One of the greatest challenges for the world today is to combat and adapt to climate change. Australia's Defence Force aims to do whatever it can to halt its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions across its broad range of activities.

What is climate change?
Climate change is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases trapped in the Earth's atmosphere. These gases absorb heat leaving the earth and return some of it, making the earth warmer overall. This disruption in the planet's delicate climatic balance can have devastating impacts such as an increase in temperatures and sea levels. Significant changes in weather patterns, including an increase in floods, storms, bushfires, and extreme climatic events are also likely events. Many of these impacts will have a significant influence on the plants and animal life, as well as human health for the foreseeable future.

What is Defence doing to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions?
Defence is involved in a range of activities across Australia and therefore our greenhouse gas reduction program has many facets.

Reducing Energy Usage
Of course that largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions is the generation of energy via coal power. This is an area that Defence is really focussing on, particularly as we are the biggest user of energy in the Government at around 45%. Defence has updated it's Energy Policy to reflect the Energy Efficiency in Government Operations (EEGO) Policy released by the Australian Government in 2006 and has set an interim target to cut our energy usage by 10% over 07/08. Defence has also invested in Regional Energy and Sustainability Managers who implement energy saving initiatives at sites, as well as increase awareness of energy usage amongst site users.

Reducing waste and recycling
Waste that ends in landfill sites can generate significant amounts of greenhouse gases and Defence has taken several steps to minimise this impact. The specific goal of Defence's Waste Program is to minimise waste generation and disposal to landfill.

Green Buildings
The principle of Ecologically Sustainable Development is to provide healthy internal and external environments for humans while also reducing the whole of life environmental impacts of buildings. Key areas identified are:

• Greenhouse gas emissions (of materials during manufacture, and building once constructed);
• Water consumption;
• Pollution and emission;
• Impact on ecology;
• Use of natural resources;
• Generation of waste; and
• Toxicity of materials.

Defence is an award winning leader in Ecologically Sustainable Development and is a founding member of the Green Building Council of Australia. Defence's Green Building Policy and Toolbox are widely embraced by Defence's industry partners.

Car Fleets
Defence is currently looking at ways to reduce the impacts of our car fleets in several ways:

• Defence participates in the Governments E10 program that encourages government agencies to use Ethanol blended fuels.
• Defence seeks higher levels of fuel efficiency in our fleet cars;
• Where possible changing the makeup of our car fleets to more efficient cars with less emissions.

Defence's people making a difference - the Combat Climate Change Initiative
The greatest challenge and biggest opportunity for Defence to make a real difference to climate change is reach out and encourage individuals to take action when at work, but also to take action back in their home and community life. The Combat Climate Change initiative aims to give advice and information about ways individuals can lessen their carbon footprint in the office and at home in easy and simple ways.
Click here for more information on Combat Climate Change.

Contacts
For further information on Defence's Waste Program please contact the Director of Energy Efficiency and Resource Management (DEERM).