By Tanya Davies
IF they’re lucky, the recent releases of the Garnaut Report and the Rudd Government’s Green Paper may detract from the ACT Government’s “Weathering the Change” progress report’s impending first anniversary.
It should reveal the advancement of a number of initiatives set to develop in coming years – such as pursuing carbon neutrality in Government buildings and schools and energy efficiency rating for all buildings. 
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, Action Plan 1 (that runs from 2007-2011) has achieved a number of its aims and at least 12 initiatives have been successfully implemented. 
Top of the list is legislating to introduce the nation’s most-generous renewable energy feed-in tariff. The 59c tariff will enable householders to sell their solar-generated electricity back to the grid at roughly four times the market rate. 
The replacement of street lighting with energy efficient bulbs started last year and is continuing with a further $3 million announced in the 2008/09 Budget.
Last year, 1700 light blubs across the ACT were replaced and a further 5100 will be replaced this year. It is estimated that the program will result in a greenhouse gas reduction of 3000 tonnes a year.
The first meeting of the Climate Change Roundtable was held on June 24. Chief Minister Jon Stanhope explained: “This roundtable will consider how we can promote greater uptake of environmentally sound alternatives in order to bring about a real reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the Territory.”
Work is also under way to introduce differential stamp-duty costs for vehicles, providing an incentive for Canberrans to purchase low-emission vehicles, and improve the energy efficiency of public housing, as part of a $20 million commitment over 10 years. 
However, all eyes will be on the first point of Action Plan 1: The development of an energy policy; something the Government has been criticised as burying since 2006. 
Community climate action group SEE-change, which formed with the advent of the strategy last year, is planning a public meeting to coincide with the anniversary. In addition, it is launching an Ecological Footprint Challenge with the aim of reducing the footprint of surrounding suburbs by 30 per cent over the next three years. Sub-groups from Woden and Jamison will focus on reducing energy, food choices and waste. 
Greens MLA Dr Deb Foskey has been critical that there was no mention of an energy policy in this year’s Budget papers. She said: “The skyrocketing price of fuel is drawing our attention to the scale of the challenge. 
“Energy policy is the strongest tool we have to enable us to deal with the energy shocks of the future – all of which, obviously, are foreseeable now.  To leave it to ‘the market’ is to invite disaster.”