Appendix 5:
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). During the reporting period, 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 environment agreements, international legal frameworks, foreign, trade and aid policies, and property and corporate management policies.

The department continued to contribute to the development of a new global treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, co-sponsoring the UN General Assembly’s resolution to commence formal negotiations in September.

With the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Energy, 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. This year the department streamlined guidance on our safeguard responsibilities through the release of the Environmental and Social Safeguard Policy for the Aid Program (see p. 55).

The department is integrating climate change action and disaster risk reduction across our entire aid program to ensure our development and humanitarian assistance supports partners to reduce emissions and address the impacts of climate change. Integration will protect investments, build long-term resilience to climate and disaster impacts, and help our development partners to manage climate risks.

Australia is leading global efforts to conserve coastal ecosystems (mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses), which play a significant role in carbon sequestration. In 2017 the department committed $6 million to a new initiative to protect and manage coastal ecosystems in the Pacific, and almost half a million dollars for blue carbon initiatives in the Indian Ocean region. This was complemented by 11 Australia Awards Fellowships for Indian Ocean Rim Association members (Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius) to build capacity on managing the Blue Economy.

In October the department also committed $5 million to assist in developing innovative mechanisms to support the management and restoration of global coral reefs. This investment, in conjunction with a $2 million commitment through the International Coral Reef Initiative and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, will support capacity building and data collection activities in the Indo-Pacific region.

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 environmental and social safeguards.

All Australian passports issued during the reporting period were printed on paper produced from wood pulp certified as sustainable and ethically sourced.

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. Under the contract it provides:

1. monitoring and reporting on the impact of DFAT business on the environment
2. identifying, costing and, where cost effective, implementing environmental initiatives
3. preparing information for DFAT mandatory reporting, including Energy Efficiency in Government Operations (EEGO), National Waste Policy, Australian Packaging Covenant and WaterMAPS
4. providing strategic advice on environmental management policy and government direction that will benefit DFAT 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 required whole‑of‑government reporting on the ICT Sustainability Plan and the Australian Packaging Covenant. The department collated energy usage according to the metrics outlined in EEGO Policy and used this information to target initiatives and energy efficiency works.

The department joined a number of other federal government agencies in becoming a signatory of the national CitySwitch Green Office program. Through active participation in this program, the department has further formalised the commitment to sustainable operation of its office tenancies.

Refurbishment of the base building services in the RG Casey Building in 2016 improved the building’s environmental performance. This building constitutes a significant portion of the department’s domestic stationary energy use. Current monthly consumption is approximately 25% lower than before the refurbishment. We expect consumption for 2018–19 to reduce further, with the relocation of server equipment into more efficient external data centres.

The department’s leased premises at 255 London Circuit Canberra hold an accredited 4.5 star National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) energy rating for offices. The building features a number of sustainable design elements, including an environmentally sustainable cooling system and grey water recycling. In 2018 the NABERS Energy tenancy rating at 40 Allara St Canberra improved to 5 stars as a result of increased occupant density, equating to more productive use of the energy at this site.

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

The department actively pursues 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 (BMS) to lower energy consumption.

The department is also working towards environmental certification of selected new construction projects to recognised international standards. This includes 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 the department’s property portfolio, and to develop environmentally sustainable initiatives through the building lifecycle.

In 2017–18 the department installed an extensive 535 panel solar array at the embassy in Amman, Jordan. The system is expected to produce significant savings per year, with an expected payback period of just over two years.

JLL provided ongoing energy and BMS monitoring and engineering support at the new embassy in Jakarta. As a result of this program, opportunities for controls modifications were identified. To date the program has generated annual savings of at least $70,000 a year.