. To provide further information on the implications of supporting the Transition Decade campaign in accordance with resolution 7.1 of the Future Melbourne Committee Meeting 6 April 2010.

Recommendation from management

2. That the Future Melbourne Committee note:

2.1. the City of Melbourne broadly meets the criteria to sign up as a supporter to the Transition Decade’s campaign goals to the extent that these apply to areas of policy where Council has influence; and

2.2. that Council does not have policies in relation to two aspects of the Transition Decade’s position - the draw down and storage (sequestration) of carbon and ‘direct cooling’ or geo- engineering as a means of controlling the Earth’s Climate.

Background

3. At the 6 April Future Melbourne Committee Meeting, the Committee requested a report “…indicating specific changes to our strategy, and any financial implications, that would allow Council to meet the Transition Decade’s campaign goals specific to what we can do as a municipality or in role as a Capital City…” and that “this report is discussed prior to Future Melbourne Committee meeting with the Transition Decade coordination group to discuss discrepancies between our Zero Net Emission strategy and the Transition Decade campaign.”

4. The Transition Decade campaign was created by the Victorian movement. It aims to mobilise and activate citizens across around the issue of climate change mitigation.

5. The Transition Decade Campaign articulates five goals with which campaign supporters are asked to agree. These are:

5.1. hold a vision for a sustainable world; 5.2. recognise the climate emergency situation; 5.3. want to help restore safe climate conditions; 5.4. grasp the scale of the social and structural transition; and 5.5. want to complete the structural change in the next ten years.

6. The campaign advocates social and structural transition on a large scale to achieve the necessary emissions reductions and draw down of carbon from the atmosphere to meet these targets.

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Key issues

7. The objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions are broadly consistent with the City of Melbourne’s Future Melbourne Community Plan, Council Plan and Zero Net Emissions by 2020.

8. Zero Net Emissions by 2020 identifies strategies for reducing the municipality’s emissions through improving energy efficiency and reducing demand in the areas of commercial, residential, and institutional buildings, the transport sector and decarbonising the energy supply.

9. Council officers met with representatives of the Transition Decade organising committee to discuss implications of supporting the campaign for Council policies and initiatives. It was identified that it is possible for Council to support the campaign without the need to change Council policies or programs in the short term. Council strategies could be reviewed within the normal course of policy review.

10. An earlier report to Council identified that a decision to support the Transition Decade campaign may impact on existing Council work programs (Future Melbourne Committee 6 April 2010 – agenda 7.1). However opportunities to further reduce emissions would be considered during the review of the current Zero Net Emissions by 2020 strategy which is anticipated to occur in 2012.

11. Discussions with the Transition Decade organising group have indicated that the City of Melbourne’s Zero Net Emissions by 2020 strategy is not inconsistent with the Transition Decade objectives as the campaign recognises the different roles played by different levels of government in implementing climate change initiatives.

12. Whilst City of Melbourne’s reliance on offsetting is not aligned with the Transition Decade objectives, it would be largely unnecessary if emissions from electricity consumed in the municipality were eliminated through renewable electricity generation. This represents the largest opportunity for emissions reductions in the municipality.

13. Responsibility for energy policy relating to falls largely outside the scope of the City of Melbourne and is the responsibility of State and Federal Governments. However the City of Melbourne is able to advocate on these issues and has some influence in facilitating or encouraging small scale renewable energy generation in the city. The City of Melbourne’s initiatives therefore play a complementary role in achieving the Transition Decade campaign objectives.

Relation to Council policy

14. Council’s policies on greenhouse gas emissions reductions are broadly consistent with the Transition Decade goals in so far as they apply to those areas where council has the ability to influence the community’s emissions reductions. It is recognised that responsibility for policies and regulations which have the greatest potential for achieving large scale emissions reductions are the responsibility of State and Federal Government.

15. Transition Decade has a goal to draw down excess atmospheric CO2 and store it safely. Council does not have specific policies in relation to the draw down of atmospheric carbon and safe storage (sequestration), or in relation to geo-engineering as a means of reducing the Earth’s atmospheric temperature. The latter in particular remains highly contentious and controversial within the scientific community.

Consultation

16. Council officers met with representatives of the Transition Decade organising group to discuss the implications of supporting the Transition Decade.

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Government relations

17. The Transition Decade Campaign objectives, in terms of pace, scale, and eventual carbon concentrations in the atmosphere are more ambitious that current State and Federal policy on these issues. Supporting the Transition Decade may shape the City of Melbourne’s position when dealing with State and Federal Government across a range of issues in future. These may include land use planning, provision and planning of transport infrastructure, among others.

Finance

18. Supporting the Transition Decade campaign would not require an immediate review of Councils actions and initiatives. An opportunity for reviewing Council’s greenhouse gas abatement initiatives will arise at the review of the Zero Net Emissions by 2020 strategy, expected to occur in 2012.

19. There would be no immediate impact on Council’s policies or budget as a result of supporting the transition decade. Opportunities for implementing programs to further reduce emissions within the municipality will be considered at the next review of Zero Net Emissions by 2020 – expected to occur in 2012. This will occur in the normal course of Council’s business.

Conflict of interest

20. No member of Council staff, or other person engaged under a contract, involved in advising on or preparing this report has declared a direct or indirect interest in relation to the matter of the report.

Legal

21. This section to be completed by Legal Services.

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Agenda Item 5.3 Future Melbourne Committee 11 May 2010 FINANCE ATTACHMENT

TRANSITION DECADE

There are no immediate direct financial implications associated with the recommendations contained in the report.

Financial implications may arise as a consequence of the Council establishing policies in relation to the draw down and storage (sequestration) of carbon and ‘direct cooling’ or geo-engineering; however until these policies are drafted a reliable estimate of the financial impact is unable to be provided.

Joe Groher Manager Financial Services

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Agenda Item 5.3 Future Melbourne Committee 11 May 2010 LEGAL ATTACHMENT

TRANSITION DECADE

No direct legal implications arise from the recommendation from management.

Kim Wood Manager Legal Services