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. (SLIDES)

Facilitator: Tiffany Harrison, Executive Officer, Gippsland Alliance for Climate Action

Associate Professor Josephine Brown, Paleoclimate Modelling, School of Geography Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne
Dr Anita Talberg, Decarbonisation Lead, Climate Resource
Dr Alison Oke, Senior Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology

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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. (SLIDES)

Facilitator: Dean Thomson, Executive Officer, Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action

Abdul Ahad, Corporate Emissions Reduction Lead, Banyule City Council
Brendan Garrett, Climate Change Coordinator, Mount Alexander Shire Council

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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. (SLIDES)

Facilitator: Michelle Van Gerrevink, Chair of VECO, Brimbank City Council

Cara Horner, Project Manager, VECO
Kelly Davies, Director, Kain Lawyers
Ben Spencer, Manager Renewable Energy and Carbon Advisory, Schneider Electric

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[Rooms 105 & 106]
The Climate for AI ​

This panel discussion explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping climate risk management for local government. Through local and international case studies, including AI-enabled approaches to urban heat management, the panel will unpack the opportunities, risks and practical considerations for councils looking to use AI to strengthen climate resilience. (SLIDES)

Facilitator: Daniel Pleiter, Head of Operations, South East Councils Climate Change Alliance

​Pearl Li Ng, Head of Smart City, Innovation and Improvement, City of Casey
Dr Geoff Lee, Principal Research Consultant and Team Leader, CSIRO Technology
Hartmut Fünfgeld, ICLEI Professor of Practice in Local Government Climate Resilience

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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. (SLIDES)

Facilitator: Annika Kearton, CEO, Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance

Cana Kuyucak, Climate Futures and Resilience Lead, Municipal Association of Victoria
Ella Wilkinson, Emergency Management Enhancement and Policy Officer, Municipal Association of Victoria

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