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Today's Topics:
1. Q/t: Corporate heavyweights fear nation falling behind on
climate (Stephen Loosley)
2. O/t: The NSA "No Such Podcast" will interview agency experts
in a regular new podcast (Stephen Loosley)
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:44:37 +0930
From: Stephen Loosley <[email protected]>
To: "link" <[email protected]>
Subject: [LINK] Q/t: Corporate heavyweights fear nation falling behind
on climate
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
`
Corporate heavyweights fear nation falling behind on climate
August 9 2024
https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/corporate-heavyweights-fear-nation-falling-behind-on-climate-20240806-p5k02k?
and http://www.se.com/au/qr-si24
Leaders across our largest industries are increasingly concerned that Australia
is falling behind in the global race to address climate change.
New research on corporate action and attitudes on decarbonisation also reveals
a significant lag in corporate decarbonisation efforts.
The Sustainability Index, 2024 from Schneider Electric, highlights the urgent
need for government intervention to accelerate the energy transition and
support businesses in their sustainability journeys.
According to the survey, more than half of Australia?s corporate
decision-makers believe the nation energy transition is trailing the rest of
the world.
Despite widespread endorsement of the need to meet emissions targets, 40 per
cent of companies are not acting to decarbonise, and one in four have no
intention of reaching net zero by 2050.
This lack of action is compounded by the fact that less than one in five
companies have an overarching decarbonisation roadmap or strategy in place.
Lisa Zembrodt, principal and senior director of Schneider Electric
sustainability consulting business, says the survey results demonstrate a
significant gap between businesses that support the energy transition in theory
and those taking concrete steps to achieve it.
?Most businesses see sustainability as offering a competitive advantage, but
many don?t grasp the urgency of climate action,? says Zembrodt.
?With new climate-related financial disclosure regulations rolling out next
year, having a roadmap to transition your business to the low-carbon economy
will be essential, and companies should urgently develop and implement a net
zero plan.?
These upcoming disclosure rules, based on standards set by the International
Sustainability Standards Board, will require companies to reveal extensive
information on climate-related issues, including governance, strategies, risk
management, and targets.
The requirements for the biggest companies are expected to come into force in
January 2025 and will be progressively rolled out to smaller organisations.
The survey also highlights that business wants more government support to
accelerate the energy transition. Four out of five corporate decision-makers
say the government should support the energy transition, and one-third says
regulation is the main driver for decarbonisation.
Most respondents (81 per cent) believe that the government should provide
financial incentives for sustainable transformation to be viable, up five
points from last year (76 per cent).
Time running out
?These survey results point to an ongoing divide between the most progressive
companies and those yet to act ? but time is running out,? says Zembrodt.
?We need to bridge this divide by sharing knowledge and resources across
industries, being clear on expectations, and looking to governments for
leadership and support.?
Despite the challenges, the survey reveals that 70 per cent of Australian
business leaders agree that sustainable transformation gives them a competitive
edge. However, this is down from 76 per cent last year, signalling a
normalisation of progress on sustainability. Furthermore, 71 per cent of
companies believe the benefits of adopting sustainable technology outweigh the
costs.
However, businesses face significant barriers to adopting sustainable solutions.
The top barriers include a lack of financial resources (37 per cent), the
perception that it is not seen as urgent by their business (36 per cent), and a
lack of government incentives (33 per cent). Additionally, respondents cited
basic methods of collecting data as a barrier to monitoring and improving
efficiency and sustainability, with two-thirds saying their main source of
energy data was bills and spreadsheets, and a similar proportion citing that a
lack of data impacted their decision-making.
Zembrodt stresses the importance of immediate action, noting that the tools and
technology exist today to improve efficiency and cut emissions, leading to
lower energy costs.
?Companies should not wait to establish and act on a decarbonisation plan,? she
says. ?In an environment of greater transparency, progressive companies are
optimising their sustainability and emissions performance, and with that,
they?re improving efficiency and are better able to attract capital.?
The survey also highlights a disparity in the management of different types of
emissions. While 70 per cent of respondents are discussing their Scope 1, 2,
and 3 emissions, only 10 per cent have a strategy in place for managing Scope 3
emissions, which are created up and down an organisation?s value chain.
More than half have not yet assessed climate risks and opportunities or
developed a transition plan for their business. Additionally, the opportunity
for energy management actions is high, with only 44 per cent of companies
actively managing energy volatility.
Despite recent federal government initiatives, including the establishment of a
Net Zero Authority and the introduction of climate reporting rules, 54 per cent
of respondents believe Australia is falling behind other countries on climate
change action, compared to two-thirds of respondents who reported feeling that
way in last year?s Index.
UNSW savants show way forward
The University of NSW has significantly reduced its emissions by switching to
100 per cent renewable electricity in 2020.
The university focus is now on electrifying campus infrastructure and tackling
Scope 3 emissions from suppliers, travel, and investment activities.
UNSW has demonstrated the advantages of a long-term focus on measurement and
the use of technology to create a clear baseline of energy consumption and
measure progress on an ongoing basis, says Adam De Paoli, senior manager of
engineering technology at UNSW?s estate management.
?We take a consistent approach to carbon reduction, and the hard work of a
dedicated group of people in the UNSW?s estate management department?s
engineering technology, utilities management, sustainability and engineering
teams help meet our emission reduction targets,? says De Paoli.
?These teams work tirelessly to digitise, electrify and de-carbonise in support
of UNSW?s net zero goal, and it?s satisfying to know when measured against over
four hundred industry customers globally, these teams excel.
?With technology partners like Schneider Electric, these people are making a
real difference towards a sustainable future.?
Zembrodt says: ?As businesses navigate the complexities of the energy
transition, the latest Schneider Electric survey underscores the need for
increased government support, financial incentives, and a strategic approach to
sustainability.?
The full Sustainability Index, 2024 report, which provides detailed insights
into the state of corporate decarbonisation efforts in Australia and the next
steps needed, can be downloaded from the Schneider Electric website here.?
http://www.se.com/au/qr-si24
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2024 11:10:10 +0930
From: Stephen Loosley <[email protected]>
To: "link" <[email protected]>
Subject: [LINK] O/t: The NSA "No Such Podcast" will interview agency
experts in a regular new podcast
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
`
The agency that dared not speak its name is launching a podcast
The new NSA "No Such Podcast" will interview agency experts in a bid to raise
its public profile.
By David DiMolfetta August 29, 2024
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2024/08/nsa-debut-podcast-boost-public-awareness-classified-missions/399148/
The National Security Agency?the long-secret, then merely extremely secretive
signals-intelligence behemoth?is launching a podcast to tell the public about
its clandestine activities.
Dubbed ?No Such Podcast? after the "No Such Agency" nickname, the audio series
is coming soon, according to a trailer made available for reporting on Thursday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eB4oUeFtvE
It will feature NSA experts discussing the agency?s role in combat support,
signals intelligence, and cybersecurity missions, according to a spokesperson.
?NSA is known as home to the world?s greatest codemakers and codebreakers ?
their stories are now being decoded,? the spokesperson said.
An exact release date for the series was not made publicly available by press
time.
The podcast trailer, just around 30 seconds long, is appropriately cryptic in
its nature, but hints that it will explore stories about the agency?s past work
in landmark military and intelligence events while educating listeners about
NSA?s day-to-day activities.
?Success is the attack that never happened. For decades, the No Such Agency has
protected the nation, our armed forces and built partnerships across the
globe,? a narrator in the trailer says. ?We?ve served in silence, and now it?s
time to share that story.?
The podcast is part of a notable shift in how the NSA seeks to engage with the
public and media about its work. In 2013, it faced virulent pushback from press
groups, government officials, tech companies and the American public about its
mass surveillance activities disclosed by former agency contractor Edward
Snowden. The incident fueled an overhaul of how NSA works with the press, which
included a sweeping outreach plan written in 2014.
The podcast?s launch echoes the Central Intelligence Agency's opening of a
Twitter account a decade ago: ?We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our
first tweet.? At the time, the CIA?s media team had reported an increase in
visitors to its CIA.gov site, particularly to its historical blogs and career
pages. Today, the CIA, which serves as America?s leading foreign intelligence
agency, runs its own podcast dubbed ?The Langley Files? after its Virginia
headquarters.
Intelligence and security agencies under the Biden administration have pushed
to share information about hackers and terror groups with the private sector, a
move that first came in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that officials
say could have been prevented if agencies weren?t stovepiped in their sharing
of information.
The podcast takes a similar approach with a different angle, likely seeking to
upend what it views as misconceptions about its work, which has often been
shrouded in mystery and controversy. The agency has faced such scrutiny as
recently as this year, when it backed a White House effort that pushed for the
renewal of a contested surveillance power that allows spy agencies to target
foreigners? conversations overseas.
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