Climate change

“The benefits of strong, early action considerably outweigh the costs.”   
- Dr Nicholas Stern

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing society today. EPA believes it can also be one of the greatest opportunities.

Immediate and sustained action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change. All Victorians can play an important part in contributing to this action, which will help our environment and our economy.

This requires shifts in our behaviour and the way we use our natural resources. We must be flexible and able to respond quickly to opportunities as they arise.

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Helping business prepare for the low carbon economy

Moving to a low carbon economy not only helps address the climate change challenge, it also makes business sense.

EPA works with Victorian business to understand the risks and opportunities emerging as we move to a low carbon economy.

We use innovative regulation and partnerships to help create business value so that energy and greenhouse gas solutions become routine in business practice.

Some of the initiatives that EPA operates to help business include:

• Carbon Management
• Carbon Offsets
• Carbon Innovators Network
• Environment & Resource Efficiency Plans (EREP)
• Grow me the money
• Industry Greenhouse Program
• Ongoing energy and greenhouse requirements
• Waste reduction programs

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Helping Victorians understand and adapt to climate change

EPA has been a leader in helping Victorians understand and respond to changes in our environment for over 35 years.

Our role in monitoring and measuring the Victorian environment means that we are seeing first hand the impacts of climate change in areas such as air quality and river health.

Recent EPA research on the impact of drought, bushfires, river health and air quality provides examples of how climate change is effecting our environment.

As we continue to see the impacts of climate change on our environment, we need to ensure that we are responding to these changes and rethinking the way we use our natural resources.

EPA is already helping the Victorian community respond to reduced water availability by providing support and guidance about use of alternative water sources.

The challenge now is to build our understanding of the impacts of climate change on environmental quality so that we can respond and adapt to the needs of the environment.

Related EPA links:

• Bushfires and air quality
• Water reuse including greywater
• Threats to Victoria’s water environment
• Response to fish deaths in Victorian waterways

 

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