Image: Castle Rock Sky Walk, Porongorup National Park
WALGA's Climate Change Action Framework
WALGA's Climate Change Action Framework sets out a logical sequence of steps that Local Governments can follow to respond to climate change. The framework is intended to guide both Local Governments that are commencing their climate change journey, and those that are well progressed and are strengthening their approach.
Local Governments do not have to adopt all of the actions and may choose different priorities from the four actions areas.
Further information about the actions identified in the Climate Change Action Framework will be provided in 2021.
Image: WALGA's Climate Change Action Framework
Climate Change Templates and Guidelines
WALGA hosted a Climate Change Templates and Guidelines Launch Event on Wednesday,
24 February 2021.
WALGA engaged Ernst & Young to develop a set of the Climate Change Templates and Guidelines as part of a “Climate Resilient Councils” Project-Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change managed by WALGA and funded by the Commonwealth Natural Disaster Resilience Program.
The event provided an overview of the templates and guidelines and how Local Government can use them as a step-by-step guide to address climate change in their operations and communities.
The Climate Change Templates and Guidelines are part of the WALGA Climate Action Framework being developed that identifies four types of actions Local Government can take to embed climate change planning into their operations and communities including:
1) Primary- commitments;
2) Secondary-core actions;
3) Tertiary-special actions and projects, and
4) Integration.
The templates include climate declarations, climate action plan templates and a WALGA Action Planning Excel Tool to strengthen adaptation and mitigation actions undertaken by Local Government.
Local Governments can download the templates from WALGA’s website and edit them to reflect their Local Governments commitments and actions, and guidelines on using the templates are included.
To view the event presentation slides, click
here.
To view a recording of the event, play the video below or click
here.
Images: Presentations were made by Garry Middle, WALGA's Policy Advisor, Environment (top left) and Mia Carlton and Lynsay Hughes, Ernst & Young (bottom left), and Local and State Government, and community members attended the event online and at WALGA (top and bottom right).
Introduction to the Climate Change Templates and Guidelines
To view an introduction and background to using the Climate Change Templates and Guidelines, click
here.
Climate Change Declaration
A Climate Change Declaration may be used as a first step in addressing climate change in Local Government. The Declaration is taken to Councils for endorsement and should connect to priorities in the Local Government’s Strategic Community Plan or Corporate Business Plan.
To download the Climate Change Declaration Template, click
here.
The Declaration provides a clear statement that the Local Government:
- Accepts the science behind climate change;
- Commits to adopting climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies; and
- Identifies a clear objective for signing a Climate Change Declaration.
WALGA encourages Local Governments to become signatories of the Climate Change Declaration, which will support WALGA to advocate for the appropriate funding and development of legislative mechanisms to support Local Government climate change management. The Climate Change Declaration template can be modified to suit each Local Government, and WALGA will professionally print the certificate for signing and display. For further information about signing the Climate Change Declaration, contact us at
environment@walga.asn.au.
To view the Local Governments who have signed the Climate Change Declaration, type “Declaration” into the filtered search on the
Local Government Project Map.
Climate Emergency Declaration
A Climate Emergency Declaration may be adopted by Local Governments who are committed to taking urgent climate action and allocate resources accordingly, to rapidly scale up their mitigation and adaptation actions.
A Climate Emergency Declaration is a commitment to ‘mobilise society-wide resources at sufficient scale and speed to protect civilisation, the economy, people, species and ecosystems’ and to ‘fully restore a safe climate’ (Climate Emergency Declaration 2021).
To download the Climate Emergency Declaration Template, click
here.
WALGA Action Planning Excel Tool
A WALGA Action Planning Excel Tool has been developed that provides a list of action areas that Local Governments may want to adopt as part of the following Action Plans:
- Community Adaptation Action Plan;
- Corporate Adaptation Action Plan;
- Community Mitigation Action Plan; and
- Corporate Mitigation Action Plan.
It is recommended that Local Governments select assess each of the actions areas selected from the WALGA Action Planning Excel Tool against their selected criteria (provided in templates) to ensure that selected actions are realistic and will achieve the greatest impact in building resilience to climate change.
To download the WALGA Action Planning Excel Tool, click
here.
Adaptation Templates
Community Adaptation Action Plan Template
A Community Adaptation Action Plan may be developed as a third step by a Local Government following the development of a Climate Change Policy and Climate Change Declaration and/or Climate Emergency Declaration.
The Community Adaptation Action Plan specifically focuses on identifying actions that the community can take at an individual and whole of community level to adapt to climate change.
To download the Community Adaptation Action Template, click
here.
Corporate Adaptation Action Plan Template
A Corporate Adaptation Action Plan may be developed as a third step by a Local Government following the development of a Climate Change Policy and Climate Change Declaration and/or Climate Emergency Declaration.
The Corporate Adaptation Action Plan specifically focuses on identifying actions that the Local Government can take to manage the risks, and adapt to the impacts of climate change on their operations.
To download the Corporate Adaptation Action Plan Template, click
here.
Mitigation Templates
Community Mitigation Action Plan Template
A Community Mitigation Action Plan may be developed as a third step, by a Local Government following the development of a Climate Change Policy and a Climate Change Declaration and/or Climate Emergency Declaration.
The Community Mitigation Action Plan specifically focuses on identifying actions that the community can take at an individual and whole of community level to reduce and mitigate climate change.
To download the Community Mitigation Action Plan Template, click
here.
Corporate Mitigation Action Plan Template
A Corporate Mitigation Action Plan may be developed as a third step by a Local Government following the development of a Climate Change Policy and Climate Change Declaration and/or Climate Emergency Declaration.
The Corporate Mitigation Action Plan specifically focuses on identifying actions that the Local Government can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within its operations to help avoid future impacts of climate change.
To download the Corporate Mitigation Action Plan Template, click
here.
Policy Development Templates
Climate Change Policy Template
This
template can be used by Local Governments to assist in preparing a climate change policy statement.
Operational Carbon Management Policy Template
Use this
template to prepare a policy statement committing to greenhouse gas reduction, and/or carbon neutrality.
Mitigation Tools
A Project Manager's Guide to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
WALGA's
guideline (2014) sets out a step-by-step process for measuring emissions, together with information on developing and implementing an emission reduction or abatement strategy.
WA Local Government Mitigation Action
For examples of WA Local Governments who have implemented projects aiming to mitigate climate change, type "Mitigation” into the filtered search on the
Local Government Project Map.
The Marginal Abatement Cost Curve Tool (MACC)
The
MACC tool is a decision support tool designed to help Local Governments identify which carbon abatement option is the most cost-effective. Additionally, this tool enables Local Governments to develop a visual representation of their greenhouse gas abatement projects listed from the most cost effective methods of abating carbon dioxide emissions (tCO2-e) to the least cost effective.
WALGA's MACC chart, as shown in Figure 1. above, demonstrates how a MACC chart can be used. The height of the column represents the cost of the project based on its payback period (the length of time taken to pay off the cost of implementing the measure taking into account energy and cost savings from it). The width of the column represents the project’s abatement opportunity (the amount of tCO2-e that can be achieved from the project). A project that is below the X-axis has a negative cost, and results in CO2-e reductions and financial savings to the agency. Items that appear above the X-axis are those that result in CO2-e reductions but at a cost.
Resources to assist in utilising the Marginal Cost Curve Abatement Tool (MACC):
Adaptation Tools
WALGA's Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit
WALGA's adaptation
toolkit (2015) provides a seven-step process to help Local Government managers develop a climate change adaptation strategy.
WA Local Government Adaptation Action
For examples of WA Local Governments who have published an adaptation strategy document, type "Adaptation” into the filtered search on the
Local Government Project Map.
External Resources
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation
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The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
published a market
report
called
Clean Energy Opportunities for Local Government in 2016, which provides general guidance on clean energy investment opportunities for Australian Local Governments. The market report also sets out how the CEFC Local Government Finance Program can assist Local Governments to invest to reduce energy costs and lower carbon emissions
.
The National Climate Change Research Facility
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The
National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) works to support decision makers throughout Australia as they prepare for and manage the risks of climate change and sea-level rise. NCCARF's
Local Government Portal
offers leading impact and adaptation research for Local Governments to make informed decisions about adaptation to climate change. NCCARF's
toolkit
(2013) provides climate change adaptation analysis and decision support for Local Governments. NCCARF also provide a stakeholder engagement
plan, which aims to provide guidance on community involvement in climate change adaptation strategies.
A range of information products, including research reports, fact sheets, data, presentations and other outputs from NCCARF's research programs is available online. To be directed to the NCCARF website, click
here.
AdaptNRM
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AdaptNRM was developed by CSIRO and NCCARF, to produce a
NRM Adaptation Checklist that supports Regional Local Governments to incorporate climate adaptation into plans and decisions for sustainable Natural Resource Management (NRM). It has been designed to assist evaluation, prompt practitioners about where changes to their plans might be needed, and provide additional information which can support the amendment of plans.
The AdaptNRM website can be found
here.