Guiding councils to take stock of carbon emissions

Sustainability Victoria has updated its Organisational Carbon Accounting for Local Governments Learner Guide (PDF 3MB) providing a valuable resource for councils developing a carbon inventory.

Local governments are encouraged to build and regularly update their carbon inventories in accordance with the latest standards and guidance. Sustainability Victoria’s Learner Guide seeks to deliver the most relevant and up-to-date carbon accounting and reporting skills and knowledge to local government staff.

First published in August 2018 with the goal of empowering local government staff to report on the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with their council’s operations, the updated Guide is reflective of the current carbon accounting landscape and ensures that local government staff have the information they need for best practice GHG emissions reporting.

Specifically, the Learner Guide provides local government staff with the knowledge required to develop an operational GHG inventory and use the outcomes for management purposes including:

• measurement and monitoring of GHG emissions and energy use for all activities of the organisation
• GHG reporting to assist councils in developing and executing an emissions reduction strategy.

Manager of the SV Lab, Sustainability Victoria’s innovation think tank, Kate Noble said, “Implementing emission reduction measures can deliver cost savings through energy efficiency, reducing energy costs for Councils, which benefits ratepayers.

“Councils can also use the guide as technical support to measure the impact of their actions to reduce emissions and address climate change. This will ensure they are well positioned to make the most of new opportunities across supply chains where scope 3 emissions are important to Victoria’s transition to a low carbon economy.”

The Learner Guide also contains information that will raise awareness amongst local stakeholders around the emissions impact of their activities and the role they can play in reducing emissions and mitigating climate change, helping to foster a sense of responsibility and ambition across Victoria.

“Sharing the guide across the private and public sectors will assist in facilitating collaboration between local government, businesses and the community that will lead to innovative solutions for reducing emissions and promoting sustainable development,” says Kate Noble.

The Organisational Carbon Accounting for Local Governments Learner Guide (PDF 3MB) provides information on the following aspects of organisational carbon accounting:

• Determining emissions reporting boundaries, including the organisational boundary (operations to be included in the carbon inventory) and the operational boundary (sources of emissions to be included in the carbon inventory)
• Understanding and applying the concepts of relevance (in particular related to Scope 3 emissions sources) and materiality
• Calculating the carbon inventory, including data collection and collation and relevant sources of emissions factors
• Documenting the carbon inventory results in a way that is easily replicated and maintained, and that enables local governments to maintain their emissions inventories and track their progress year-on-year
• Understanding the mechanics and options for setting targets, using inventories as a basis for visualising level of effort and ambition
• Understanding how carbon inventories can be used to inform strategic planning and investment in energy management opportunities.

Silvana Predebon, Environmental Policy and Sustainability Officer at Macedon Ranges Shire Council has used the Learner Guide and says, “The Organisational Carbon Accounting for Local Governments Learner Guide is the only reference a local government officer will need for carbon accounting and emission reporting purposes.

“The format, sequencing and presentation of the guide simplifies the complex world of carbon accounting, with information presented in logical easy-to find order, with many examples and graphics further helping to explain concepts and methods.

“Thank you Sustainability Victoria for developing the (revised) Learner Guide - for a non-carbon accountant like me, it’s the first point of call whenever my work involves numbers.”