Inner West council meeting Questions on Notice

Questions on Notice (QoN) for April 2024 Agenda, the next council meeting.

Questions on Notice

From Councillor Marghanita da Cruz

1. Question 1. What were council CO2e emissions for 2022/23 and period 1 July 2023- 30 Dec 2023?
2. Question 2. What were the sources and amount of CO2e emission from each for 2022/23 and period 1 July 2023- 30 Dec 2023?
3. Question 3. What are council operations Scope 2 CO2e Emissions and to whom for 2022/23 and period 1 July 2023- 30 Dec 2023?
4. Question 4. What % of materials has be reused, recycled and new materials have been used in our footpath for 2022/23 and will be used in 2023/4 renewal program?

Background

Emissions and energy types 

(Last updated 22 March 2024 Viewed 24 March 2024)

Greenhouse gases reported under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Scheme include:

Responsible Agency: Federal Gov Clean Energy Regulator

• carbon dioxide (CO₂)
• methane (CH₄)
• nitrous oxide (N₂O)
• sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆)
• specified kinds of hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons.

When estimating greenhouse gas emissions, reporters must use applicable methods under the NGER Scheme.

Types of emissions

There are 3 types of greenhouse gas emissions. Your reporting requirements under NGER may vary depending on the type of emissions.

Scope 1 emissions: "direct" emissions

Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions are emissions released into the atmosphere as a direct result of the activities at your facility. For example:

• emissions from the use of refrigerants in air conditioning units
• emissions from fuels used in transport
• fugitive emissions, such as methane leaks from coal mines
• production of electricity by burning coal.

Scope 1 emissions are also referred to as direct emissions.

Scope 2 emissions: "indirect" emissions

Scope 2 emissions for a facility represent the emissions that were released outside your facility boundary to produce the electricity that you imported into the facility and used. For example, a cement factory which uses electricity from an external electricity grid to run its business would report scope 2 emissions.

In this example, the emissions are directly produced by grid-connected power stations that burn fuel to create the electricity which is then supplied to the grid (and would be reported by these power stations as scope 1 emissions). The grid electricity used by the cement factory, and the associated scope 2 emissions, would be reported by the cement factory.

Scope 2 emissions are also referred to as indirect emissions.

Scope 3 emissions: broader indirect emissions

Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions other than scope 2 emissions. They occur outside of the boundary of your organisation as a result of your actions.

Scope 3 emissions may occur:

• upstream, such as the emissions generated in the extraction and production of fossil fuels
• downstream, such as the emissions from transport of your products.

Reporting emissions under NGER

You must report scope 1 and 2 emissions.

Scope 3 emissions are not reportable under NGER. However, you can use the National Greenhouse Accounts Factors to estimate scope 3 emissions.

You only need to report on activities if there is an applicable method in the NGER Measurement Determination.

https://cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/schemes/national-greenhouse-and-energy-reporting-scheme/about-emissions-and-energy-data/emissions#types-of-emissions

"National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Quarterly Update: September 2023

2024

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Download

• 

  Green House NGERs to September 2023
  

  Quarterly Update of Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: September 2023 (PDF 3.7MB)
   
  Quarterly Update of Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: September 2023 (DOCX 5.3MB)
   
  Quarterly Update of Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: September 2023 Data Source (XLSX 5.2MB)

The Quarterly Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports on the latest greenhouse gas emissions".... https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/national-greenhouse-gas-inventory-quarterly-update-september-2023

National Waste Policy

The National Waste Policy provides a national framework for waste and resource recovery in Australia. It also highlights the importance of working together and outlines the roles and responsibilities for everyone - businesses, governments, communities and individuals....https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/how-we-manage-waste/national-waste-policy

Chapter 15 - Construction Waste

Publisher Summary: The built environment consumes more natural resources than necessary and therefore generates a large amount of waste. This chapter sheds light on the idea of rethinking construction waste management by reengineering processes and practices to reduce construction waste at source.

 

Waste A Handbook for Management 2011, Pages 207-218

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-381475-3.10015-4

Construction and Demolition Waste

Management Guideline UNSW Sydney Revision 1.0 September 2021

https://www.estate.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/Appendix%202%20-%20%20UNSW%20Construction%20and%20Demolition%20Waste%20Management%20Guideline_0.pdf

"Strategic direction for waste in NSW

The NSW Government released the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 Stage 1 plan: 2021–2027 (the Strategy) in June 2021, which outlines the actions that will be taken over the next 6 years to move towards a circular economy... EPA Waste Delivery Plan

Key focus areas for the Plan are:

•     reducing carbon emissions by building a resilient circular economy
•     managing the risks of problematic, harmful and unnecessary waste
•     supporting councils and communities to safely manage waste
•     improving our performance as a world class regulator."... https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/recycling-and-reuse/strategic-direction-for-waste-in-nsw