On 24 September 2007, two environmental activists associated with Greenpeace trespassed into a coal loader owned by Port Waratah Coal Services and halted the operation of the conveyor belt for almost two hours at a cost of approximately $27,000.  Police arrested and charged the activists for “maliciously damaging property” under section 195 (1) of the Crimes Act 1900.  The prosecutor and counsel for the defendants questioned the meaning of “damages” as it appeared in section 195 and whether the defendants’ actions applied.  The magistrate ruled that there were two sorts of damages (physical and monetary) and that the defendants could only be charged for monetary damage, which would constitute a civil crime, not a criminal one.  He proceeded to dismiss the charge.

Director of Public Prosecutions v. Fraser and O’Donnell

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Director of Public Prosecutions v. Fraser and O’Donnell - opinion

Filed

On 24 September 2007, two environmental activists associated with Greenpeace trespassed into a coal loader owned by Port Waratah Coal Services and halted the operation of the conveyor belt for almost two hours at a cost of approximately $27,000.  Police arrested and charged the activists for “maliciously damaging property” under section 195 (1) of the Crimes Act 1900.  The prosecutor and counsel for the defendants questioned the meaning of “damages” as it appeared in section 195 and whether the defendants’ actions applied.  The magistrate ruled that there were two sorts of damages (physical and monetary) and that the defendants could only be charged for monetary damage, which would constitute a civil crime, not a criminal one.  He proceeded to dismiss the charge. 

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

Financial support to help individuals manage the effects of unexpected events, securing their livelihoods and increasing the resilience of people and businesses to the changing climate. It’s especially vital in developing regions where everyday risks, climate-related weather extremes, or crop failures can push people into poverty. Without insurance, people may have to resort to selling assets or cutting consumption to cope with losses.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock formed from carbonised plant matter, rich in carbon and hydrocarbons, and occurring in several main types including hard coal and brown coal.

The activities of industries that transforms raw materials into finished goods through industrial processes.

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

Director of Public Prosecutions v. Fraser and O’Donnell - opinion

Policy instrument

Fossil fuel

Economic sector

Finance