We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the Independent Accountability Panel’s (IAP) call for submissions on the 2020 Disclosures by the Energy Charter Signatories.

In this submission we comment on the issues most directly relevant to the experience of household and small business energy consumers; namely the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the summer bushfires, and how this ongoing health and economic crisis should be informing the responses of the Signatories, who are providers of an essential service. The important point for the IAP and Signatories, is that these shocks act as a giant stress test on the system, finding and amplifying the weaknesses in the current services.

Year 2 was an important leadership opportunity for the CEO Council and we continue to look to the CEO Council to show ambition for the Energy Charter. Our expectation is that the Signatories build on their work to date to deliver better outcomes for all energy consumers.

We look forward to further engaging with the IAP in the important role that you are playing on behalf of energy consumers. See our full submission here.