ACT Climate Change Council
The ACT Climate Change Council provides advice to the Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. Meet the members of the Council. Read the Council’s annual reports, submissions and news. You can also get in touch with the Council.
The ACT Climate Change Council advises the Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction on matters relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience and adapting to climate change. The ACT Government established the Council in 2011 under the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010. Find out more about the Council’s functions and membership in the Terms of Reference [239.1 KB].
The Council meets at least 4 times each year and produces an annual report of its activities that includes advice given to the Minister.
Meet your council
Professor Mark Howden was appointed to the Council as a member for his expertise in climate change science. He was appointed as Chair in 2021.
Professor Mark Howden is Director of the Australian National University (ANU) Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions. He is also an Honorary Professor at Melbourne University and a Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II. He was on the US Federal Advisory Committee for the 3rd National Climate Assessment and contributes to several major national and international science and policy advisory bodies.
Professor Howden has worked on climate variability, climate change, innovation and adaptation issues for over 30 years in partnership with many industry, community and policy groups via both research and science-policy roles. Issues he has addressed include agriculture and food security, the natural resource base, ecosystems and biodiversity, energy, water and urban systems. Professor Howden has over 430 publications. He helped develop both the national and international greenhouse gas inventories that are a fundamental part of the Paris Agreement and has assessed sustainable ways to reduce emissions. He has been a major contributor to the IPCC since 1991, with roles in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and now Seventh Assessment Reports, sharing the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with other IPCC participants and Al Gore.
Dr Paul Bannister was appointed to the Council for his expertise in energy efficiency and the built environment.
Dr Bannister has expertise in the field of commercial and institutional building energy efficiency. He had a central role in the development of major energy efficiency innovations such as the NABERS Energy and water ratings and the redevelopment of Section J (Energy Efficiency) of the Australian Building Code (2019 Edition). One of Dr Bannister’s particular specialities is the optimisation of building controls, which he has been able to use to create significant improvements in building performance on a wide range of sites.
Dr Bannister is a well-known speaker on energy efficiency issues both nationally and internationally, having presented at numerous conferences within Australia and overseas. He has published well over 80 papers on energy efficiency related issues. Dr Bannister has strong networks in the building and property industry, from government through to builders and from industry associations through to individual property managers.
Associate Professor Cris Brack was appointed to the Council for his expertise in environmental management.
Associate Professor Cris Brack (Honorary) has close to 30 years of experience in natural resource measurement and management at the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society. This experience includes researching, teaching and developing best practices in urban forestry, publishing 12 peer reviewed articles on urban forests and green spaces, and another 70 papers on carbon sequestration, natural resource assessment and management.
Associate Professor Brack won an Australian Museum Eureka Award for Environmental Science for his work on the National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS), which was developed to support national policy development on climate change mitigation. He has extensive skills and experience working with ANU and the ACT Government on the planning and management of Canberra’s urban forest, including street trees and the National Arboretum. His recent research has focused on sustaining a vibrant and healthy urban forest in the presence of increasingly harsh climate scenarios.
Ms Sophia Hamblin Wang was appointed to the Council for her expertise in business.
Ms Sophia Hamblin Wang is the Chief Operating Officer of MCi Carbon, an Australian technology platform transforming CO2 emissions into building materials and other valuable industrial products. Showcasing MCi’s technology at the Australia Pavilion at COP26, Sophia won First Place in the NZTC COP26 Pitch Battle in Glasgow. Sophia is co-founding Director of CO2 Value Australia and a board member of the Climate Ready Initiative.
A strong voice for climate action and cleantech, Sophia has been featured in ABC TV’s Q&A, The New York Times, Time Magazine, TEDx, The Australian’s Top 100 Green Power Players 2021 and 2022. Ms Hamblin Wang was a delegate at the WEF Annual Meeting 2020, WEF Pioneers of Change Summit 2021 and the UN Youth Climate Summit in New York 2019. Sophia recently completed a Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education is also WEF Young Global Leader 2022.
Ms Mia Swainson was appointed to the Council for her experience as President of the Canberra Environment Centre, Chair of Zero Waste Revolution, and leader of an environmentally and socially responsible consultancy business.
Ms Mia Swainson has an environmental engineering qualification and experience in business strategy and leadership with government and non-government organisations. Ms Swainson’s consulting services include strategy, stakeholder engagement, facilitation and executive coaching. Ms Swainson is President of the Canberra Environment Centre (since 2018) and has significant experience engaging with a large variety of ACT stakeholders across the public, private and community sectors. This has included contribution to the development of community environment education programs in the ACT. Ms Swainson is also the Chair of Zero Waste Revolution looking at innovative ways for the ACT to reach zero waste.
Dr Arnagretta Hunter was appointed to the Council for her expertise in health and climate change research.
Dr Arnagretta Hunter has been a consultant physician and cardiologist since 2008. Dr Hunter is an academic and advocate working across clinical medicine, health research and advocacy in public policy to address complex challenges particularly relating to climate change. She has skills across medicine, political science and communications. Dr Hunter has made many public presentations as well as publishing articles and academic papers on climate and health issues since 2008.
Dr Hunter is dedicated to understanding the health impacts of climate change, the advantages of working with communities on complex problems and the cobenefits of social change. Dr Hunter won the Sydney Sax medal (AHHA) as chair of Bushfire Impact Working Group in 2020 for contributions to public health in Australia and Physician Educator of the Year in 2018. Dr Hunter was also a co-coordinator of a Breakfast Series for Women in Climate Change, an ongoing series of events bringing together ACT community and leaders to discuss impacts and solutions to climate change and environmental challenges.
Associate Professor Aparna Lal was appointed to the Council for her expertise in environmental impacts and health outcomes for communities.
Dr Aparna Lal has a multidisciplinary science background, with two postgraduate degrees in Wildlife Science and Ecology, a PhD in Public Health and qualifications in Environmental Law and Zoology. A large part of Dr Lal’s current work focuses on populations that are disproportionately vulnerable to a variety of health impacts associated with climate change. In Australia, these include Indigenous and rural communities. Dr Lal has published numerous studies on the health impacts of droughts and floods, and has written on the health impacts of bushfires, including relating to air quality issues.
Dr Lal also brings expertise in high level statistical modelling and best-practice open science to her work that considers how a focus on human well-being can improve outcomes of ecological restoration. Her current Australian Research Council Fellowship brings together her expertise in environmental science and public health to design evidence-based, fit-for-purpose solutions to climate change led by communities and decision makers.
Dr Thomas Longden was appointed to the Council for his expertise in environmental economics.
Dr Longden holds a PhD in environmental economics and has expertise in energy, transport and health. His research focuses on applied economics, including energy economics, health economics and environmental health. His publications have focused on the diffusion of electric vehicles, the cost and emission intensity of hydrogen, temperature-related mortality, and temperature-related energy insecurity. This work has also included assessments of the relationship between health, housing, energy and extreme temperatures. A recent example was published in Nature Energy. Dr Longden also contributed to two chapters of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change.
Council Observers (Dhawura Ngunnawal Caring for Country Committee members)
PMs Roslyn Brown is a Ngunnawal woman. Among numerous cultural advisory roles, Ms Brown is co-founder and serves as co-chairperson of the United Ngunnawal Elders Council, and founder and co-chair of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm. Ms Brown has a strong Cultural commitment to reconciliation and improving the status and capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT region. She advocates for the awareness and continuance of Aboriginal cultural practice and protocols. Through her various roles she has advocated for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on issues such as housing, justice, caring, disability and health and successfully lobbied to establish holistic health care, training opportunities and support structures for Indigenous people in the ACT. Ms Brown is employed as Elder in Residence at the University of Canberra, a member of the CIT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory committee and was an inaugural elected member of the ACT Indigenous Elected Body (ACTIEB). As a representative and advocate for many in the community, she has demonstrated her commitment to the Ngunnawal Land, Culture and the spirit of the People.
Mr Djibin Mudford is a Ngunnawal man who loves getting out on Country. He has lived in Canberra for forty years and can remember when he first came here to visit one of his sisters and just felt like he was home spiritually. Living in Canberra he spent 36 years with ActewAGL and its predecessors as a Linesman, Leading Hand, Foreman and Manager looking after the Canberra community’s electricity supply. Working in his role allowed him to be on Country and to look after Country through some of the work he did around the asset management of power poles and vegetation particularly in more sensitive areas such as National Parks and Reserves. He is very passionate about caring for Country and being a voice for the Ngunnawal People as part of the Dhawura Ngunnawal Caring for Country Committee.
Council publications
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2022-23 [PDF 1.4MB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2021-22 [PDF 10.1MB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2020-21 [PDF 3.2MB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2019-20 [PDF 6.0MB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2018-19 [PDF 575.4KB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2017-18 [PDF 5.1MB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2016-17 [PDF 719.0KB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2015-16 [PDF 3.3MB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2014-15 [PDF 3.5MB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2013-14 [PDF 907.9KB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2012-13 [PDF 174.0KB]
- Climate Change Council Annual Report 2011-12 [PDF 1.7MB]
- Letter from Council to Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability – January 2020 [PDF 154KB]
- Letter from Council to Stop Adani Canberra - November 2017 [PDF 325KB]
- Letter from Council to ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability – advice on interim emission reduction targets - October 2017 [PDF 2.2MB]
- Response from the Office of the Prime Minister - April 2016 [PDF 595KB]
- Letter from David Thosey, CSIRO Chairman to Climate Change Council - March 2016 [PDF 106KB]
- Letter from Council to Prime Minister of Australia - February 2016 [PDF 1.0MB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 2 September 2019 [PDF 117KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 20 November 2019 [PDF 164KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 1 January 2020 [PDF 125KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 13 January 2020 [PDF 110KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 30 April 2020 [PDF 111KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 8 September 2020 [PDF 133KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 17 December 2020 [PDF 110KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting Summary - 15 June 2021 [PDF 143KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 8 September 2021 [PDF 118KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 14 December 2021 [PDF 118KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 11 February 2022 [PDF 118KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 19 April 2022 [PDF 119KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 21 June 2022 [PDF 123KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 8 August 2022 [PDF 151KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 10 November 2022 [PDF 125KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 14 December 2022 [PDF 185KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 10 February 2023 [PDF 186KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 10 April 2023 [PDF 159KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 13 June 2023 [PDF 164KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 15 August 2023 [PDF 157KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 17 October 2023 [PDF 157KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council - Meeting summary - 5 December 2023 [PDF 177KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council submission on ACTs Emissions Reduction Target Review - September 2023 [PDF 1.7MB]
- The social cost of carbon and implications for the ACT - May 2021 - March 2021 [PDF 1.4MB]
- Learning from Canberra's Climate-fuelled Summer of Crisis - June 2020[PDF 8.7MB]
- Community Listening Report on Adaptation to Climate Crises: The Extreme Summer of 2019/20 [PDF 601KB]
- What is a Carbon Budget? [PDF 935KB]
- The social cost of carbon and public investment to reduce ACT greenhouse gas emissions - July 2018 [PDF 106.6KB]
- ACT Climate Change Council Net zero emissions precincts report - June 2018 [PDF 1.9MB]
- Climate-wise buildings workshop summary report - June 2018 [PDF 1.5MB]
- Climate Change 2016: a brief science update for the ACT [PDF 281KB]
- Sub National-Climate Change Policies - How does the ACT compare? [PDF 2.2MB]
- Sub National-Climate Change Policies - How does the ACT compare? - Part two: Data tables [PDF 2.2MB]
- Sub National-Climate Change Policies - How does the ACT compare? Infographic [PDF 390KB]
- Biogas and Biomethane Briefing Note [DOCX 290KB]
- Hydrogen Briefing Note [DOCX 1,889KB]
- Cooling the Heat Island: Building Heat Resilience into Canberra’s Urban Landscape [DOCX 261KB]
- Microplastics from Use of Post-consumer Plastics in Roads [DOCX 264KB]
- Presentation to Climate Action Subcommitte into Electrification and Equity - July 2023 [PDF 1.1MB]
- Submission on High-density Residential structures and sustainable infrastructure [PDF 965KB]
- Submission to the House Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy The Climate Change Bill 2020 [PDF 289KB]
- Submission to the ACT Urban Forest Strategy - September 2020 [PDF 215KB]
- Submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements - April 2020 [PDF 234KB]
- Submission on the ACT Wellbeing Indicators - December 2019 [PDF 404KB]
- Submission to ACT Sustainable Energy Policy 2020-25 Discussion Paper - October 2019 [PDF 381KB]
- Submission on the ACT Draft Integrated Transport Strategy - April 2019 [PDF 272KB]
- Submission on the Weathering the Change Draft Action Plan 2 - March 2012 [PDF 94KB]
- Climate affects us all: ACT’s climate council responds to the climate emergency – Canberra Times – January 2020
- Community's role in a carbon-free Canberra - Canberra Times - April 2019
- We need to change the way we build Canberra homes - Canberra Times - March 2019
- Making the switch: What will Canberra's commute look like in the future? - March 2019
- Canberra must be greener to cope in a hotter future - Canberra Times - February 2019
- Can a growing city cut carbon emissions to zero? - Canberra Times - January 2019
Contact the Council
Council members are keen to engage with the ACT community. Raise an issue, invite us to attend a local event, or tell us about recent climate change news or research. Get in touch with us at:
- ClimateChangeCouncilSecretariat@act.gov.au
- Access Canberra on 13 22 81
You can also write to us at:
ACT Climate Change Council
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate
ACT Government
GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.