Sustainability & Climate Change
In August 2008, Maddocks launched its Sustainability & Climate Change Team. This team draws together a broad range of commercial, regulatory and planning & environment expertise to focus on sustainability, emissions trading, climate change, water and energy.
Maddocks’ Team
The team draws together in - depth legal and practical experience across the planning and environment, commercial, property and construction sectors from Maddocks’ Melbourne and Sydney offices. The team also includes two professionals with outstanding reputations and strong expertise in this area: John Thwaites and Dariel DeSousa.
John Thwaites brings to Maddocks and the Sustainability & Climate Change Team an outstanding knowledge of policy at all levels of government in relation to climate change, water and the environment. As well as being the Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1999 to 2007, John held numerous senior Ministerial portfolios including Planning, Health, Water, Environment and Climate Change.
Prior to entering Parliament in 1992, John was a barrister specialising in planning and administrative law and a Mayor of South Melbourne. In addition to his role with Maddocks, John is currently a Professorial Fellow at Monash University and Chair of the Monash Sustainability Institute, as well as Chair of The Climate Group in Australia and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and a member of the board of the Green Building Council.
Dariel DeSousa has broad expertise in competition policy and regulated markets, particularly in the energy area, having worked for seven years with the World Trade Organisation in Geneva and most recently as Director of Enforcement and Compliance for the Australian Energy Regulator (established under the Trade Practices Act 1974).
Planning and Environment
Maria Marshall has excellent technical expertise in environmental and land use regulation. Having worked as a senior ministerial adviser in the State Government and worked with government clients for many years, Maria is able to identify the legal and political pitfalls of a particular course of action and to advise on complex community consultation issues.
Commercial
Maddocks commercial group advises on all aspects of the business and commercial impacts of climate change and the CPRS on business, as well as on the commercial opportunities this fundamental change to Australia’s economy will bring.
We combine a detailed knowledge of the current and proposed regulatory environment with in depth knowledge and experience in trade practices and consumer protection, private equity, taxation and banking and finance to assist clients prepare for and take advantage of the business challenges and opportunities climate change and growing corporate social responsibility present.
Property
In recent years there has been a growing trend towards “green” developments and our property group has been leading this with seminars to our government and private clients. We regularly advise on “green leases” and have recently assisted the Department of Education, Ambulance Victoria and BASF Pty Ltd.
We also have a growing practice in assisting in the property aspects of new developments such as solar energy and water trading. Christopher Conolly is currently negotiating a lease on behalf of the Department of Lands (NSW) for the largest proposed Wind Farm in Australia at Silverton, near Broken Hill.
Our Service
The Maddocks Sustainability & Climate Change Team will assist clients by advising on:
- Australian and international climate change policy and regulation, including advice on emissions trading regimes such as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS) and the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET)
- State-based abatement policies including the Victorian Energy Efficiency Scheme (VEET), Planning and Building Regulation and incentive schemes
- Green Building and infrastructure projects, including rating tools (Green Star, NABERS/ADGR), green leases and government requirements
- Strategic planning to achieve better climate change and sustainability outcomes
- Climate change adaptation, including flood control, sea-level rise and energy efficiency
- Water sensitive urban design, stormwater harvesting, water policy and legislative advice
- Impact of climate change and abatement policies on local government and local communities including waste management, street lighting and local transport
- Environmental marketing, including clean energy claims
- Renewable energy projects, including development and financing