Appendix 7:
Ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance

This appendix comprises the department’s report on its ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance as required by Section 516A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act).

The department continued to ensure that policy activities, administration of legislated activities and other operations accorded with, and enacted, ecologically sustainable development principles. We pursued these principles through a combination of multilateral environmental agreements, international legal frameworks, foreign, trade and aid policies, and property and corporate management policies.

The department participated in UN negotiations for a new global treaty to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdictions.

With the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment, we continued to build international support for the establishment of a network of marine protected areas in East Antarctica. We also supported whole-of-government efforts to deter and prevent illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in the Southern Ocean and Indo–Pacific region.

The department’s aid program was delivered in accordance with the principles of ecological sustainability underpinned by Commonwealth environmental legislation, including the EPBC Act, Australia’s development policy, environmental laws of partner governments and relevant multilateral environment agreements.

Australia’s development policy Australian aid: promoting prosperity, reducing poverty, enhancing stability commits to actively managing risks to people and their environment by applying mandatory safeguards policies. The department’s Aid Programming Guide, Environment Protection Policy for the Aid Program and policy on Displacement and Resettlement of People in Development Activities provide a framework for the management of environmental and social safeguards in aid investments. All investments, regardless of the monetary value or delivery approach, must be assessed for potential environmental and social impacts in accordance with the policies.

The department worked with multilateral and bilateral partners, including the
World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, to improve developing country safeguard systems, and develop a common and robust approach to environment and social safeguards in the Pacific.

All Australian passports issued during the reporting period were printed on Australian Paper’s 100 per cent carbon neutral, environmentally friendly paper range.

In the overseas estate, environmental performance is a core part of all major new construction projects. Environmental management and monitoring through the construction phase includes air quality, noise levels and wastewater management.

The department is actively pursuing various environmentally sustainable initiatives in the delivery of its overseas projects, such as energy-efficient lighting, daylight and motion sensors, rainwater harvesting, and zoned air-conditioning systems and building management systems to lower energy consumption.

The department is also working towards environmental certification of selected new construction projects to recognised international standards. We are also developing an environmental management plan to address the management of energy, water and waste, and greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerants, associated with the operation of DFAT’s property portfolio, and to develop environmentally sustainable initiatives through the building lifecycle.

Environmental management services to all properties in the domestic leased estate are delivered under the department’s property management services contract with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Under the contract JLL provides:

• monitoring and reporting on the impact of DFAT business on the environment
• identifying, costing and, where cost-effective, implementing environmental initiatives
• preparing information for mandatory departmental reporting including Energy Efficiency in Government Operations, National Waste Policy, Australian Packaging Covenant and WaterMAPS
• providing strategic advice on environmental management policy and government direction that will benefit departmental strategies.

JLL is also required to be compliant and remain up-to-date with any changes in relevant legislation, regulation and policy.

The department fulfilled whole-of-government reporting requirements on the ICT Sustainability Plan and the Australian Packaging Covenant. The department collated energy usage according to the metrics outlined in Energy Efficiency in Government Operations (EEGO) Policy, and utilised this information to target initiatives and energy efficiency works.

The department’s leased headquarters in the RG Casey Building in Canberra underwent base building services refurbishment by the owner in April 2016, which was scoped to contribute to improved environmental performance. The department’s leased premises at 255 London Circuit in Canberra holds an accredited 4.5 star National Australian Built Environment Rating System energy rating for offices based on a number of features including an environmentally sustainable cooling system and grey water recycling.