Australian Capital Territory

Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas
Reduction (Climate Change Council
Member) Appointment 2018 (No 5) 
Disallowable instrument DI2018–104
made under the  
Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010, s 20 (Membership)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Overview
The Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010 (the Act) section 20 (Membership) provides for the appointment to the ACT Climate Change Council (Council) of suitably qualified members of the community to provide advice to the Minister on matters relating to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change. The appointment for the non-public employee members of the Council is by way of a disallowable instrument which must be notified on the Legislation Register and tabled in the Legislative Assembly under the Legislation Act 2001 (Legislation Act).

Section 20(3) of the Act provides that the Minister may appoint a person as a member to the Council only if satisfied that the person is committed to addressing climate change and has knowledge and experience in an area relevant to the operation of the Act. 

Appointment
The disallowable instrument appoints Professor Will Steffen as a member of the Council. Professor Steffen is not a public servant. Professor Steffen is appointed for the period 2 March 2018 until 30 June 2019.

Professor Steffen is appointed to the Council to represent climate change science. 
Professor Steffen is a Councillor on the publicly-funded Climate Council of Australia and a global change researcher at the ANU. Professor Steffen is the sustainability theme leader of Canberra Urban and Regional Futures (CURF). Previously Professor Steffen served as the Science Adviser to the Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Professor Steffen has served as Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, an international network of scientists studying global change based in Stockholm, Sweden and is currently a senior fellow at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. His research spans many fields including climate and Earth System science, with an emphasis on incorporation of human processes in Earth System modelling and analysis; and on sustainability and climate change, with an emphasis on urban areas. 

Professor Steffen was a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Forth Assessment Report (AR4), Working Group I (WGI) and is a contributing author on the Special IPCC report on 1.5C.
The appointment has been made by the Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability. The Minister consulted the Standing Committee on Environment and Transport and City Services in accordance with section 228 (Consultation with appropriate Assembly committee) of the Legislation Act 2001. The Standing Committee did not provide any comment in relation to the proposed reappointment.

A Regulatory Impact (RIS) is not required for this disallowable instrument as it is unlikely to impose appreciable costs on the community (section 34(1) of the Legislation Act). Further, in accordance with section 36(1)(b) of the Legislation Act, a RIS is not necessary as the matter does not operate to the disadvantage of anyone by adversely affecting the person’s rights or imposing liabilities on the person.

Outline of provisions

Section 1 – Name of instrument
This section names the instrument.

Section 2 – Commencement of appointment
This section provides for the commencement of the instrument. The instrument is taken to have commenced on 2 March 2018. The retrospective commencement is non-prejudicial and does not adversely affect a person’s rights or impose liabilities on a person in accordance with ss75A, 75B and 76 of the Legislation Act. The instrument commences retrospectively to ensure continuity of membership from when the previous appointments expired on 1 March 2018.

Section 3 – Climate Change Council member appointment
By this section the Minister appoints Professor Will Steffen as a member of the Council.

Section 4 – Term of appointment
This section sets the term of the appointment as being for the period 2 March 2018 until 30 June 2019.