Australia Implements New Regulation for GHG Reporting

Effective this month, Australia has a new National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System that’s designed to monitor the emissions that cause climate change. Australian businesses that exceed greenhouse gases (GHG) limits will be required to monitor, measure and report emissions data to the government by 2009.

It’s the first step of Australia’s emissions trading program, which requires robust and comparable information –much of which is already demanded by the public.

Katie Lahey, chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, wrote last October in “The Age” newspaper, “…businesses cannot afford to sit back and wait for trading to formally start before addressing the implications of the new requirement on their strategies and operations. It’s a fundamental long-term transition from a high-emissions to a low-emissions world economy.”

This year, Australia will quantify emissions produced by large corporations. Businesses that emit more than 125 kilotons of greenhouse gases or consume or produce more than 500 trillion joules of energy will be required to collect data to meet annual reporting requirements.

Individual facilities that emit more than 25 kilotons of greenhouse gases, or use or produce 100 trillion joules of energy will also need to collect and report data. Twenty-five kilotons of greenhouse gas emissions is the equivalent of the annual emissions of more than 6,200 cars; 100 trillion joules equates to the annual energy use of about 1,900 households.

While the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act takes effect this month, businesses will have until August 31, 2009 to register and until October 31, 2009 to submit their first annual greenhouse and energy report.

Most Australian corporations already report their GHG information because of increasing pressure from stakeholders, but the new program will standardize what is monitored and measured.
A rapidly growing number of jurisdictions worldwide are adopting new standards for GHG reporting that require robust information management. The ESS GHG/Carbon Management Solution is designed to help businesses comply with regulations in Australia and most other countries worldwide. Whether your organization is conducting internal baseline calculations or complying with laws that require greater levels of transparency and accountability, integrated information management systems are a necessary component of a corporate carbon management plan.

Add comment July 2nd, 2008