We are a Citizen’s Alliance dedicated to reducing carbon emissions to zero in south east NSW.
We use evidence-based research to show how to reach our emissions target and create local jobs and a healthy environment for the future. We are lobbying for policy change and individual, local and community action to support our transition to a low carbon economy.
OUR CHARTER
Preamble
ZeroSE is a Citizen’s Alliance dedicated to leading the way to a low carbon economy in south eastern NSW. At this critical time in Earth’s natural history, we are not relying on political leadership to secure the future of Earth as we know it. We are mapping and implementing a blueprint to zero carbon emissions across local government areas in our region.
Principles
The principles of the ZeroSE Charter are:
- Evidence based research
- Ecological Integrity
- Community engagement
- Advocacy for climate policy and action
- Comprehensive reporting
Evidence based research
The foundation of our work is the preparation of factsheets that provide baseline data to support policy making and action in local government areas across south eastern NSW. The factsheets provide a template for similar work across Australia.
Ecological Integrity
We respect natural systems and apply landscape ecology to the environmental challenges of our time. Our policy recommendations apply to bioregions. Our actions recognise the interdependence of natural systems and are consistent with managing landscapes at scale.
Community engagement
ZeroSE is a voice for community action. Our affiliates are community groups that are dedicated to action on the ground. Its reach includes private citizens, schools, tertiary institutions, business and local government.
Advocacy for climate policy and action
ZeroSE advocates for climate and environmental policy change and action. While the action is focused in south east NSW, the advocacy is also at state and national levels. Our advocacy highlights the links between healthy environments, employment opportunities, increased productivity, reduced financial risk and quality of life.
Comprehensive reporting
ZeroSE advocates for the consistent measurement, evaluation and reporting of implementation projects to generate quality data that informs learnings from the past and the aggregation of outcomes.
OUR TEAM
Andrea Charlton
Andrea is a member of the South Coast Health and Sustainability Alliance, and is a wordsmith with forty years of experience in large (IT) and small (family) business and government (Commonwealth). She has qualifications in English and French language, and Communication.
John Clark
John is Deputy Chair of Repower Shoalhaven and led the Repower team that secured 23 rooftop solar system projects for commercial and industrial customers, mostly in the Shoalhaven and played a key role in the development of the Shoalhaven Solar Farm. John is a commercialisation and business development specialist with broad experience in large corporations and consulting. He did Graduate Diplomas in Business Administration and Carbon Accounting.
Di Dibley
Di Dibley is an environmental lawyer with a long career in environmental advocacy and policy. This includes time as the National Policy Advisor, Environment and Energy to the Australian Industry Group, Director of the Sustainable Industries Office (ACF) and National Policy Director Greening Australia. She taught constitutional law at the University of Canberra and recently completed a PhD with the Fenner School at ANU. Her thesis was an inquiry into an Earth Ethic for the Anthropocene and she is currently working on a book based on her thesis findings.
Jack Egan
Jack is a core team member of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action, 350 Eurobodalla and CANsigns (this last group distributes Climate Act Now signage). He is a candidate with the Labor for Eurobodalla team at the December 2021 NSW local government elections. He has a science degree in mathematics and statistics and extensive private sector work experience in data analysis and report writing for a variety of audiences and has also worked as a shearer, school teacher and aged care worker.
Peter New
Peter is a committee member of Climate Action Monaro (CAM) and works as an electrical engineer with over 20 years experience in the power generation industry. He has a keen personal interest in the topic of renewable community energy.
Margaret Mackinnon
Margaret is Chair of Upper Snowy Landcare Network. While acting as a full-time carer, she is working on the scaling up of tree planting on the Monaro in order to restore dieback-affected areas, restore agricultural land and grow a carbon industry. She works closely with colleagues at the Research School of Biology at ANU to do this. She has 30 years of research experience in statistical genetics applied to humans, livestock and malaria parasites. She is an adjunct Associate Professor at ANU.
Jo Oddie
Jo is President of Climate Action Monaro (CAM), a supporter of Australian Farmers for Climate Action and a Climate Reality Leader. She is an international development consultant with extensive experience in quantitative and qualitative research and analysis.
Frances Perkins
Frances was an economist at Australian National University, the Commonwealth Treasury and Foreign Affairs and Trade for 30 years before retiring to the Far South Coast. She’s now Chair of the National Trust Far South Coast Branch and is active in local environmental campaigns, particularly forest conservation. She undertook research with Andrew Mackintosh at ANU’s Centre for Climate Change Law they published with the Australia Institute showing how conserving NSW’s public native forests for carbon capture would generate major economic, employment and environmental benefits, compared to loss-making logging and wood chipping.
Joslyn van der Moolen
Joslyn is a forest conservationist and secretary of The Coastwatchers Association, a leading community environmental and conservation group serving the South Coast of NSW. Joslyn’s key interest is developing local community citizen science capacity to trigger environmental protection measures in state forests.