Melbourne: Thursday 31st May 2007,
Venue: ANZ Pavilion The Arts Centre

Brisbane: Thursday 7th June 2007,
Venue: Marriott Hotel

Climate Change is the most pressing issue facing humanity in the 21st Century. Is Carbon Neutrality a realistic approach to reducing the impact of Greenhouse Gas Pollution or is it just greenwash? What is a good offset? And what questions should you be asking about offsets? Where are the carbon emission barriers and where do you stop calculating?

Sydney 24th May, 2007

Speakers:

Keynotes by:

Dr. Mary Stewart - Principal Consultant, Energetics

Wayne Robins - Acting Director, Sustainable Development, EPA Victoria

Darren Clarke - Head of Sustainable Development & Planning, National Bank of Australia

Chair: Peter Cosier - Executive Director, Wentworth Group
	Peter Cosier will chair the debate on offset and their role in carbon neutrality. Peter is the Executive Director and Founding Member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. He has previously spent 6 six years as Policy Advisor to the then Australian Environment Minister, Senator Robert Hill where his responsibilities included international greenhouse policy.

Panel: Jeff Angel – Executive Director, Total Environment Centre
	Jeff is the Executive Director of Total Environment Centre and is without doubt one of Australia's most vocal environmental activists He has been an environmental campaigner since 1973 on a wide range of issues including: urban sustainability, waste management, air pollution, public transport, forest protection, threatened species, coastal planning, corporate environmental sustainability and renewable energy.  He was a key figure responsible for the introduction of lead free petrol in Australia and the high profile environmental successes to save the South East Forests and Snowy River.
Dr. Mary Stewart - Principal Consultant, Energetics
	Mary is a chemical engineer who has worked in decision making for sustainable development for more than ten years. Before joining Energetics in 2005 she was a research fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney. Mary is Principal Consultant to the mining industry, she also has experience in utilities and the process industries. Mary is a recognised international expert on Life Cycle Assessment as it applies to resources.
Wayne Robins - Acting Director, Sustainable Development, EPA Victoria
	Wayne is Senior Manager Sustainability with EPA Victoria.  Through his career Wayne has worked in environment protection and economic development agencies in Victoria and Queensland.  In his current role Wayne leads the development of strategies and partnerships for a more sustainable future.  At EPA Victoria, Wayne has been involved with the development and implementation of: Sustainability Covenant partnerships to improve resource use efficiency by business and organisations such as educational institution Amendments to the Environment Protection Act to enhance the focus of the Act on resource use efficiency as a key means to reducing environmental pressures, and Life cycle approaches such as the use Ecological Footprint measurement and communication tools.
Jack Holden - Team Leader City Sustainability, City of Melbourne
	Jack Holden has advised on, and managed, the purchase of over 300,000 tonnes of carbon offsets for the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne; this includes offsets for the Government’s vehicle fleet and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He has been actively involved in the development of offset standards, policies and contracts since the market emerged in the late 1990s.   Jack was a member of the Australian Standards working group that prepared the carbon accounting standard AS 4978. He is also a member of the United Nation's expert review panel for forest sinks projects in developing countries under the Clean Development Mechanism. He managed the CarbonTender project and until recently was a Senior Policy Analyst in the Victorian Government's Greenhouse Policy Unit. He now leads the Sustainability Team at the City Of Melbourne and is responsible for managing the City’s listing on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Jack has an Applied Science degree in Environmental Management (Deakin) and a Masters in Public Policy and Management (Melbourne).
Bridget Brill -  Director Industry Partnerships, Australian Greenhouse Office
	Bridget Brill has worked at the AGO since 2001 in the International Section, previously Bridget worked overseas on sustainable development issues with a variety of agencies including the United Nations.  Bridget has been a Director in the Industry Partnerships Branch of the Australian Greenhouse Office since January 2006 and is responsible for a number of industry greenhouse programs including Greenhouse Friendly.   Greenhouse Friendly is the Australian government voluntary offset scheme.  The scheme certifies organisations, products or services as carbon neutral through a full life cycle approach and independent verification.  The scheme also approves abatement projects that are able to generate Greenhouse Friendly carbon credits.  The abatement projects are required to meet strict additionality rules and independent verification before being approved.  Greenhouse Friendly is one of the largest voluntary offset schemes in the world  - with an expected volume of around 4 million tonnes of abatement by the end of this year.

Melbourne: 31st May 2007

Speakers

Keynotes by:

Dr. Mary Stewart – Principal Consultant, Energetics

Mick Bourke – Chairman - EPA Victoria

Simon Legear - General Manager Property&Procurement Operations, National Bank of Australia

Chair: Murray Hogarth - Group Strategy Director, Ecos Corporation

Murray Hogarth is group strategy director with Ecos Corporation, advising business on major sustainability issues including climate change. He’s also an active campaigner for consumers to take practical action on saving energy and water, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, through Ecos subsidiary Easy Being Green. Murray is author of The 3rd Degree: Frontline in Australia’s Climate War, published by Pluto Press in April 2007. His book explores Australia’s climate awakening, and how the nation will fight its greatest challenge from five main perspectives – politics, business, the media, the environment movement and consumerism. Before joining Ecos, Murray had an award-winning career in print and television journalism. He reported for flagship ABC-TV current affairs programs Four Corners and The 7.30 Report, and with top newspaper mastheads such as The National Times and The Australian, culminating with a spell as Environment Editor at Australia’s leading quality newspaper, The Sydney Morning Herald. Murray is a regular speaker and media commentator on sustainability issues. His pro bono roles include membership of the advisory panel for the Total Environment Centre’s Green Capital Program, and serving as a longstanding Board member of the Environmental Defenders’ Office of NSW.

Panel: Jeff Angel – Executive Director, Total Environment Centre
	Jeff is the Executive Director of Total Environment Centre and is without doubt one of Australia's most vocal environmental activists He has been an environmental campaigner since 1973 on a wide range of issues including: urban sustainability, waste management, air pollution, public transport, forest protection, threatened species, coastal planning, corporate environmental sustainability and renewable energy.  He was a key figure responsible for the introduction of lead free petrol in Australia and the high profile environmental successes to save the South East Forests and Snowy River.
Dr. Mary Stewart - Principal Consultant, Energetics
	Mary is a chemical engineer who has worked in decision making for sustainable development for more than ten years. Before joining Energetics in 2005 she was a research fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney. Mary is Principal Consultant to the mining industry, she also has experience in utilities and the process industries. Mary is a recognised international expert on Life Cycle Assessment as it applies to resources.
Mick Bourke - CEO, EPA Victoria
	Mick has held the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EPA Victoria since August 2002. Prior to this Mick has headed up organisations including City West Water Ltd and Coliban Water.  He has a long background in regional Victoria as well as metropolitan Melbourne. Mick is a past Board Member of the Energy and Water Industry Ombudsman of Victoria;  and the Royal Botanical Gardens.  Currently he is a member of the Sustainability Victoria Board.  He also holds a variety of other roles related to the environment and sustainability.
Jack Holden - Team Leader City Sustainability, City of Melbourne
	Jack Holden has advised on, and managed, the purchase of over 300,000 tonnes of carbon offsets for the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne; this includes offsets for the Government’s vehicle fleet and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He has been actively involved in the development of offset standards, policies and contracts since the market emerged in the late 1990s.   Jack was a member of the Australian Standards working group that prepared the carbon accounting standard AS 4978. He is also a member of the United Nation's expert review panel for forest sinks projects in developing countries under the Clean Development Mechanism. He managed the CarbonTender project and until recently was a Senior Policy Analyst in the Victorian Government's Greenhouse Policy Unit. He now leads the Sustainability Team at the City Of Melbourne and is responsible for managing the City’s listing on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Jack has an Applied Science degree in Environmental Management (Deakin) and a Masters in Public Policy and Management (Melbourne).
David Pinch – Assistant Manager, Greenhouse FriendlyTM, Australian Greenhouse Office
	David has been with the Australian Greenhouse Office and other parts of the Department of the Environment and Water Resources for 12 years, focusing on business-related issues.   David has been a senior member of the Greenhouse FriendlyTM team since the beginning of 2006. Greenhouse FriendlyTM is the Australian Government’s voluntary offset initiative. The initiative both certifies carbon neutral claims and approves abatement projects, and is on track to achieve around 4 million tonnes of abatement by the end of the calendar year.   Before moving to the Australian Greenhouse Office David led the Department’s work on corporate social responsibility and sustainability reporting, and encouraging finance sector involvement in sustainability.

Rick Humphries - Manager Climate Change, Rio Tinto Aluminum

In February 2005, Rick was appointed as Rio Tinto Aluminium’s Climate Change Manager based in Brisbane where he is responsible for operationalising” Rio Tinto Aluminium’’s climate change strategy. This strategy involves driving energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction programmes across Rio Tinto Aluminium’s sites. Rick has had extensive experience in the non-government environment sector having worked for a number of organisations, including the Wilderness Society in Australia, Greenpeace and the Australian Conservation Foundation in WA. Between 1999 and 2004 Rick worked as a senior consultant with Ecos Corporation where he worked with a wide variety of companies in Australia, NZ, the US and in the EU including DuPont, Aventis, IAG in Australia and NZ, Wattyl Paints, Rio Tinto Aluminium and AGL.

Brisbane: 7th June 2007

Speakers

Keynotes by:

Dr. Mary Stewart – Principal Consultant, Energetics

Rachel O'Neill - Director, Carbon Solutions Group, Institutional Banking – nabCapital

Chair: Terence Jeyaretnam - Director, Net Balance Management Group

Terence has worked in corporate sustainability/sustainability reporting with over 100 companies and has verified the largest number of sustainability/environmental reports in Australia. Terence is a member of the judging panels of several sustainability awards and sustainability reporting awards, and is the National Chair of the College of Environmental Engineers. He was recently named one of Australia's most influential engineers.

Panel: Toby Hutcheon – Coordinator, Queensland Conservation Council
	Toby Hutcheon has worked on environmental issues for over 20 years. He was a campaigner for Greenpeace in the mid 80’s opposing nuclear powered and armed ship visits to Australia- dividing his time between the Greenpeace office and the bows of nuclear warships. In 1988 he established Greenpeace Actions, managing all Greenpeace’s high profile direct actions around Australia. More recently, he worked for the Western Sydney Waste Board, a NSW Government agency, as the Manager of Marketing and Communications. Toby was appointed QCC Coordinator in June 2004 and is now broadening the organisations links with the community, and focussing upon water and climate change, probably the two biggest issues facing Queensland.
Dr. Mary Stewart - Principal Consultant, Energetics
	Mary is a chemical engineer who has worked in decision making for sustainable development for more than ten years. Before joining Energetics in 2005 she was a research fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney. Mary is Principal Consultant to the mining industry, she also has experience in utilities and the process industries. Mary is a recognised international expert on Life Cycle Assessment as it applies to resources.
Jack Holden - Team Leader City Sustainability, City of Melbourne
	Jack Holden has advised on, and managed, the purchase of over 300,000 tonnes of carbon offsets for the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne; this includes offsets for the Government’s vehicle fleet and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He has been actively involved in the development of offset standards, policies and contracts since the market emerged in the late 1990s.   Jack was a member of the Australian Standards working group that prepared the carbon accounting standard AS 4978. He is also a member of the United Nation's expert review panel for forest sinks projects in developing countries under the Clean Development Mechanism. He managed the CarbonTender project and until recently was a Senior Policy Analyst in the Victorian Government's Greenhouse Policy Unit. He now leads the Sustainability Team at the City Of Melbourne and is responsible for managing the City’s listing on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Jack has an Applied Science degree in Environmental Management (Deakin) and a Masters in Public Policy and Management (Melbourne).
Bridget Brill -  Director Industry Partnerships, Australian Greenhouse Office
	Bridget Brill has worked at the AGO since 2001 in the International Section, previously Bridget worked overseas on sustainable development issues with a variety of agencies including the United Nations.  Bridget has been a Director in the Industry Partnerships Branch of the Australian Greenhouse Office since January 2006 and is responsible for a number of industry greenhouse programs including Greenhouse Friendly.   Greenhouse Friendly is the Australian government voluntary offset scheme.  The scheme certifies organisations, products or services as carbon neutral through a full life cycle approach and independent verification.  The scheme also approves abatement projects that are able to generate Greenhouse Friendly carbon credits.  The abatement projects are required to meet strict additionality rules and independent verification before being approved.  Greenhouse Friendly is one of the largest voluntary offset schemes in the world  - with an expected volume of around 4 million tonnes of abatement by the end of this year.

Rick Humphries - Manager Climate Change, Rio Tinto Aluminum

In February 2005, Rick was appointed as Rio Tinto Aluminium’s Climate Change Manager based in Brisbane where he is responsible for “operationalising” Rio Tinto Aluminium’’s climate change strategy. This strategy involves driving energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction programmes across Rio Tinto Aluminium’s sites. Rick has had extensive experience in the non-government environment sector having worked for a number of organisations, including the Wilderness Society in Australia, Greenpeace and the Australian Conservation Foundation in WA. Between 1999 and 2004 Rick worked as a senior consultant with Ecos Corporation where he worked with a wide variety of companies in Australia, NZ, the US and in the EU including DuPont, Aventis, IAG in Australia and NZ, Wattyl Paints, Rio Tinto Aluminium and AGL.

The Debate

Why you should be there?

Background Information

Neutral and Beyond: A review of carbon neutrality & offsets [PDF 215Kb] - Opinions from the industry on carbon neutrality and offsets.

KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS

Post Event Forums

Learning from Carbon Markets

Accreditation and Reliability of Offsets

PRESENTATIONS