Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said the industry had come out in force in support of the charter, which was designed to set a high benchmark for the conduct of renewable energy developers in relation to communities living close to the projects they build and operate.
“The new Best Practice Charter for Renewable Energy Developments is a voluntary commitment by companies to engage respectfully with local communities, be sensitive to environmental and cultural values, and make a positive contribution to the local regions in which they operate” said Mr Thornton. “It includes a list of 10 pledges which promote sensitive development practices. Renewable energy is now the lowest cost kind of energy generation we can build today, and regional communities will see more of these projects over the coming decades. The industry understands we need to invest strongly in bringing local communities with us on the journey to secure the clean energy sector’s long-term success.”
Thornton added that the charter is an initiative by the Clean Energy Council and its members which continues to build on the extensive work it has done to set a high bar across the industry for community engagement over the course of this decade
More than 40 wind and solar projects worth close to $10 billion are currently under construction or about to start under the national Renewable Energy Target (RET).
Image: Albany wind farm, Australia
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