Emissions Reduction Plan 2024/25

Acknowledgement of Country

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) respectfully acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and their rich cultures. We pay respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia’s First Peoples and the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and waters where we live and work. 

We also recognise and value the ongoing contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities to Australian life and how this enriches us. We embrace the spirit of reconciliation, working towards the equality of outcomes and ensuring an equal voice.

Accountable Authority Sign Off

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. 

The Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy represents a strong commitment by the Australian Government to lead by example on emissions reduction and contribute to the decarbonisation of Australia’s economy. 

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is committed to the achievement of the Government’s APS Net Zero 2030 target. The ARPANSA is following the APS Net Zero 2030 target in full, as per the Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy. 

This Emissions Reduction Plan describes the priorities and actions ARPANSA is taking to reduce our operational emissions and contribute to the APS Net Zero 2030 target.

Gillian Hirth, AO
Chief Executive Officer of ARPANSA

Emissions Reduction Plan

Purpose

ARPANSA is responsible for managing and implementing emissions reduction initiatives set by the Australian Government’s Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy (the Strategy) developed by the 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 goal of this Emissions Reduction Plan (the Plan) is to provide a pathway for ARPANSA to contribute to the achievement of the APS Net Zero 2030 target through emissions reduction activities. This plan encompasses existing and new priorities and actions within ARPANSA to reduce emissions.

This Plan has been completed in accordance with the Strategy, associated guidance and reporting standards for annual emissions reporting. This Plan will also support and integrate with existing whole-of-Australian-Government policies and frameworks, such as the Commonwealth Procurement Framework and Commonwealth Property Management Framework.  

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. 

Governance and reporting

Progress against actions identified within this Plan, and any additional measures adopted, will be included in our annual reports. This, combined with annual emissions reporting, will be used to gauge ARPANSA’s progress towards reducing its emissions.
As part of the Net Zero in Government Operations Annual Progress Report, the Department of Finance will aggregate these measures to provide whole-of-Australian Government emissions reporting. 

ARPANSA Operational context

ARPANSA, on behalf of the Australian Government, protects the Australian people and environment from the harmful effects of radiation by performing the following functions.

An independent regulator

We are the independent regulator of Commonwealth entities that use or produce radiation. Using a risk-informed regulatory approach, we ensure that licensees take responsibility for protection of people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation.

A health advisor

We build and maintain expertise in the measurement of radiation and assessment of health impacts, including the assessment of risks and responses to radiation incidents. We provide high quality advice to the government and the community.

A service provider

We offer high quality services for the purpose of protection against the harmful effects of radiation.

ARPANSA sits within the Department of Health and Aged Care portfolio (DOHAC). As of 30 June 2024, portfolio responsibility for ARPANSA sat with the Hon Ged Kearney MP, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care. 

ARPANSA has 148 ongoing staff, 21 non-ongoing staff and one statutory appointment. The agency has offices in Victoria (Yallambie) and New South Wales (Miranda) as well as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DOHAC for a small presence in their Adelaide office. Eighty-three per cent of staff are located at the Victorian office. 

Our Yallambie facility was built during 1976-1978 and includes office space, scientific laboratories, commercial services with robotics and a server rooms. Our Miranda Office which is leased, consists of only office space.

ARPANSA operations also extend around Australia and globally through our Ultraviolet radiation monitoring network and Radionuclide monitoring stations that support the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. These stations include remote locations of Macquarie Island, Cocos Keeling Island, Mawson Station, Antarctica and internationally ARPANSA supports the stations in Fiji and Kiribati.

ARPANSA’s approach on emission reduction has been focussed on optimising energy efficiency at our Yallambie premises through small initiatives such as the installation of LED lighting however the agency fully supports the Government’s APS Net Zero strategy. As part of the annual reporting process, we will be reviewing our emission data to determine emissions reduction opportunities and how they will impact our processes.

Baseline emissions

The baseline emissions for this Plan focus on scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, consistent with the APS Net Zero 2030 target. Electricity-related emissions were calculated using both the location-based method and market-based approach. The complete 2022-23 greenhouse gas emissions inventory tables for ARPANSA are presented in our 2022-23 annual report.

An assessment of the emissions' provenance revealed that Scope 2 emissions represented the majority of comprehensive emissions across the agency. In comparison, Scope 3 and Scope 1 emissions which had a relatively smaller contribution, and similar results across the two different methodologies.

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

Engagement

In the development of this Plan ARPANSA has been working with:

• Department of Finance: Climate Action in Government Operations – through the provision of template and guidance.
• Health Portfolio Representative – where possible shared considerations could be addressed to lower emissions across the portfolio.
• Staff across ARPANSA – to discuss options and considerations for lowering emissions.

Emissions reduction targets

ARPANSA is following the APS Net Zero 2030 target in full, as per the Strategy. The target covers the entirety of our entity’s operations within Australia and its territories for scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, as described in the Strategy. 

Priorities and actions

ARPANSA will contribute to the achievement of the APS Net Zero 2030 target, through a range of existing emissions reduction measures and the introduction of further or new measures as required. These actions are summarised in the following points, with further detail provided below: 

• Upgrading our legacy building utilities with modern energy efficient ones.
• Communication of our support in exploring renewable electricity options as part of the whole of government arrangements. 
• LED lighting planning (removal and replacement of fluorescent lighting) is being implemented as part of current building arrangements. 
• Continuous improvement of our Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, including review refresh and right-sizing of aged infrastructure.
• Progressive building improvements.
• Uplift of video conference capability to reduce the need for travel.

Future state:

• Costings for a solar energy solution with a view to offsetting current peak period consumption (daytime usage) for a potential 30 - 40% benefit.
• Determining if the agency will be able to financially accommodate offsetting flight carbon emissions.
• Sustainable procurement – considering our supply chain impacts and considerations we can incorporate into our procurement processes.

Buildings

ARPANSA is currently undergoing a facilities refurbishment across both our Yallambie and Miranda sites. It is anticipated that this will deliver emission reductions however the agency is mindful that there are emerging opportunities in this space and will be seeking to explore additional reduction strategies as described below. In addition, the agency is also undertaking a carpark refurbishment project to update aging infrastructure through resurfacing and capacity expansion.

Ongoing initiatives: 

• New insulation is to be installed in areas where aged roofing is being replaced at our Yallambie site.
• Catering to future-state Electric Vehicle (EV) enablement during the upgrade of our Yallambie premises carpark. This includes through implementation of external EV charging infrastructure cable channels under new roadway and we will explore the practicability of electric vehicle charging provisions for the existing allocated parking.
• Improvement to our heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system involving replacement of aged infrastructure with energy efficient stand-alone replacement units.
• As an ongoing piece of work ARPANSA will be identifying continuous improvement opportunities to uplift the existing HVAC infrastructure.

ACTION: ARPANSA will deliver the HVAC upgrade project by December 2025 

Costings for solar – the agency is exploring offsetting our current consumption (daytime usage) with solar options. This has the potential to reduce up to 30 - 40% of our electricity usage.  

ACTION: ARPANSA will determine costing for solar electricity options by December 2025 

ARPANSA has lease arrangements established however understands that from 1 July 2025: 

• Where a new lease is to be entered into for office space, the preference should be all-electric buildings particularly if the Commonwealth is directly responsible for base building services costs. 
• Where a lease is entered into, for four or more years and over an office space of 1000 square metres or more of net lettable area, the office space and the building in which it is located must have and maintain 5.5 star or higher base building and tenancy National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) energy ratings. 

ARPANSA’s recognises that in relation to construction and refurbishments, from the 1 July 2026:

• Where a contract is entered into by or for the Commonwealth for the purchase or construction of office space with a value greater than $15 million, the office space must have and maintain a 6-star NABERS energy rating and Green Building Council of Australia 4-star Green Star rating (minimum) which includes complying with the Climate Positive pathway. 
• Where a contract is entered into for the purchase or construction of office space for the Commonwealth, the office space must be all-electric. This includes building heating, cooling and water heating but excludes backup generation, subject to the 2026-27 review. 
• where a contract is entered into for refurbishment of office space over 1000 square metres leased for over four years, the office space must achieve and maintain a 5.5 star or higher tenancy NABERS Energy rating.

Renewable electricity

As part of APS Net Zero 2030 – In November 2023, the Government released the Strategy. The Strategy commits to reducing the Australian Public Service’s emissions to Net Zero by 2030. A key initiative of the strategy is transitioning to renewable energy, facilitated through a Whole-of-Australian-Government (WoAG) coordinated procurement of electricity. ARPANSA will support this initiative through the following action.

ACTION: Over the next 18 months ARPANSA will consult with the Department of Finance through the community of practice forum and NetZero 2030 working group, to ensure our participation in the WoAG renewable electricity procurement as per the Strategy.

Fleet

ARPANSA’s building and maintenance section maintains one light commercial vehicle which is driven short distances for necessary maintenance activities. On average this vehicle travels under 1000km per year. To support the reduction of emissions generated, the agency ensures that this vehicle is driven efficiently and maintained regularly, in accordance with the original manufacturer’s recommendations. 

ARPANSA is aware that as part of the NetZero2030 commitment, all new passenger vehicle orders are to be low emission vehicles, with a preference for zero emission vehicles. 

No further action required. 

Travel

ARPANSA’s policies align with the WoAG travel policies. These policies focus on air travel and require officials to select the lowest priced fare that suits the business needs of the traveller, use of the best fare of the day and be undertaken where other communication tools such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing are not suitable alternatives. 

ARPANSA acknowledges that the Australian Government will consider prioritising flights using sustainable aviation fuels in line with the Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan. 

ACTION: Prior to December 2025, ARPANSA will update our travel policy to:

• enable low-emission sources of transport, such as trains or other land-based transport
• encourage staff where appropriate to take low-emission transport to and from airports where air travel is required
• consider direct flights, where value for money can still be demonstrated, to reduce emissions associated with take-off and landing.

In line with government expectations, From 1 July 2024, ARPANSA travellers will consider the NABERS Energy for Hotels, in the online booking system, when booking travel. 

Procurement

ARPANSA will align its procurement policy with Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water recently released Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy (dcceew.gov.au)

Information and communication technology 

Where data centre services are utilised, ARPANSA will first review the Australian Government’s new Data Centre Panel.

In line with government expectations, from 1 July 2025, ARPANSA will ensure that new data centre facilities, that are sourced outside of the Panel arrangements, achieve and maintain a rating of 5 stars or equivalent environmental rating. 

Summary of actions

Involved participants

The following areas of ARPANSA have been involved in the development of this plan: