Emissions reduction plan (PDF 287KB)

Emissions reduction

The Australian Government released the Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy in November 2023, setting out the overall approach and action required by Commonwealth entities to achieve the APS Net Zero 2030 target.

While not a department of the Australian Government, the department recognises its role in contributing to emissions reductions. The department is committed to working with the other parliamentary departments to reduce emissions where appropriate.

This Emissions Reduction Plan describes the priorities and actions department is taking to reduce operational emissions and contribute to the APS Net Zero 2030 target, as appropriate.

1. Purpose

All Commonwealth agencies have a role in managing and implementing emissions reduction initiatives set by the Australian Government’s Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy (the Strategy) developed by Department of Finance. The Strategy sets out the Australian Government’s approach to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 2030 and the reinstatement of public emissions reporting.

The Strategy advises that the Government will work with Presiding Officers to determine appropriate consideration of Parliament House for this initiative. The Department of the Senate will support the Presiding Officers when the promised engagement on this initiative gets underway.

2. Net zero greenhouse gas emissions

APS Net Zero 2030 is the target set by the Australian Government to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from government operations by the year 2030. It includes Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from activities in Australia and its territories, as described in the Strategy. The APS Net Zero 2030 target applies at the aggregate level to non-corporate Commonwealth entities and generally covers the entirety of the entity’s organisation. From an organisational perspective, this means minimising the greenhouse gas emissions that are within our control.

3. Governance and reporting

This plan will be updated annually. The department will ensure it complies with reporting requirements as set out in the relevant legislation and guidance, including the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as determined under the Strategy.

4. Operational context

The Senate department provides the secretariat to the Australian Senate and to dozens of parliamentary committees. Our key functions derive from this purpose and our work is substantially driven by the requirements of the Senate and senators. The emissions for which the department has some responsibility relate to the work of the Parliament, principally involving staff travel in support of parliamentary committees. The department also provides Canberra-based vehicles for the President and the Deputy President of the Senate.

The department is located entirely within Parliament House in Canberra, and currently employs around 191 staff. DPS is responsible for providing a range of services to parliamentary departments within Parliament House and the parliamentary precincts, which includes building management, facilities management, and ICT provision. The COMCAR service is provided by the Department of Finance.

5. Baseline emissions and reduction action

Baseline emissions

Baseline emissions are a record of greenhouse gases that have been produced in the past and were produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions. The baseline emissions from financial year 2022-23 are the reference point against which emissions reduction actions can be measured.

The baseline emissions focussed on scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, consistent with the APS Net Zero 2030 target The APS Net Zero emissions reporting for the department includes staff and business activities incorporating flights and fleet vehicle usage. In the department’s 2022-23 annual report, the baseline emissions report (by location-based and market-based electricity greenhouse gas emissions inventory) has been summarised as follows:

Emissions attributed to the running of the Australian Parliament House building, including for departmental staff working in the building, are separately reported by DPS in its annual report.

Emissions reduction targets

The department will collaborate with DPS, the Department of the House of Representatives and the PBO to identify actions that accord with applicable requirements and guidance and where possible to reduce emissions that are controllable by the department. The Senate department has engaged with each of those departments in the development of this plan.

Priorities and actions

The department is undertaking activities to reduce emissions where it has control of its operations, in line with the direction set in the Strategy. This includes:

• observing the requirement to consider climate impacts in the Commonwealth Procurement Rules
• use of electric fleet vehicles where possible, and
• considering alternatives to travel where possible, and encouraging efficient travel arrangements where travel is required.

For the department to contribute to the achievement of the APS Net Zero 2030 target, it will collaborate with the parliamentary departments to identify further actions in accordance with advice from Department of Finance on implementation of the Strategy.