Moreland Energy Foundation LimitedYear in Review 2009–2010Special edition celebrating a decade of good energy

Gowanbrae

Glenroy

Coburg

Brunswick

Hadfi eld

Pascoe Vale

Oak Park

Brunswick West

Pascoe Vale South

Tullamarine

Coburg North

Fawkner

Brunswick East

Contents

Moreland Energy Foundation Limited 3

From the CEO and Chair 4

Vision, values and strategic directions 6

Ten years of action 7

Community engagement 8

Energy effi ciency 12

Sustainable energy supply 16

Urban development 18

Climate policy 22

A sustainable MEFL 20

Sustainability report 28

Global Reporting Initiative index 28

More about MEFL 30

1

Moreland City Council has long been regarded as a leader in local government sustainability and is MEFL’s primary partner and stakeholder. Our relationship with Council provides an opportunity for both Council and MEFL to push the boundaries of local climate change action. We continue to work together to create opportunities for new technical, fi nancial, social and political approaches to energy sustainability.

We also engage strongly with the community, explore and evaluate ways to deliver greater energy effi ciency for households and business, help drive decentralised energy at household, business and precinct levels, promote sustainable urban development, and lobby for policy changes to support action on climate change.

We work in partnership with government agencies, households, businesses, industry, schools, community groups, local government, and other non-government organisations, including social and environmental organisations.

We also seek to be a sustainable business ourselves, providing a healthy, productive workplace and accountability for members, funders, and the wider community.

There is an increased urgency for effective implementation of the types of programs delivered by MEFL both for greenhouse gas emissions reduction and adaption to changing climate conditions. The challenge will be to secure the resources and capacity to continually refi ne and ramp-up the scale and impact of our programs in the face of emissions growth and the increasingly dire climate impact scenarios.

Moreland Energy Foundation Limited ABN 72 095 439 160Level 1, 233 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Victoria 3056Postal Address: PO Box 276, Brunswick, Victoria 3056Phone: 03 9385 8585 Fax: 03 9385 8586www.mefl .com.au

For information about this publication, contact:Amy BrandCommunications CoordinatorPhone direct: 03 9385 8503

Moreland EnergyFoundation Limited

MEFL is celebrating its fi rst decade of operation after being established by the Moreland City Council in December 2000 with funds generated by the sale of the Brunswick and Coburg Electricity Supply Departments. Since then, MEFL has continued the mission of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Moreland community.

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1994 The Brunswick and Coburg Electricity Supply Departments are sold under the State Government’s privatisation policy. Mike Hill and Roger Lamb lead calls to the Moreland City Council Commissioners and new Council to set aside 10% of the $54.5 million sale price to continue the department’s community energy conservation work.

A short history of MEFL:

We are at a pivotal time as an organisation, and as a community. As we consider MEFL’s evolution and achievements over the year and the last decade, the huge challenge of the next year and the next decade come into sharp focus.

As all of our members and supporters know only too well, now is the time for decisive action on climate change, locally and globally. MEFL will keep building community leadership and momentum through deepening our engagement within our local area, and we will join with other communities to build an undeniable groundswell of action.

We have learnt that this groundswell must be inclusive, compelling and politically strong.

Although the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit and the collapse of support for a carbon emissions trading scheme for Australia has meant it’s been a very frustrating, challenging and disappointing policy environment, the past year has been a year of action at MEFL and in Moreland.

Highlights have included the growth in the number of households and businesses participating in our Zero Carbon Moreland campaign, as well as our strengthened partnership with the Moreland City Council on key projects such as the Coburg Initiative and the Moreland Energy Partnership. We have had the opportunity to workwith many different organisations this year, including universities, private consultants, other local governments, State and Federal government agencies and a range of non government organisations. Our expertise and unique community-based perspective are much in demand, and working on a variety of innovative projects with such a range of partners builds our skills and our capacity to deliver more greenhouse pollution reduction in our own community.

This year our Board led a review of our strategic objectives and we now have a new strategic plan for the 2010–2015 period. The directions articulated in the plan demonstrate a maturing of MEFL as an organisation and communicate the urgency with which we must transition to a more sustainable footing. We would like to thank the Board for their ongoing generosity and support for MEFL.

Our staff group has consolidated this year and all staff have worked hard to achieve the impressive outcomes summarised in these pages. The team has created a positive and productive workplace, sharpened our focus on the sustainability of MEFL as an operation and developed effective systems to cater for the growth of the organisation. It is an ongoing challenge for MEFL to ensure that we are properly resourced and that we can support a level of activity equal to the challenge of our strategy. We are confi dent though, that with our dedicated staff and vibrant Board, we can rise to that challenge.

Paul Murfi tt, CEO

Mike Hill, Chair

From the CEOand Chair

Paul Murfi tt, CEO

We are pleased to provide this summary of the Moreland Energy Foundation’s activities over the past 12 months; a year that marks the 10th anniversary of our unique and vibrant organisation.

1996 The concept for a ‘Moreland Energy Fund’ emerges from Council under the leadership of Mayor Mike Hill and Council offi cers, including Paul Murfi tt and Richard Jennings.

Message to MikeAfter ten years, this is Mike Hill’s fi nal year as the Chair of Moreland Energy Foundation. On behalf of the Board and staff, past and present, I would like to sincerely thank Mike for the amazing contribution he has made to the establishment and development of MEFL and for the generous and insightful support he provides to so many of the people who are working for a sustainable community. Thanks Mike!Paul

5

2000 MEFL’s company constitution is established and community members are appointed to the board.

Our vision: An active, inspired community tackling climate change with sustainable energy solutions.Our values: innovation, honesty, respect, resilience and teamwork.The strategic directions underpinning our 2010–2015 Strategic Plan include:

1. We deliver community based solutions on sustainable energy.

2. We build partnerships and alliances for sustainable local communities.

3. We grow and share energy knowledge with the community.

4. We are infl uential and provide leadership in an urgent transition to a sustainable future.

5. Our business is sustainability and our business is sustainable.

MEFL’s Strategic Plan 2010–2015 can be found on the MEFL website or directly at tinyurl.com/mefl sp1015.

Vision, values andstrategic directions

MEFL staff, Kevin, Amy and Govind at the Zero Carbon Moreland Next Steps Forum (2010).

2001 MEFL is offi cially launched with a celebration at the Moreland Town Hall.

These include direct sustainable energy advice to local households, businesses, and community organisations, as well as technical research and training on sustainable energy solutions. We are focused on bringing a community perspective and social equity principles to the broad sustainability debate.

Over the past decade, we have:

• worked with thousands of local households, community groups, and businesses to improve their energy effi ciency and focus on climate change action;

• played a lead role in developing and delivering a range of diverse fl agship programs such as EcoSmart Electricians, Kinda Cooling, and our current lead program Moreland Solar City;

• attracted federal, state and local government grants and other project funding to launch community engagement programs like Zero Carbon Moreland, and undertake research and technical programs;

• delivered many hundreds of events, workshops and training programs focused on sustainable energy solutions, drawing in residents across all sectors of the community including local businesses, new parents groups, new arrivals in the African and Arabic communities, neighbourhood houses, resident groups and concerned citizens;

• lobbied for important policy changes related to building standards, energy effi ciency measures and stronger support for renewable energy;

• undertaken innovative research and developed effective information resources about practical ways to reduce emissions that are now used by communities across Australia;

• worked with a diverse range of organisations from local government, the community, environment and social justice sectors, universities, and industry associations;

• developed a strong local presence as an informed, credible and reliable source of sustainability energy knowledge, experience and advice;

• connected with international sustainability experts to share knowledge and drive innovation; and

• built an organisation dealing with sustainability issues that is also in itself sustainable, with a focus on providing a positive and productive workplace, transparency in our operations and modelling environmental best practice in our offi ce.

Through 2009–10 we have continued that work, and laid the foundations for our endeavours over the next ten years under our key areas of activity:

• Community engagement• Energy effi ciency• Sustainable energy supply• Urban development• Climate policy• Sustainable business

This report details and illustrates our work in each of these areas, particularly over the past 12 months.

Ten yearsof action

Since we got started ten years ago, MEFL has developed and delivered a range of sustainable energy outcomes in the Moreland community.

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2001 The Moreland community gets involved when MEFL hosts a series of community consultations to explain its vision and receive ideas and feedback from local residents.

A fantastic example of local com-munity engagement and action, ZCM also helps us refi ne the sustainable energy tools, resources, and advocacy needed for households and commercial and industrial businesses within Moreland and beyond.

ZCM builds on the work that was done, prior to MEFL’s establishment, by the Brunswick and Coburg Electricity Supply Departments, and in the years since we began.

As well as working with our local community to bring down greenhouse gas emissions, we conduct research to discover new technical solutions and lobby for policy change to support communities on the ground. A big focus is on programs that address fuel poverty and the health impacts of climate change as we prepare to adapt to a harsher climate.

Through ZCM, MEFL looks to lead by example, providing the tools and opportunities for communities to come together and fi nd the solutions for sustainability. From school yards and factory fl oors to backyards and shopfronts, we are putting together the pieces of the puzzle to foster solutions to climate change.

We aim to engage with as many people and groups as possible in the Moreland community, to work together to fi nd solutions which drastically reduce greenhouse emissions and create resilient communities.

Action and achievements• Zero Carbon Moreland: more than

2000 households and 140 business and community groups in Moreland had signed up by June 30, 2010 to reduce their carbon footprint.

• One Million Homes and Towards Climate Safe Homes: MEFL is a partner in statewide campaigns to build new homes to higher energy standards and provide water and energy retrofi ts for existing homes, particularly income households.

• Healthy Climate Project and Warm Home Cool Home: we have launched innovative programs for vulnerable households in partnership with key community sector organisations – the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Merri Community Health Services. More than 100 homes were retrofi tted through the year under Warm Home Cool Home. A full assessment of energy and cost savings will be carried out in mid 2011.

• Training: more than 200 people received training from MEFL this year. Courses were conducted on energy management, the State Government’s Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance Strategy (STEPS), and Sustainable Design Scorecard Assessment Tools for Building Environmental Performance, attracting a new wave of trainees, including corporate and council sustainability managers.

• MEFL database: implemented our new, comprehensive database to better track our engagement with the community and other stakeholders.

Communityengagement

Zero Carbon Moreland (ZCM) is our fl agship initiative under the Moreland Solar City project.

Zero Carbon Moreland participants at the Next Steps Forum (2010)

2002 Moreland communities lead the way with Sustainability Streets, run by MEFL in partnership with Moreland City Council, Vox Bandicoot and Environs Australia. The program is a huge success, with local households reporting greenhouse gas reductions of over 40% and sparking 250 additional street projects around Australia.

Next steps • Zero Carbon Moreland: sign up 10

per cent of the Moreland community by June 2011 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent – 5000 households, 500 businesses, and 50 community groups.

• Clean energy solutions: develop effective business models like bulk purchasing and low interest loans so more households can invest in clean energy solutions, such as solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar hot water.

• Transport emissions: promote more active transport options in the City of Moreland.

• At risk households: expand programs beyond Moreland to protect households vulnerable to climate change and work with different cultural communities as a template for action across Victoria.

• MEFL Sustainability Advice: launch the new ‘shopfront’ service from the MEFL premises on Sydney Road, Brunswick, with a public reception area opening to encourage residents to ‘drop in’ for personalised advice.

Community leader Enrico Mussolini with his wife Ida.

9

2003 MEFL launches the Energy Smart Baby kit aimed at new parents and delivered through Moreland Maternal and Child Health Centres new parents groups. It provides practical advice for parents to cater for their babies’ needs without rocketing up energy costs.

2003 MEFL works with the Glenroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry to provide energy effi ciency information to 250 traders and intensive, personalised advice to 10 businesses under the Glenroy Sustainable Traders Initiative.

Leading the wayOur Zero Carbon Moreland community leaders are committed and engaged, they inspire others, they demonstrate what can be done, and identify a range of barriers – in policy, technology and behaviour – that need to be addressed to tackle climate change in our community.

Just as importantly, our 16 leaders represent diversity in our community – in age, gender, work, geography, and culture. They are all committed to climate change action, each with different motivations and different approaches to taking action.

Enrico Mussolini, 82, was inspired to join Zero Carbon Moreland because of his concerns for changing weather patterns and his impatience with wastefulness. Kathleen Matthews-Ward wanted free, up-to-date and relevant advice on how to live sustainably. Louise Davey is a shining example of what you can do with a rental property, while Erin Ender has transformed a Brunswick warehouse into a place where people live, work, and play as sustainably as possible.

Each is proof that personal action does deliver strong results, and can come in many forms.

Laila Nazzar, from East Coburg, is another perfect example that the ordinary can be extraordinary. A mother of two teenage boys, she joined Zero Carbon Moreland in 2009, calculated the family’s carbon footprint and developed an action plan to reduce their household emissions by 20 per cent over 12 months.

How we engage with the community:

• Community bulk buy initiatives including solar hot water and photovoltaic panels

• Transformative behaviour change and training workshops

• Business environmental assessments and retrofi ts

• Workshops with new parents’ groups

• Work with schools to reduce carbon emissions onsite and in their community

• Calculating baseline household emissions through our online carbon footprint tool

• Energy effi ciency programs• Household draught proofi ng

program• Halogen light replacement

program• Sustainability social nights• Home renovator’s advisory service• Sustainability Advice drop in

service• Work with culturally diverse

organisations to address climate change

• Assessment and retrofi t programs for low income and vulnerable households

• Workshops for residents in 5+ star housing to show how to maximise the sustainability features

This year, the Zero Carbon Moreland team has been working with participants and helping them to re-calculate their footprints, to see how they have done. The average was right on the 20 per cent target, but Laila’s family has shown that even more can be done, achieving a fantastic 37 per cent reduction in their household emissions (see p11).

A community business leader like Brunswick’s Impact Digital is also a great case study for action, showing that businesses can reduce their carbon footprint without compromising their operations and fi nances. Now Impact Digital also use their green credentials as a marketing tool.

MEFL’s goal in re-calculating carbon footprints is to encourage individual households to track their progress, and then to consider new goals. But it also has a wider aim. We’re feeding back this information to the Federal Government as part of our Moreland Solar City research commitment, to encourage more support for local action and higher level commitments on climate action.

Community engagement

2003 MEFL’s Business Energy Action project provides funds for local businesses to retrofi t energy effi cient upgrades. Sahara Pizza will save up to $600 a year and more than 7 tonnes of CO2 with lighting upgrades. Dowd Furnishing installs lighting system timers, aiming to save $200 per year and more than 3 tonnes of CO2.

Action Plan*Completed

Change halogen downlights Install water effi cient showerhead Install water effi cient fl ow regulator on

all taps Increase public transport use

To do• Increase ceiling insulation • Install ceiling fans in living room to

reduce air conditioning use• Install blinds, curtains on timber

windows in living room• Purchase GreenPower

About the Najjar familyThe Najjar have a three bedroom family home in East Coburg. There are two adults and two children, 15 and 11 in their household. They make good use of their back yard to grow some of their own fruit and vegetables.

Carbon Footprint

Energy

Transport

Waste

Before25 tonnes CO2 e

After15.8 tonnes CO2 e

ResultsLaila said ‘I have benefi ted greatly from taking part in Zero Carbon Moreland; I am more aware and have become more active in changing my life and helping others to do so.’

* The major actions undertaken are listed here, however many more actions may have been undertaken to achieve these reductions.

Case studyLaila & Najjar Family

“ I’m motivated to improve my personal actions for the future of my children. I can see the results of the changes I’ve made.” Laila

11

2004 MEFL’s Community EmPOWERment Report is published, outlining major research into how households might best reduce their electricity use. CEO Esther Abram said: “With this report we can work with key decision makers in Victoria, NSW and South Australia to ensure they give better support to households.”

Energyeffi ciency

Energy effi ciency is MEFL’s core business. We explore and evaluate technical measures that can deliver greater and measurable energy effi ciency for buildings and appliances. We provide detailed energy effi ciency advice to the community, conduct audits of businesses, offer a home renovators advisory service, conduct training in assessment and retrofi tting of residential housing stock and the use of sustainable design rating tools, and advocate for energy effi ciency policy improvements.

We also support measures to continually improve the effi ciency of appliances, through advocating for minimum performance standards, easing the cost barriers to upgrades through initiatives like our solar bulk buy programs, addressing split incentives, and the provision of public information and education.

Action and achievements• Take Action: our two-year project for

Sustainability Victoria on the potential for energy effi ciency improvements in existing houses in Melbourne, particularly fl ats and apartments, identifi ed signifi cant policy, regulatory and technical barriers.

• On-Ground Assessment of the Energy Effi ciency Potential of Victorian Homes: our thermal modelling research report found the average energy rating of the 15 houses studied was just 1.3 stars, but that a small and relatively cost-effective package of measures could lift homes to 4 stars or above. With great potential to inform the State Government’s goal of upgrading the energy effi ciency of all existing Victorian homes to 5 Star equivalent energy rating by 2020, the pilot study was expanded during 2009-2010.

• Residential Energy Monitoring Project (REMP): federally funded, we set up an intensive monitoring program of internal temperatures, electrical circuits, gas and hot water, and end-use appliances in fi ve Melbourne households to provide detailed information on residential energy consumption in the residential sector.

• NAGA: MEFL is the only non-Council member of the Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action, which has launched the fi rst strategic blueprint of its kind in Australia – to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2020 across the region of northern metropolitan Melbourne, home to 25 per cent of the city’s population.

• Toward Zero Net Emissions (TZNE): NAGA members have secured funding to implement a number of programs from the TZNE report, including Delivering Clean Energy Solutions and the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment. MEFL will take a lead role in delivering both these projects.

We all know that energy effi ciency is the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of sustainability, yet the potential for effi ciency remains enormous and the pace of change is slow. MEFL recognises the need to conserve energy by avoiding consumption where possible, and using it wisely where needed.

2004 MEFL launches Five Star Home Renovator’s Service to give Moreland residents free, tailored advice on energy smart design, energy ratings and choosing sustainable products, materials and appliances when renovating.

Next Steps• Take Action: bring together the

results from our On-Ground Assessment and Residential Energy Monitoring Program research to drive a new retrofi t program in Moreland.

• Mandatory disclosure: contribute MEFL’s knowledge in residential technical evaluation, auditing delivery, and retrofi ts, for the national introduction in 2011 of mandatory disclosure of energy ratings for houses at the point of sale or lease.

• Household effi ciency: deliver the expanded the On-Ground Assessment of the Energy Effi ciency Potential of Victorian Homes research to include an additional 30 homes and make recommendations to Sustainability Victoria on the most effi cient way to upgrade the current housing stock.

Data sharing: work through NAGA, with funding from the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord, to establish voluntary data sharing agreements across northern Melbourne, to help monitor local energy use and provide data to measure the effectiveness of programs.

• Toward Zero Net Emissions: take a lead role in delivering TZNE projects across our key areas of community engagement, energy effi ciency, sustainable energy supply, urban development and climate policy and share the results with our NAGA partners.

• Technical advice: translate technical studies into effective and easy-to-understand advice for residents and businesses.

Draught proofi ng program in Moreland (2010)

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2005 Five kindergartens sign up for MEFL’s Kinda Cooling Project and receive $17,600 from Moreland City Council to install passive cooling measures such as external shades, double glazed skylights and improving cross-ventilation.

Energy effi ciency star powerThe Victorian Government has a goal of upgrading the energy effi ciency of all existing Victorian homes to an average 5 Star equivalent energy rating by 2020. This is likely to be achieved through a combination of building shell upgrades and appliance upgrades.

It would be a big improvement and make a signifi cant contribution to greenhouse gas reduction targets – but how do we best get there? What kind of retrofi t measures would need to be applied to existing houses? What mix of appliance, building shell, and small scale renewable energy generation upgrades? And what sorts of costs are we talking about?

These are questions that MEFL has begun to answer through a research study for Sustainability Victoria that has expanded through the year from a pilot study which conducted on-ground research on 15 Melbourne homes built before the 1990s.

Using FirstRate5 thermal modelling software, the project was designed to fi ll a big gap in accurate data about the real current effi ciency of typical Victorian homes, what it would cost to improve their effi ciency to a certain level, and the level of energy cost savings that could be achieved over time.

MEFL has now been commissioned by Sustainability Victoria to study a further 30 houses, including properties in Ballarat and Geelong. The expanded study will also consider additional building shell upgrades.

Working again with Air Barrier Technologies, Energy Makeovers, and RMIT University’s Centre for Design, we expect the fi nal report will be publicly available in the fi rst half of calendar 2011. The pilot study results are available online at: tinyurl/aleepsum.

Early indications are that we will be able to set up a new program next year that:

• brings together our research from the On-Ground Assessment and Residential Energy Monitoring Program to drive a new retrofi t program in Moreland and beyond; and

• uses this information to evaluate Moreland building stock and defi ne the most effective measures to roll out across the municipality via the participants of our grassroots Zero Carbon Moreland program.

Energy effi ciency

Results of the On-ground Assessment studyWhat it found

• Average house energy rating of the houses, pre-retrofi t, was 1.3 stars.

• Modelled building shell upgrades signifi cantly improved the rating of all 15 houses, achieving an average of 4.3 stars, and would result in an average greenhouse gas reduction of 3.2 tonnes/year and annual energy cost saving of over $600/year.

• Comprehensive draught sealing, and ceiling, wall and fl oor insulation delivered the greatest improvements at the lowest cost.

• About 80 per cent of greenhouse gas reductions from building shell upgrades could be achieved with the wall, ceiling and fl oor insulation upgrades and comprehensive draught sealing. This constituted only 25 per cent of the total upgrade cost, averaging, as a package, under $7,000 per house.

• With appliance upgrades, a gas-boosted solar hot water system, high effi ciency central heating system, and replacing low-voltage halogen down lights brought the most benefi t.

What it involved• On-ground research on 15 typical

Melbourne homes built before the 1990s, to assess the potential for upgrading their level of energy effi ciency.

• Modelling using FirstRate5 to determine energy rating improve-ments and energy, greenhouse gas, and fi nancial savings possible from a range of building shell upgrades: ceiling, fl oor and wall insulation, draught sealing, double glazing, drapes and pelmets, blinds.

• Fixed and non-fi xed appliances also analysed.

2005 MEFL supports car-sharing company Flexicar to launch in Moreland, with help from the council.

This is a screen shot from a FirstRate5 fi le. FirstRate5 is a thermal modelling tool that is used to determine the star rating of houses. It assesses the thermal performance of the building envelope, which is infl uenced by insulation levels, orientation, amount and type of

glazing, and construction material. MEFL used FirstRate5 to complete the building envelope upgrade analysis for the On-Ground Assessment of the Energy Effi ciency Potential of Victorian Homes project.

Thermal Modelling

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2006 The Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action (NAGA) coordinator joins the MEFL team. Through NAGA, MEFL and a collective of Northern Melbourne councils aim to achieve signifi cant emissions abatement by delivering effective programs and leveraging local government, community and business action.

It’s a transformation that’s as necessary and logical as moving from our old incandescent lights to the compact fl uorescent, which uses 80 per cent less energy to provide the same amount of light.

MEFL is working at the forefront of this change. We know the generation of electricity at or near the point of consumption, the real-time direct control of loads, access to information to make smarter energy choices, and the coordination of these systems via a truly ‘smart’ grid, can dramatically increase effi ciency and reduce the emissions associated with our energy supply system.

To do that, people need incentives to adopt renewable energy in their home or businesses, communities will need to access data to monitor progress and make informed choices, and companies should be encouraged to innovate in the provision of energy services.

MEFL is advocating for the reduction in barriers and enhancement of incentives for decentralised energy, including advanced feed-in tariffs for small and medium-scale renewable energy such as roof-top solar photovoltaic. We are working in partnerships to build business and technical models which can demonstrate and evaluate the capacity for decentralised energy in Moreland.

Action and achievements• Moreland Energy Partnership Business

Plan: worked with Moreland City Council to assess effective models to deliver energy and carbon reduction and re-invest cost savings in further projects.

• Cogeneration: pilot project launched for a cogeneration unit at the Fawkner Leisure Centre that will heat the pool and provide electricity to the aquatic centre and a number of neighbouring buildings.

• Solar array: under the Moreland Solar City program, a 7.2kW solar photovoltaic array was installed at the Coburg Civic Centre, estimated to produce 24.5kW per day. The roof space has the capacity to allow over 100kW and demonstrates the potential of our partnership with Moreland City Council to expand through the Energy Services Company model currently being developed.

• Industrial use: evaluated energy use in the Newlands Road Industrial Area, developing scenarios for decentralised energy supply to major sites and practical energy effi ciency programs to assist smaller businesses.

• Renewable Energy Feasibility Study: provided a detailed feasibility analysis on the commercial potential for the installation and use of grid-connected renewable energy at the Sunshine Energy Park. The study assessed the former landfi ll gas site for potential use as an urban renewable energy generation hub that can also function as a focal point for business promotion and community engagement.

• Solar hot water: launched our fi rst solar hot water community bulk buy program, leading to 100 new solar hot water systems being installed by Moreland residents. Energy and greenhouse gas savings delivered by the project will be assessed in 2010–11.

Sustainable energysupply

Decentralised energy systems have the potential to power our cities, reduce our carbon emissions and increase our energy security – all crucial to a sustainable energy future. We need more opportunity, appropriate incentives, and the removal of barriers to make that happen.

Next Steps• The Coburg Initiative: develop a

precinct wide decentralised energy generation model for stage one of this major urban redevelopment, to supply energy to the hospital and civic buildings.

• Cogeneration: identify key industrial sites in Moreland for the application of co-generation technology.

• Energy Services: develop an energy service company to establish effective business models that bring together technical feasibility, fi nancial viability, and the customer benefi t of decentralised energy, and to build the case for policy change.

• The Nicholson: work with VicUrban to integrate renewable energy via embedded networking in a multistorey apartment development in Coburg.

• Solar rooftops: develop innovative models to allow local residents to invest in community based solar photovoltaic schemes.

• Energy data: develop a number of projects to integrate solar photovoltaic generation and interactive information on energy use to tenants via web portal. This will provide residents with an understanding of their consumption and link them to MEFL Sustainability Advice information that assists them to manage use.

2006 MEFL and Moreland City Council launch the Energy Smart Homes brochure, aimed at helping real estate agents and architects promote energy effi cient features of properties, and providing information on a range of services available to make homes more energy effi cient.

Power to the peopleMEFL is built on the legacy of the Brunswick and Coburg Electricity Supply Services which, ahead of their time, promoted energy effi ciency to their customers.

Through the last century governments moved with good intentions to nationalise large centralised systems to secure low cost energy for our communities. They built power stations next to plentiful supplies of coal and transmitted the electricity to where it was needed. Today, the massive carbon and water footprints and inherent infl exibility associated with this outdated approach are presenting major environmental and fi nancial costs for the Victorian community.

As we now think through the infrastructure needed to connect carbon capture in the Latrobe Valley to geo-sequestration in Portland and desalination in Wonthaggi, we need to also think through options a little closer to where the energy is being used.

MEFL is working to drive change on decentralised generation in Melbourne to promote local small gas-fi red power plants and solar panels that provide energy across city sites.

Working with the Moreland City Council, on a major urban redevelopment like the Coburg Initiative, has given MEFL the opportunity to explore a range of options for future urban development, such as:

• a central energy services hub (cogeneration/trigeneration/heat storage) which could supply non-critical power to hospitals and civic buildings across an embedded network;

• a ‘Bio Digester’ that recovers green waste from a fresh produce market, generating biogas to supply heating, cooling and electricity across a precinct via an embedded network;

Draft concept plan of the Coburg Initiative, showing potential options for sustainable development of the site.

• a smarter local grid to deliver secure and stable energy supply that optimally manages loads and allows the integration of solar photovoltaic and electric vehicle charging; and

• energy mapping – developing the tools for future sustainable development.

Concept plan courtesy of the Moreland City Council.

0 25 50 75 100m

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Green open space

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ENERGY ZONE A Health, municipal precinct - John Fawkner Hospital - Health consulting - Council facilities Cogeneration could effi ciently supply non-critical power to hospitals and civic buildings.

ENERGY ZONE B Civic core precinct - Fresh food market - Supermarket - Retail / commercial - Medium / high density residential A ‘Bio Digester’ could recover green waste and generate biogas to supply heating, cooling and electricity.

ENERGY ZONE C Residential / recreational precinct - Medium density residential - Sports, inc. heated pool A smarter local grid could allow small scale solar PV to be installed on buildings and easily feed back into the grid.

17

2007 200 residents learn how to make their homes more comfortable and reduce energy bills and emissions in free workshops held throughout Moreland. CFLs and low-fl ow showerheads are installed through the program, saving 634 tonnes of CO2 over the course of the year.

Urban: development:

Cities of the future will be sustainable cities, and sustainable cities arise by design.

Sustainable, high-density housing in the Vauban precinct (south Germany) has provided inspiration for MEFL’s urban development work (2009).

MEFL believes in the need for a comprehensive vision for sustainable urban developments which blend sustainable transport and town planning with localised electricity generation and waste and water management.

We believe in working within the existing city limits to house a growing population in and near existing activity centres and in developing sustainable precincts which are linked by low or zero emissions transport and utilise existing infrastructure.

We recognise that sustainability is about more than the design of buildings and effi ciency of appliances – it is also about how people behave in buildings and interact with their environment.

2007 New Phoenix Fridge workshop is offi cially launched to collect, repair and upgrade the energy effi ciency of 5,000 fridges which are distributed to low-income households with the aim of lowering energy bills. Run in partnership with St Vincent De Paul and Brotherhood of St Laurence, this is a unique opportunity to increase social equity while responding to critical environmental issues.

Action and achievements • Energy Maps: developed a modelling

and communication tool which utilises maps to explore the energy and carbon implications of urban development.

• Strategic advice: under the Moreland Solar City initiative, worked closely with Moreland City Council on a range of concepts, advice and resources to the development of a best practice sustainability approach for the $1 billion Coburg Initiative redevelopment.

• Sustainable Urban Development Framework: drafted a framework to map pathways to sustainable urban development. Once completed, the Framework will act as a ‘step by step’ guide for local governments, developers and consultants looking to create sustainable precincts and suburbs.

• Business Models for Enabling Sustainable Precincts: undertook research for Sustainability Victoria on 43 projects in 12 countries that have delivered or aim to deliver a sustainable precinct, identifying what works as a commercial model, what does not and why. The project will allow us to provide advice and guidance to developments in Moreland and beyond.

• Workshops: facilitated workshops for Sustainability Victoria’s Zero Emission Neighbourhoods program.

Next Steps• Sustainable Urban Development

Framework: fi nalise the Framework and work in partnership with councils and commercial developers to drive and deliver sustainable urban design in Moreland and beyond.

• The Nicholson: work with VicUrban to support the building’s sustainable design initiatives through sustainable energy systems, transport, and community engagement.

• The Coburg Initiative: continue to work closely with Moreland City Council and its partners, with a shift in focus to implementation through our Sustainable Urban Development Framework, and the consideration of governance models for embedded generation.

• Cape Paterson Ecovillage – participate in a feasibility study of this exciting zero carbon residential project in Gippsland, the results of which will inform similar project developments in Moreland.

• Living urban developments – explore how smart grid technologies, training programs, and other interactive feedback mechanisms can ensure sustainable infrastructure is supported by sustainable behaviour, recognising that building sustainably is only half the story.

19

2008 MEFL institutes its fi rst Environmental Improvement Plan in collaboration with a team of RMIT University interns.

MEFL has developed a modelling and communication tool which utilises maps to explore the energy and carbon implications of urban development and could change the way developments are assessed and designed on sustainability grounds.The ‘maps’ create a striking picture of electricity, natural gas consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for all buildings within a given area. They then allow users to assess existing land uses and study the implications of future development options. The maps can also test the impact of a range of alternative energy supply options and energy conservation and effi ciency measures.

The modelling capabilities of the maps have been used by Moreland City Council in its workshops and planning for the landmark Coburg Initiative, to help lay out how it can meet its zero net emission targets for the development.

MEFL is now developing ways to extend the capability beyond a precinct or project scale to a regional scale, such as all of the City of Moreland or, through our work with NAGA, map other areas of Melbourne’s northern region.

With the maps, MEFL is able to help Councils and developers to address four key areas of work:

• Strategic planning• Project/program design• Communications• Monitoring and evaluation

Maps 1& 2These maps demonstrate carbon mapping on a regional scale and help us to understand differences in energy intensity across the City of Moreland, from postcode to postcode. To build on that, we are starting to correlate them with the impact of various programs and projects, like Zero Carbon Moreland and the Coburg Initiative.

Map 3 At a more localised ‘precinct’ scale, 3D representation can be used to represent carbon intensity of future development. Maps like this, which focus on entire precincts or urban developments can explain the impacts of future developments on energy use under a variety of different scenarios for demand and supply. They will ultimately assist Councils and developers to construct effective greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.

Urban development

Map 1

Map 2

Map 3

2008 The $4.9 million Moreland Solar City funding agreement is signed, sealed and delivered. Part of the Australian Government’s Solar Cities initiative, the project will engage all levels of the Moreland community to bring about community-based sustainable solutions.

Making the caseIn Melbourne and other Australian cities, we’re great at producing one-off sustainability showcase buildings – think: the City of Melbourne’s Council House 2 (CH2), 60L in Carlton and The Gauge in Bourke Street.

But we are not so good at translating those demands and ambitions into new neighbourhoods and suburbs. Therefore our cities remain stuck in the increasingly unsustainable model of low-density, ineffi cient and energy-intensive outlying developments.

Peter Steele, Coordinator - Urban Development at MEFL, this year toured a range of sustainable developments across Europe, including landmark precincts like Vauban in southern Germany and OneBrighton in the UK. His aim was to build on the value of advice MEFL could provide to the $1 billion Coburg Initiative and other majorresidential developments to be built in Melbourne.

It was serendipitous. Soon after Peter’s return, MEFL bid successfully, with Net Balance and Green Spark Consulting, to undertake a major research project, Business Models for Enabling Sustainable Precincts, for Sustainability Victoria.

Through a combination of desk-top research, interviews, and reviews of business models/plans, strategies and fi nancial information, the project explored more than 43 business models in 12 countries that have been used to fi nance, deliver, manage and operate infrastructure and services in sustainable precincts, specifi cally relating to energy, water, waste and transport.

Through the release of this report later in calendar 2010, Sustainability Victoria wants to provide a source of knowledge and demonstrate and facilitate the use of innovative business models for the delivery of precinct level sustainability initiatives and to overcome regulatory, market and implementation barriers and risks.

Suburb Postcode 2008 2009

Brunswick 3056 36,226,293 41,636,427

Brunswick East 3057 16,780,686 17,938,034

Brunswick West 3055 23,882,706 26,888,491

Coburg/North 3058 57,190,683 63,552,007

Fawkner 3060 19,658,174 21,973,258

Glen/Had/Oak 3046 52,306,994 58,401,284

Gowanbrae 3043 4,129,293 4,672,632

Pascoe Vale/Sth 3044 43,417,754 49,058,470

21

2009 MEFL’s new advocacy blog hits the web, making it even easier for the community to get involved with our latest campaigns.

Australia is already suffering from more severe weather events such as bushfi res, drought, and heatwaves, and will experience the massive humanitarian repercussions of extreme weather events elsewhere, such as the fl oods in Pakistan. With the community urging action on climate change, it is time Australia – as one of the highest per capita emitters of greenhouse pollution and one of the developed countries likely to suffer most from climate change – steps up to lead the way.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will require fundamental changes to our primary industries and a concerted effort by individuals, businesses and communities. A variety of climate change policies are in place across Australia, but what is required is a clear, certain and comprehensive strategy for transforming our economy that includes a national carbon price and integrates national, state and local measures.

While MEFL’s core work continues to relate to localised energy effi ciency, decentralised energy, sustainable urban development, and community engagement, we advocate for an overarching policy framework that provides individuals, businesses, industry and communities with the certainty required to enable a proper response to the challenges posed by climate change.

Action and achievements• National: in partnership with a range

of groups, lobbied successfully for the recognition of voluntary action in the Federal Government’s proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) and the Solar Credit scheme. MEFL also successfully campaigned in support of recent amendments to split the Renewable Energy Target scheme into separate schemes for small-scale and large-scale renewable energy.

• State: MEFL made a submission in response to the Victorian Green Paper on climate change, outlining recommendations for issues including the CPRS, stationary energy sector, energy effi ciency, transport, the built environment and climate change action. MEFL has also joined with other environment, social equity and community groups on important Victorian campaigns, including the Replace Hazelwood campaign.

• Local: in support of the Zero Carbon Moreland target of a 25 per cent reduction in emissions by 2015 and zero net emissions by 2020, prepared a detailed Carbon Management Plan for the Moreland City Council to provide a pathway to own operations being carbon neutral by 2012.

Next Steps• National: continue to campaign at a

federal level for the introduction of a carbon price, and the early adoption of a long-term comprehensive climate policy that will integrate measures at national, state and territory, and local levels.

• State: continue to participate in the Replace Hazelwood campaign and advocate more broadly for an early transition to a low emissions energy sector in Victoria. MEFL will continue to advocate for timely, strong and long-term measures to support State emissions reductions targets.

• Local: push for recognition of individual and community-led emission reduction efforts across all climate change and emission reduction policies, including through the application of the principle of ‘additionality’, which ensures that voluntary actions are not counted towards mandatory targets, but are additional.

Climate policy

Climate change is having an increasing and undeniable impact on our lives.

2009 MEFL Staff Wellness and Green Teams convene for the fi rst time. The teams will drive change to ensure MEFL remains a happy, healthy and sustainable place to work.

Making a differenceMEFL is well-recognised for our unique community perspective on climate change action and strong grassroots links through programs like Zero Carbon Moreland.

We are able to analyse and evaluate climate policy in terms of what it means to the individual household or business and at a community scale. That’s been our focus in a confusing and challenging year of climate change policy at the national and international levels.

While the Copenhagen summit proved disappointing and the Federal Government scrapped its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) in the face of Opposition blocking, key policy change did take place on Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) which specifi es that 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity must come from renewable energy sources by 2020.

MEFL’s goal was to make sure that individual and community action was ‘recognised’ in climate policy, that household and community solar hot water, solar photovoltaic and other small-scale renewable energy initiatives were ‘counted’ in addition to national mandatory requirements, not just as part of them. This way they would be making a real difference in reducing Australia’s emissions, instead of assisting energy companies to meet their mandatory requirements.

In June, we welcomed the Government’s changes to the federal RET which will be implemented from January 1, 2011. As a result of strong lobbying up to the last minute, by MEFL and others, changes introduced in the Senate resulted in:

• separate schemes for small and large scale renewable energy, where the Large Renewable Energy Target (LRET) covers large-scale generation such as wind farms and the Small Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) applies to solar photovoltaic and solar hot water operations;

• establishing the LRET as a target-based scheme, similar to the out-going RET, with variable prices for Renewable Energy Certifi cates depending on supply and demand;

• ensuring small-scale renewable energy installed under SRES is additional to this target, and setting the price for small-scale certifi cates under the SRES at $40 each, so rebates for solar hot water and solar photovoltaic don’t fl uctuate with a variable REC price.

All-in-all, it means greater certainty for small-scale renewable energy proponents, increased demand for large-scale facilities like wind farms, and the ability for individuals to add to national targets.

Top: MEFL attends Walk Against Warming (2010)

Bottom: Sally Stephens and family installed a solar hot water system through MEFL’s community bulk buy. The family will be even better off when the RET changes come into force in 2011.

23

2009 MEFL recruits 40 new volunteers after an overhaul of the volunteer program. Eager volunteers participate in a huge range of projects, from refi tting the offi ce space through to helping with our energy mapping project.

We aim to ensure that our offi ce models best practice environmental principles and that the workplace is the best possible environment for staff.

MEFL seeks to be a best practice employer, with a dynamic, supportive and sustainable workplace, where staff are able to develop their skills, have job satisfaction and good workplace conditions. Planning for lifelong learning and organisation wide skill sharing is integrated into staff work plans, ensuring each staff member’s training and development needs are reviewed annually.

Transparency in our operations – for staff, board, members, funders, and the wider community – is also vital. Financial accountability and good governance are already major priorities. We are now stepping up to the next level to report on sustainability standards.

In designing our programs, MEFL looks to relevance, impact and the capacity to expand or replicate. All MEFL programs include ongoing stakeholder engagement processes that range from formal review meetings with funding partners to community visioning at events. The MEFL Board also has a Community and Stakeholder Engagement committee and we have established a formal partnership with Monash Sustainability Institute to better integrate evaluation into our project delivery.

A sustainableMEFL

MEFL aims to be a business that deals with issues of sustainability that is also itself, a sustainable business. Environmental, social and fi nancial sustainability are at the core of our approach, from the way we support staff through to what we do with our compost.

2009 MEFL develops the Energy Map for the Coburg Initiative urban development, communicating the potential impact of higher energy effi ciency standards and low-carbon onsite generation on the greenhouse intensity of the new precinct.

Action and achievements• Organisational growth: grown from

having three staff in 2000 to employing over 20 staff in 2009/10.

• Training: all staff members typically receive about 15 hours a year of training. Our training policy is to deliver 40 per cent of training into programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support our employees.

• Volunteers: developed an enthusiastic volunteer base, backed with a rigorous training and support framework. Over 40 volunteers give us access to a range of valuable skills and expertise, from engineering and carbon footprint calculations through to administration and reception.

• Strong membership: MEFL membership grew again this year to include 91 individual members, 53 households, nine businesses and nine community groups.

• Financial strength: this year we operated with a budget of more than $4 million, up on the previous year’s $3 million, with substantial funding from the Federal Government through the Moreland Solar City program. We also attracted over $500,000 in fee-for-service activity, undertaking a range of research, consultancy and training projects, as we sought to diversify our funding sources and build on our own expertise.

• Strategic Plan 2010-2015: developed a new overarching plan to help drive projects and maintain a focus on MEFL’s core business. This involved a comprehensive community consultation process with Moreland City Council, NAGA, MEFL members, Moreland community and business groups, local residents, environmental professionals, Sustainability Victoria and other government offi cers.

• Risk registers: reviewed program and organisational risk registers, covering both physical and fi nancial risk and outlining mitigating actions.

Left: MEFL’s Michael Chew chooses sustainable transport, taking the Zero Carbon Moreland bike to get to meetings (2010)

Right: The MEFLicious choir sings at a staff wellness function (2010)

Next Steps• Whole of building approach: engage

tenants at our shared premises in the Brunswick Town Hall to implement an environmental monitoring and improvement plan. Shared metering requires us to work together to reduce our utility consumption.

• Funding base: look to diversifying our funding base, through increased training and consultancy work and business development in areas like solar bulk buys and community programs that can provide a public and community benefi t and support our own operations.

25

2009 MEFL’s fi rst Bulk Buy program sees 180 Solar photovoltiac systems installed in homes across Moreland.

Summary estimations for 2009-10*

Carbon footprint

MEFL’s carbon footprint in 2009–10 was estimated at 9.6 tonnes CO2-e. This represented an increase over the 4.9 tonnes from 2008-09 due to the inclusion of staff commuting in the scope of reporting.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Business travel Staff commuting Total waste Paper

2.7

2.1

5.8

2.11.6

0.1 0.1

2008/9 tonnes CO2-e

2009/10

Electricity

Electricity supply is 100% GreenPower via Moreland Council. Reported energy use is 40% higher than in 2008–09 due mainly to improved estimation methodology for lighting, inclusion of computer server energy and an increase in staff and volunteers.

This year MEFL consumed 13.1 MWH per annum, representing 0.053 MWH per square meter each year.

0

3

6

9

12

15

Lighting Computer Appliances Total

3.4

5.64.8

6.3

1.2 1.2

5.8

9.4

13.12008/9 Electricity use, MWh

2009/10

Business travel

Emissions this year were 2.1 tonnes CO2-e by comparison with 2.7 tonnes last year.

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Publictransport

Flex car Priv car Taxi Air Offsets Total Bike/walksavings

0.48 0.47

0.1 0

0.33

0.73

2.11

-0.64

Tonnes CO2-e/yr

Staff commuting

Staff bicycle use for commuting and business travel resulted in a 4.6 tonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to car use, and staff use of public transport provided further reductions.

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Car Public transport

Total Emissions saved by walk/cycle

-3.96

3.89

1.89

5.79tonnes CO2-e

A sustainable MEFL

2009 Warm Home Cool Home project kicks off, aiming to retrofi t 1,000 homes to improve energy effi ciency and insulate against rising utility prices. A partnership with Brotherhood Green, this Moreland Solar City project provides employment of assessors to deliver practical energy effi ciency services to low income households.

MEFL 2009–10 carbon emissionsBeing tenants in the Brunswick Town Hall complex means we have a great central location and are tapped into local networks. Unfortunately it also means we can’t access separate energy and water metering for our part of the premises, so it’s diffi cult to properly assess our workplace carbon footprint. That’s a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for us to fi nd the best ways to work through that and model the most effective approach for other shared tenant operations. With our annually reviewed Environmental Improvement Plan, we now believe we have set up a transparent and helpful method for tracking our environmental performance.

MEFL’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2009 can be found on our website or at tinyurl.com/mefl eip.

* Emissions associated with travel and paper use are not offset. Offset policy to be established next year.

Walking the talkMEFL’s ‘corporate fl eet’ – our two brightly painted Zero Carbon Moreland bicycles – serve two purposes. Often parked outside our offi ces on Sydney Road, Brunswick, they attract lots of attention and interest, and help us to keep our transport carbon footprint down to almost zero as an organisation.

About 85 per cent of staff ride a bike to work and our Enterprise Bargaining Agreement makes it easier by providing an annual allocation for bike maintenance and cheap loans to buy bikes. If cars are needed for longer work trips, we use a car-share system, and private car use is reimbursed only at RACV small car rate.

You’d expect that we take sustainability seriously. That’s why all our computers get switched off at the wall when we leave for the day, why we check our rubbish bins to make sure we’re not wasting more than we should, and why we often have to take a bit of work home with us at the end of the day – depending who’s on compost duty!

Like most workplaces, we’re constrained by the building to some extent in the things we can do, but we keep reviewing practices to make sure we’re as good as we can be.

We have a Green Team that ensures we ‘walk the talk’ in many ways, from vegetarian catering to the amount of printing we do. They also developed our green purchasing policy, which guides staff to buy locally and seek products with environmental credentials. We estimate that 90% of our budget is now spent locally. Our Staff Wellness committee works to create a healthy, supportive and creative workplace culture by delivering membership deals with a local gym, in-house yoga, meditation and exercise, recognition of staff effort, and a happiness survey.

What we’ve done

Infrastructure• Set all computers to double sided

printing as a default• Provided containers to re-use paper

printed on one side• De-lamped the offi ces• Set up offi ce food waste composting• Provided interior bike parking to

encourage staff and other tenants to ride to work

• Installed easy switch off options for appliances to reduce standby power

Policy• Joined Eco Buy• Developed a purchasing policy• Surveyed lighting, waste and travel• Launched GRI reporting• Established ‘Green events’ policy

Planning• Set up an Environmental

Improvement Program• Measured MEFL’s carbon footprint• Set up plan to monitor and evaluate

MEFL’s performance

27

2009 MEFL uncovers an alarming range of barriers to installing sustainability measures in fl ats and apartments. Funded by Sustainability Victoria, the Take Action Report sparks further collaborative work between local councils and the Owner’s Corporation of Victoria to explore solutions to the issues.

MEFL believes that sustainability reporting on economic, environmental, and social performance should be just as routine as fi nancial reporting and we have welcomed the growing commitment to this principle from some of Australia’s major corporate organisations.

We also believe it will improve our own operations and, therefore, this year’s MEFL Year in Review applies the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines. For 2009–10, we have

sought to apply a C Level report, which requires a minimum of ten Performance Indicators, including one from each of the economic, social, and environmental categories.

Undertaking such a process can be quite a challenge for a small, not-for profi t organisation but our aim is to become increasingly transparent on our own commitment to sustainability and to model a pathway for other smaller organisations, whether corporate or not-for-profi t.

Sustainabilityreport

Global Reporting Initiative indexGRI Indicator GRI description Comments and page number

1.1 Statement from the CEO p4

1.2 Key impacts, risks, and opportunities p3, MEFL Strategic Plan, p20 (tinyurl.com/mefl sp1015)

2 Organisational profi le

2.1 Name p3

2.2 Primary activities, brands, products and/or services p3

2.3 Operational structure p32

2.4 Location p3

2.5 Operational areas p31. Australia only.

2.6 Nature of ownership and legal form p31

2.7 Markets served p3

2.8 Scale of organisation p25

2.9 Signifi cant changes during the reporting period No signifi cant changes.

2.10 Awards received None

3 Report profi le

3.1 Reporting period Fiscal 2009–2010

3.2 Date of most recent previous report Fiscal 2008–09 (non-GRI)

To assist us, we engaged Net Balance to determine the materiality for the report, based on a survey of our key internal documents, a stakeholder review, and indicative priorities extracted from documentation of peer organisations, to determine which GRI performance indicators were most relevant.

A sustainable future requires transparency and a commitment to sustainable economic, environmental and social performance.

2009 Under the GreenTown program, 36 assessors are trained, 190 households and 26 businesses are assessed, and 240 Arabic and African residents attend energy effi ciency workshops.

2009 A 7.2kWh Solar PV array is installed on the Coburg Civic building as part of Moreland Solar City’s Energy Hub program.

GRI Indicator GRI description Comments and page number

3.3 Reporting cycle Annual

3.4 Contact point for questions regarding the report p3

3.5 Process for defi ning report content p28

3.6 Boundary of the report MEFL has no subsidiaries or divisions. Development partners involved in major project delivery are not reported in detail.

3.7 Limitations on the scope/ boundary p27

3.8 Reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations

p4, Periodically, employees from partner organisations work out of the MEFL offi ce. Their impacts have been included.

3.10 Explanation of re-statements No re-statements have been issued.

3.11 Signifi cant changes from previous reporting periods No change

3.12 Global Reporting Initiative index p28–29

4 Governance

4.1 Governance structure p33

4.2 Chair of the highest governance body p33

4.3 Independent and/or non-executive members p33

4.4 Mechanisms to provide recommendations to the highest governance body

p33

4.14 List of stakeholders p31

4.15 Basis for identifi cation of stakeholders p31

GRI Performance Indicators

NGO1 Involvement of affected stakeholder p24

EC2 Financial implications and other risks and opportunities p3, p25, MEFL Strategic Plan: tinyurl.com/mefl sp1015 (p20)

EC6 Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally-based suppliers

p27

EC8 Infrastructure investments and services provided p9, p17

EN4 Indirect energy use by primary source p26–27

EN5 Energy saved p26MEFL Environmental Improvement Plan: tinyurl.com/mefl eip

EN16 Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions p27MEFL Environmental Improvement Plan: tinyurl.com/mefl eip

EN18 Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions p27

LA10 Average hours of training per year per employee p25

LA11 Programs for skills management and lifelong learning p24

SO1 Assessment and management of impacts of programs p24

29

2010 MEFL discovers most of Victoria’s existing homes are likely to have energy ratings of just 1.3 stars and uncovers the most effi cient retrofi t technologies to improve star ratings. The On-Ground Assessment of the Energy Effi ciency Potential of Victorian Homes pilot study was funded by Sustainability Victoria and conducted with RMIT.

More aboutMEFL

Participants at the Next Steps Forum (2010).

2010 Zero Carbon Moreland’s Next Steps forum attracts 80 residents who come together to share practical ideas, attend workshops and encourage each other to reduce local carbon emissions. “I have learned so much more about relatively simple and inexpensive things to do to make my home use less energy,” said participant Kathy Doukouris.

GLENROY

HADFIELD

FAWKNER

COBURGNORTH

COBURG

BRUNSWICK

PASCOEVALE

SOUTH

PASCOE VALE

OAK PARK

GOWANBRAE

BRUNSWICKWEST

TULLAMARINE

BRUNSWICKEAST

Who we are

MEFL is a company limited by guarantee, governed by the rules of its Constitution (available at www.mefl .com.au. We are based in Melbourne, Australia, with many of our operations and activities focused on the City of Moreland, which takes in the suburbs of Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Coburg, Coburg North, Fawkner, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Hadfi eld, Oak Park, Pascoe Vale and Pascoe Vale South. MEFL does not have any subsidiaries or divisions, but works in partnership with a number of key organisations.

Who we work withWe are pleased to work with the following key stakeholders:

Partners• Moreland City Council• Sustainability Victoria• Federal Department of Climate

Change and Energy Effi ciency• Brotherhood of St Laurence• Yarra Trams• CERES

Alliances• Alternative Technology Association• Merri Community Health Services• Northern Alliance for Greenhouse

Action• Environment Victoria

Other stakeholders• MEFL members• Moreland community groups• Moreland business groups• Moreland residents• Climate Action Moreland• Local suppliers and installers of energy

effi ciency products and many more

Stakeholders are selected according to MEFL’s Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, endorsed by the Board and monitored by the Community and Stakeholder Engagement committee.

31

2010 Moreland City Council adopts the Carbon Management Strategy developed with MEFL under Moreland Solar City’s Energy Services project. Council re-commits to zero net corporate emissions by 2012, with the community as a whole to follow by 2020.

How we workMEFL has a governing board consisting of nine directors, including the Chief Executive Offi cer (CEO). The CEO is responsible for the management of the organisation and for project oversight, with staff and volunteers developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs.

Operational Strategic

CEO

Business development

Business development & major projects

NAGA

Energy strategy & build environment

Governance & operations

Community engagement

MEFL Members

MEFL Board

CEOChairSecretaryElected MEFL memberGeneral memberCouncillor nominated by Moreland City CouncilCouncillor offi cer nominated by Moreland City CouncilGeneral memberGeneral memberGeneral member

Committee

Community & stakeholderengagement

Committee

Performance assessment

Committee

Business sustainability & risk

AG

M

More about MEFL

2010 2000 residents and 140 businesses and community groups are participating in Zero Carbon Moreland, MEFL’s primary community engagement program.

The Board is responsible for ensuring good corporate governance, taking a strategic view to guide MEFL’s activities and for appointing the CEO. Eight independent positions plus the CEO make up the board. One council offi cer and one councillor are nominated by the Moreland City Council, one member is elected by MEFL members, and four are selected for their skills and qualities. Board members are not paid and disclose their private interests on a register each year, with specifi c pecuniary interests stated at the commencement of each board meeting. The board’s Community and Stakeholder Engagement committee meets every 6–8 weeks and its recommendations are presented to the Board as a standing agenda item. Staff have access to the board via the CEO and members concerns are represented by their elected board member.

We have an External Complaints Policy and feedback form available on our website tinyurl.com/mefl cpolicy. This, along with our other governance policies, is reviewed every two years by the board.

Our board membersMike HillChair

Paul Murfi ttCEO

Jeremy Romaneselected by MEFL members

Cr Toby ArcherCouncillor nominated by Moreland Council

Roger CollinsCouncil offi cer nominated by Moreland Council

Ian ThomasSecretary

Rosemary Bissettappointed by the board

Catherine Gibson Royappointed by the board

Travis Nealappointed by the board

Peter Flanaganappointed by the board

33

Into the future…

2010 MEFL fi nalises a new 5 year Strategic Plan, identifying a clear set of priorities and vision for the future.

Moreland Energy Foundation Limited ABN 72 095 439 160Level 1, 233 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Victoria 3056

Postal: PO Box 276, Brunswick, Victoria 3056T 03 9385 8585 F 03 9385 8586www.mefl .com.au