Oral Presentation IPWEA International Public Works Conference 2025

Carbon, where to begin from an operational perspective (122556)

Rebecca Harris 1 2
  1. Brightly Software, Melbourne, VICTORIA, Australia
  2. Siemens, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

As the need to reduce carbon emissions grows, asset owners are under increasing pressure to measure, manage, and reduce their carbon footprint. The introduction of the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS) in 2024 further intensified this pressure, with mandatory reporting commencing for entities that meet the prescribed thresholds. The mandatory reporting is expected to extend to local governments in the near future. While many local governments took that first step in writing their climate action and decarbonisation plans, implementing the specified actions remains a challenge for numerous councils.   For those struggling, the path ahead can seem unclear, however asset owners already have access to valuable tools to help them begin their carbon monitoring journey. This session will provide a practical guide to identifying and leveraging that information.

The presentation will explore open resources for benchmarking and guidance, along with the practical steps asset owners can take to begin measuring and reducing emissions within their business operations. This includes:

  • Understanding ASRS requirements and their implications.
  • Leveraging their existing data (such as energy bills, fuel usage, fleet records).
  • Accessing open resources and tools such as the Global Reporting Initiative, Greenhouse Gas Protocol and Carbon Disclosure Project.
  • Smart data collection, focusing on useful, realistic data that balances value with minimal administrative burden.
  • Implementing a monitoring framework – what to start with, and what to aim for.
  • Evaluating and actioning – how to evaluate the results and translate insights into actionable reductions.

Case studies will be incorporated amongst the practical guidance and this session will equip attendees with the knowledge and tools to kickstart their carbon monitoring. The session will conclude with a call to action, encouraging the audience to ‘Don’t delay, start today…. because tomorrow depends on it!’