Local councils leading the way on zero emissions

Carbon emissions pressure group lauds Australian local councils’ policies on global warming

According to Beyond Zero Emissions our local councils are “seizing the opportunity to lead with zero emissions targets and local action plans,” while Federal Government is “blind to the urgency,” to combat climate change.

They list these exciting examples….

• The Shire Of Yarra Rangers in Melbourne’s outer north east have pledged to spend $790,000 in a bid to become carbon neutral within 12 months
• The Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, a group of 14 regional local governments, businesses and community organisations, have pledged to reduce emissions to zero by 2020
• Melbourne City Council have adopted a target of zero net emissions by 2020

Beyond Zero Emissions’ spokesman says:

“Seeing this local action in context proves taht the major parties at the State Federal levels need to catch up to policy innovations being achieved in local government.”

Councils all over the world are taking on the challenge to be carbon neutral (British Colombia in Canada is aiming for 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and legislating for a target of net zero emissions by 2016) and ICLEI is the world body bringing them all together.

Currently 105 Australian local councils are members of ICLEI (here’s the list).

The International President of ICLEI, Deputy Mayor of Vancouver, Councillor David Cadman agreed with Beyond Zero, telling a conference in Melbourne last week:

“Society is in fact ahead of the politicians right now and the real leaders are at the municipal level. They are the ones that for 15 years have been working on carbon reduction at their own civic level. People are going to turn to those cities to see where we go next.”