Renee Garner, a solicitor at Freehills and member of the firm’s National Climate Change Group, has co-authored the first text book published in Australia on the legal and policy aspects of climate change at the local, state and national level in Australia.
The book, entitled ‘Global Climate Change: Australian Law and Policy’, combines Renee Garner’s legal and commercial background with her passion and enthusiasm for this emerging area of law.
In launching the book this week, Ms Garner said that the impact of climate change legislation in Australia will be far reaching and urged Australian companies to gain an insight into how they will be impacted, so they can proactively manage the risks and opportunities.
'Climate change is not just an environmental issue, it’s a corporate issue. In some form or another climate change will affect everyone, and it’s those businesses taking action now that will truly benefit from the current and imminent climate change laws and policies.
‘Knowing about climate change is not enough. How well a company transitions into a carbon constrained future depends on being able to identify ‘how’ climate change affects your business and having the ability to make changes and exploit opportunities,’ Ms Garner continued.
Ms Garner stressed that companies need to be taking action now because the reality is that climate change is inevitable and will affect everything from their bottom line to their brand.
She finished by saying, ‘Developing internal expertise, up-skilling current workforces and preparing for the introduction of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme will provide businesses with a competitive advantage to capitalise on opportunities and mitigate risks.’
A comprehensive guide to climate change law and policy, ‘Global Climate Change: Australian Law and Policy’ also examines the international framework established to deal with climate change together with frameworks in other non-Australian jurisdictions.
The book draws on legal sources including recent studies undertaken by government and non-government organisations, commissioned reports and journal articles, as well as academic studies. In addition, it explores the physical science basis of climate change, the impact of climate change on human and biological environments, with a focus on Australia and the Pacific, and climate change mitigation and adaptation issues.
Subjects covered in the book include: carbon sequestration; climate change litigation; business, risk and climate change; emissions trading; carbon markets; and possible post-Kyoto climate change regimes.
Global Climate Change: Australian Law and Policy is aimed at not only legal practitioners but also those involved in business, government and policy formation. Corporations will find the book particularly useful.
Renee Garner Biography
Renee Garner, 26, is a solicitor in the Projects Group at Freehills and co-author of Global Climate Change: Australian Law and Policy (LexisNexis, published September 2008).
Renee is a member of Freehills’ National Climate Change Group and has expertise in all aspects of climate change law including emissions trading, energy and renewable energy major projects. She is also a member of the Australian Carbon Reduction and Trading Expo 2009 Steering Committee. Between October 2007 and April 2008 Renee was an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia. Prior to joining the Projects Group, Renee worked in Freehills’ Equity Capital Markets Group.
Renee has advised on a number of deals including Wesfarmers’ acquisition of Coles Group, Orchard Industrial Property Fund’s notes issue and restructure, AGL’s project financing of Hallett Wind Farm, International Power’s development of the Mt Mercer Wind Farm and ERM Power’s Stage 2 development of the Braemar gas-fired power station in Queensland.
Renee is a prolific writer, some of her articles include Regulating a National Emissions Trading Scheme within Australia: Constitutional Implications (Macquarie Journal of International and Comparative Environmental Law) and Strategies for Airlines on Aircraft Emission and Climate Change: Sustainable, Long-term Solutions (The Hodgkinson Group and tabled by United Nations World Tourism Organisation).
Renee is speaking at the International Conference on Climate Change to be held at the Institute of Environment Education and Research, Pune, India, in January 2009. She will be speaking on Australia’s Primary Energy Supply and Climate Change: Implications and the Future.
About Freehills’ National Climate Change group
Freehills’ National Climate Change group comprises partners within the firm’s various national offices, in the range of legal disciplines to which greenhouse issues are relevant including property, banking, environmental, major projects and corporate law.
Our legal services in relation to climate change and greenhouse gas issues are fully informed by overseas and local developments and our national team of professionals is uniquely placed to supply both the breadth and depth of the legal services required by our clients.
The group strives to ensure that all of Freehills’ strengths are leveraged for our clients by employing a cross disciplinary approach to providing advice.
Examples of our experience in greenhouse gas projects include:
Avis Australia Ltd - Advising Avis Australia Ltd in relation to the acquisition of a substantial acquisition of carbon credits from Origin Energy Electricity Ltd.
Santos Australia, BHPB, Caltex - Advising in relation to proposed legislation and policies concerning onshore carbon capture and storage (CCS), the proposed Commonwealth offshore CCS regime, carbon-cost pass-through clauses in a wide variety of significant contracts.
Pacific Hydro CDM credits project - Advising Pacific Hydro on the sale into Europe of CDM credits from a Fiji hydro-electric project.
Bush for Greenhouse program - Advising the Australian Greenhouse Office on the strategic legal issues concerning establishment of the national ‘Bush for Greenhouse’ program and drafted documentation to establish the transactional details of the program. This involved the setting up of a trust through which investors can purchase interests in various 'carbon credit' generating operations.
Lend Lease Corporation Ltd - Advising Lend Lease Corporation Ltd on the application of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (Cth) to its group.
To purchase a copy of Global Climate Change: Australian Law and Policy please click here for details.
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