Towards Zero Net Emissions in the NAGA region
Towards Zero Net Emissions in the NAGA region
A ground-breaking regional strategy to address climate change 'Towards Zero Net Emissions for the NAGA Region (TZNE)' has been released. TZNE can deliver significant emissions reductions across municipalities covering the CBD and northern metropolitan Melbourne, together representing 25% of Melbourne's population. The Plan highlights the key actions which would stem the growth of greenhouse emissions and make major inroads towards the transition to a low carbon region.
The Plan is the culmination of 12 months research and consultation involving the members of the Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action.
Without action, emissions from the region are anticipated to grow by almost 19% to over 25,000 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions, as the population grows. The TZNE plan proposes a leading role for alliance members to lead new projects which could not only stabilise growth but lead to reductions of 24% (from business-as-usual levels) by 2020.
The methodology used to derive emissions for 2005/2006 and projections to 2020 is based on the standard categories specified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), using a combination of modelled and local data, where it was available. Details on the scope and methodology can be found in the Supporting Document 'Emissions Calculations' (download below).
Sectors for action
Chief areas for attention include the industrial, commercial and residential sectors, which along with private transport, dominate the region's greenhouse gas profile. The plan outlines a combination of actions to use energy more efficiently, promote more efficient technologies and renewable energy supplies, establish new energy services and improve planning to make communities more liveable and better able to manage in a climate changed world. TZNE sets out a series of actions which will benefit local communities and economies.
The plan was initiated in an effort to provide a basis for clear and united actions which, when undertaken as a regional group, could deliver more substantial changes than any single member could achieve alone. NAGA is the first regional group in Australia to undertake such a systematic and long term strategy to reduce emissions. The time is now right to scale up our actions and assist the local community and economy to address the impacts of climate change.
The NAGA TZNE Final Report and Executive Summary can be downloaded below.
Energy use data
As part of its TZNE Project, NAGA undertook to explore a way for councils and other government bodies to access community energy usage data at the local level. NAGA has been working closely with distribution businesses and the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) to reach agreements on data sharing. DSE has recently obtained local data, gathered directly from electricity and gas distributors, that provides detailed information of household energy use across Victoria from 2004 to 2007. DSE is providing results to local Councils to help them tailor local energy saving programs to cut energy use across the state.
This project was funded through the Victorian Government's Sustainability Fund under the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord.
