The Clean Energy Regulator administers five core elements of the Australian Government's climate change policy, namely National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting, the carbon pricing mechanism, the Australian National Registry of Emissions Units, the Carbon Farming Initiative and the Renewable Energy Target. These legislated schemes work together to provide clear economic incentives, backed up by robust data, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy.

As required by Section 39 of the Clean Energy Regulator Act 2011, the Clean Energy Regulator corporate plan 2012–15 (the corporate plan) has been prepared to inform the Minister of the Regulator's objectives and the strategies that are to be enacted in order to achieve them. This is the first corporate plan produced by the Clean Energy Regulator.

This corporate plan gives voice to the Clean Energy Regulator's strategic approach to achieving its objectives within its operating environment. It will be integrated with the Clean Energy Regulator's business planning framework and provides context and guidance to the agency by reference to the major legislative milestones and deliverables that shape its priorities.

The corporate plan is constructed broadly in three sections to paint a picture of who we are, what we do and how we do it. The corporate plan demonstrates how our daily work contributes to the delivery of the Clean Energy Regulator's vision, while identifying those elements that will enable the agency to position itself effectively to manage the challenges ahead.

The first section of the corporate plan describes our operating context, detailing the unique role that we play in the Government's Clean Energy Future plan. This section focuses on the range of legislation from which we draw our authority and accountabilities, and notes some features of the landscape around us. The second section discusses our strategic objectives and how they will shape our actions. The third section highlights the agency's major deliverables and the frameworks that will guide the Clean Energy Regulator in the pursuit of its vision.

The corporate plan also demonstrates the Clean Energy Regulator's commitment to continuous improvement by outlining the planned evolution of its strategic approach. The model describes the high level strategic intent of the Clean Energy Regulator over the three year period, with significant operational components identified and grouped thematically across each year. As a new agency, the Clean Energy Regulator continues to focus on the development and establishment of corporate systems and processes that support our objectives and allow us to operate as an effective and efficient Commonwealth agency.

Much work has already been done to establish the Clean Energy Regulator as a competent and purposeful agency. We operate in a dynamic environment where we must remain alert and responsive without losing sight of our legislated responsibilities and overarching goals. All our schemes will mature and evolve within the planning horizon of this document. In particular, the fixed price period of the carbon pricing mechanism will conclude and the Clean Energy Regulator will be fully prepared for the commencement of the flexible price period on 1 July 2015, including auctioning units and international linking. I look forward to leading the agency and my fellow Members of the Clean Energy Regulator in putting this plan into effect.

Chloe Munro
Chair, Clean Energy Regulator