Moreland plans well on track to meet Net Zero by 2050 climate target
February 28, 2020 at 5:45 pm John Englart Leave a comment
Impact on 2020 greenhouse emissions reduction goal as part of Moreland’s Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan . Source: Moreland Council
A report by Climate Works assessing 57 of the largest municipalities and shires in Australia has highlighted that Moreland is one of three local Governments in Australia fully aligned with emissions reduction of Net Zero by 2050 climate target.
Moreland Council has already achieved carbon neutrality from 2012 with regard to Council operations with using carbon offset credits, and is further refining plans to reduce operational emissions further.
Community emissions is much more difficult, but Council have set a zero net emissions by 2040 target and put in place the Zero Carbon Moreland strategy to achieve that target through a series of 5 year plans through the work of the Australian Energy Foundation and consultation with a ‘Brains Trust’ (including the contribution of Climate Action Moreland members).
This year Moreland Council electricity started being supplied as part of the groundbreaking Melbourne renewable Energy project which financed the development of the Crowlands Wind Farm.
Read more on Moreland Council Reducing Council’s corporate emissions.
“Three (five per cent) of the 57 governments considered have fully aligned net-zero-by- 2050 targets that address both operational and community emissions (Moreland City Council, Northern Beaches Council and the and the ACT Legislative Assembly, which has both state and local government accountability).”
Ranking of Council net zero ambition (57 councils)
All Councils taking climate action steps
The report describes that all local Councils assessed were taking steps to reduce operational and community emissions.
“Our analysis found all of the local governments assessed are taking steps to reduce their operational or community emissions and many have net zero by 2050 targets or aspirations.”
“We found that 58 per cent of the local governments assessed have a target to reach net zero operational emissions by 2050, or have made emissions reduction commitments compatible with this goal. These 33 councils – four of which are already carbon neutral – represent 31 per cent of the Australian population.”
Local Council ambition on Net Zero Emissions by 2050. Source: Climateworks
“These findings are significant,” said Petra Stock, program manager of cities and policy at ClimateWorks Australia, which produced the report with Monash Sustainable Development Institute. “To put these commitments into perspective, it means local governments covering 21 per cent of Australia’s population already have agreed to eliminate all the emissions from their regions by 2050, which is aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement,” said Stock.
The Morrison Federal Government is refusing to set a Net Zero by 2050 target, yet all State and Territory Governments, and many municipal and shire councils have already adopted this target. Many nations internationally have set this target.
Progress towards Net Zero emissions by 2050 target across Australia Source: Climateworks
More Councils declaring a climate emergency
Moreland Council declared a climate emergency at their September 2018 Council meeting, which has allowed Council to re-orient many of it’s Council policies and strategies with regard to climate action. Moreland Council was the third Victorian Council to declare a climate emergency, following the action of Darebin Council in December 2016. Now there are 94 municipal or shire Councils Australia wide, 24 in Victoria.
Council/Shire Pop Declared Darebin City Council VIC 161609 5 Dec 2016 Frankston City Council VIC 143232 18 Nov 2019 Greater Dandenong City Council VIC 166094 28 Jan 2020 Greater Geelong City Council VIC 252217 25 Feb 2020 Hepburn Shire Council VIC 15812 17 Sep 2019 Hobsons Bay City Council VIC 96459 8 Oct 2019 Indigo Shire Council VIC 16489 30 Jul 2019 Kingston City Council VIC 162500 28 Jan 2020 Manningham Council VIC 122902 28 Jan 2020 Maribyrnong City Council VIC 82288 19 Feb 2019 Melbourne City Council VIC 169961 16 Jul 2019 Mildura Rural City Council VIC 55515 26 Feb 2020 Moonee Valley City Council VIC 130265 8 Oct 2019 Moreland City Council VIC 162558 12 Sep 2018 Mornington Peninsula Shire VIC 165633 13 Aug 2019 Mount Alexander Shire Council VIC 19514 17 Dec 2019 Moyne Shire Council VIC 16887 22 Oct 2019 Port Phillip City Council VIC 113200 18 Sep 2019 Queenscliffe Borough Council VIC 2982 19 Dec 2019 Stonnington City Council VIC 116207 17 Feb 2020 Surf Coast Shire Council VIC 32651 27 Aug 2019 Warrnambool City Council VIC 35957 7 Oct 2019 Yarra City Council VIC 95981 7 Feb 2017 Yarra Ranges Council VIC 159180 10 Sep 2019
Source: Cedamia Global CED maps
At the recent National Climate Emergency Summit over 100 Municipal Councillors from 70 Councils met in a workshop and voted to establish Climate Emergency Australia to assist and share information on local government climate emergency action.
The Moreland based Australian Energy Foundation recently wrote to all Council CEOs offering their services in formulating Council Climate Emergency Strategy and action plans.
Entry filed under: Australian Energy Foundation, climate change info, Climate Emergency, Moreland Council. Tags: emission reduction Targets, Moreland Council, targets.
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