Break-out 
Session 2 Details

1:10PM

Please choose one
of the five options

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[Rooms 101 & 102]
Where are we now? The latest climate science: global to local

This session will unpack the latest climate science from the global perspective down to the national and the local. We will hear from experts about what the science is telling us about climate change now and the projections into the future and how this relates to global and national commitments. This is intended to help provide a clear understanding to inform your communications and decision making within your council.

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[Room 103]
Pathways to zero carbon in local government operations

This session will explore the strategies councils are developing to reduce operational emissions to zero. Banyule City Council will present its Real Zero Strategy, while Mount Alexander Shire Council will share insights from its Net Zero Strategy. Dean Thomson will also launch the first edition of the Local Government Carbon Management Framework, a new resource designed to support councils in developing and implementing effective carbon management strategies.

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[Room 104]
Supporting renewable electricity: VECO and future electricity contracts

VECO is a landmark Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for Victorian councils, enabling them to purchase renewable electricity in a long-term contract at a great price. This session will consider VECO's achievements to date, but also look at the options and challenges ahead for councils' electricity contracts and the current and future landscape for PPAs. We'll hear from VECO insiders: the VECO Chairperson, VECO Project Manager, the lawyer working on the VECO contract and PPA specialist who helped craft VECO in the first place. There will be opportunity to ask them questions about the current contract and the possible future for PPAs, Virtual Power Plants, Virtual Energy Networks and other potential models for councils.

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[Rooms 105 & 106]
The data centre boom: Managing resources and placemaking

Data centre proposals are accelerating across Victoria, rapidly becoming a major part of the state's digital and energy landscape. Their expansion is already intersecting with core responsibilities of local government - from emissions reduction and climate resilience to land use planning, infrastructure capacity and community wellbeing. This session will explore macro to micro issues, including how global trends are shaping investment and operational decisions in Victoria, alongside the constructive work underway within local government to manage this transition. A panel discussion will examine resource demands, cumulative impacts, long-term planning pressures and the risks that emerge when coordination across government is fragmented.

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[Room 107]
Part 2: Mis- and disinformation in the climate transition - from insight to action

In this interactive workshop, participants will share experiences and apply concepts in a practical setting. Through group discussion, attendees will explore opportunities for early intervention, identify trusted partners and consider whole-of-council approaches to responding to mis- and disinformation. This session is Part 2 of a two-part series on councils identifying and responding to mis- and disinformation in the climate and energy transition. It will be a smaller and more interactive, participant-led session designed to build on and complement Part 1, however also stands alone as a practical forum for peer reflection and action planning. Participants may choose to attend one or both sessions in this series. Please note, due to room sizing there will be limited space available for Part 2.

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