Client Case: Climate Change Strategy

Background

A regional government council in WA, characterized by its vast land space and a small, dispersed population, faced significant challenges in addressing climate change risks. With limited council properties and resources, the council struggled to identify effective strategies for emissions reduction, climate risk management, and enhancing resilience within its jurisdiction.

Challenges

The council needed to:

• Understand and mitigate legal and financial risks associated with climate change.
• Improve spatial hazard data for better planning and response to climate risks such as bushfires and flooding.
• Navigate and align with WA government’s ambitious climate targets and legislative framework.

Our Main Approach

Our consultancy team, leveraging insights from the government’s collaborative climate action framework, embarked on a tailored project with the regional council. Our approach consisted of three key strategies:

Capacity Building in Climate Risk Governance:

• Conducted workshops and training sessions for council staff and local stakeholders on climate risk management, focusing on the unique aspects of rural settings.
• Developed a customized toolkit for assessing and managing climate risks, considering the council’s limited infrastructure and resources.

Enhancing Spatial Hazard Data and Management:

• Partnered with state government agencies to access and refine spatial hazard data specific to the region, enhancing the council’s ability to plan for and respond to climate-related hazards.
• Facilitated the development of a rural-specific co-investment framework for improving spatial data on bushfires, flooding, and heatwaves, enabling more effective and targeted climate resilience efforts.

Innovative Emissions Reduction and Renewable Energy Initiatives:

• Identified and implemented low-cost, high-impact renewable energy projects suitable for rural settings, such as community solar initiatives and biomass energy from agricultural waste.
• Advised on carbon-neutral procurement strategies, enabling the council to lead by example in reducing emissions from its limited operations.

Outcomes

The council, with our consultancy’s support, achieved notable progress:

• Established a robust framework for climate risk governance, significantly reducing potential legal and financial liabilities.
• Improved resilience to climate hazards through enhanced spatial data and targeted infrastructure projects.
• Made strides towards emissions reduction, setting a precedent for renewable energy adoption in rural Australia.

Our work with the regional government council demonstrates the effectiveness of tailored climate change strategies that consider the unique characteristics and challenges of rural settings. By building capacity, enhancing data use, innovating in emissions reduction, and prioritizing greening, the council is now better equipped to meet and exceed WA’s climate action targets. This case story exemplifies our consultancy’s commitment to delivering customized, impactful solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation across diverse settings.