Dear Friend,

Amazingly, 2024 has come to an end. Like all of you, we are putting plans in place now for our work in 2025 and then taking the chance to rest, recharge and spend time with family. We hope you are able to do this as well.

All the very best for a fun, restful and safe summer, and we look forward to working with you in 2025 🏖️.

🌏 ON OUR AGENDA 🌏

Currently on our minds are 2024 achievements for the Better Futures Australia program:

• A successful Better Futures Forum in Canberra
• Continued impactful work by our core Sector Working Groups in health, corporate & finance, local government, transport, and nature-based solutions
• A growing roster of BFA Champions to lend their voices to climate and energy action
• Launching the Mission 2025 campaign in Australia (read more below)
• Contributing to and launching the Australian Local Government Climate Review

Over the last few weeks we’ve been doing the groundwork for 2025, building out strategies for our core areas of work: contributing to a national climate ambition narrative; mobilising business, investor and city leaders to voice their support for strong climate targets; and shaping a credible Oceania COP31.

📅 EVENTS & ACTIVITIES 📅

\\\ BFA Events

Mission 2025 Campaign Launch l BFA hosted a successful in-person launch event for Mission 2025 Australia. This campaign will raise the voices of Australian business, investor and city leaders to show policy makers they have support to push for strong national climate plans and targets.

Around 50 people - many new to BFA - gathered at Greenhouse in Sydney for networking and a panel discussion about building a stronger Australian economy through climate action. Speakers included:

• Blair Palese - Climate & Capital Media / Ethinvest
• Christina Hobbs - General Manager of Impact & Advocacy, Future Group / Co-founder, Verve Super
• Adam Worling - Councillor, City of Sydney
• Georgia Windrum - Manager of Climate Action Strategy, Bank Australia
• Ricardo Pereira - CFO, IKEA Australia
• Tim Buckley - Director, Climate Energy Finance
• Sasha Titchkovsky - Co-founder & CEO, Koskela / Co-Chair, B Corp Climate Collective
• Andrew Petersen - CEO, Business Council for Sustainable Development

We are excited about this campaign, which is gathering steam globally. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, visit our website or contact us. Keep an eye out for next steps, likely an event in Melbourne on February 10.

Better Futures Australia Quarterly Roundtable l Thanks to those who joined our final Roundtable for the year. If you’re interested, you can watch the session here. The Roundtable covered:

• An update on the 2025 BFA Strategy.
• Sector advocacy updates from local government, corporate & finance, health, transport, and nature-based solutions working groups. Resources from their report-backs that might be of interest:
  • Local Government Climate Review; Science Derived Targets for LGAs; Methane & Health Report: Healthy Futures Link; Business Schools Climate Declaration

Climate Action Week Sydney l March 14, 2025 l BFA will host an evening event with speakers that are a mix of Australian leaders and an international voices, to highlight global climate collaboration.

Stay tuned for more soon.

\\\ Upcoming Events

• Governing in the Climate Emergency (training for councillors, CEOs and LG Executives) 📆 February 2025📍Online.
• Climate Action Week Sydney 📆 March 10-16, 2025. Expressions of interest to host an event now open.
  

Do you have an event to share? Let us know by reaching out to [email protected].

🌱BE PART OF THE SOLUTION 🌱

/// Open Consultations & Submissions

Have your say on the following policy areas:

• PEMM Act Review | Closes Jan 31, 2025 | Consultation on the Product Emissions Standards Act review. Details here.
• Pre-Budget Submissions Treasury | Closes Jan 31, 2025 | BFA will compile a high-level submission to amplify aligned asks across sectors. Submit your input.
• Energy Efficiency for Distribution Transformers | Closes Jan 31, 2025 | Views on a Regulation Impact Statement for imposing stricter GEMS energy requirements. Submit feedback.

• New Vehicle Efficiency Standard l Closes May 2, 2025 l The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is developing a new test to capture certain vehicle (3.5 and 4.5 tonnes) emissions in the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. This new test will allow for utes and SUVs to be included in the new Standard. Submissions close 5.2.25 and more information can be found here.

Stay informed on upcoming consultations via consult.dcceew.gov.au.

/// ICYMI

The Australian Future Generations Policy Brief was launched at the recent Intergenerational Fairness Summit on November 21 in Canberra. Better Futures Australia has been a willing contributor and partner to the Intergenerational Fairness Coalition - and we encourage BFA partners to join their efforts!

Thanks for being a part of our community. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or ideas.

Warm regards,

The BFA Team - Lisa, Quimby, Jordan and Ciara
betterfutures.org.au

We respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their Elders past and present and are committed to creating better futures together.