Cities viewed as net zero secret weapon

The emission-reduction plans of 60 of Australia’s 527 local governments will achieve 96% of the current national target — 28% reduction by 2030 — according to new research.

ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability has reported that certain councils are planning and implementing large emission reductions in their cities. Collectively their commitments will lead to emission reductions of 88 million tonnes of CO₂e, equivalent to taking more than 20.5 million petrol cars off the road each year.

This local effort is almost the same as the 92 million tonnes in emission reductions envisaged by the federal government to meet its 2030 goal.

The board of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) believes these emissions reductions could be delivered faster if there was a national program to help local governments roll out projects.

“We are calling on the Prime Minister to work with them [GCoM] to design a national cities emission reduction program, like many other nations have,” Lord Mayor of City of Hobart and GCoM board member Anna Reynolds said.

“It’s our view that the work of cities can be harnessed to allow Australia to set a much stronger zero-emissions target at the national level.”

Further information

ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network working with more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125+ countries, the organisation influences sustainability policy and drives local action for low-emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. In Australia, ICLEI Oceania is the focal point for the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Oceania (GCoM).

Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, built upon the commitment of over 10,500 cities and local governments. These cities hail from six continents and 140 countries. In total, they represent more than one billion people. The cities and partners of GCoM share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change while working towards a resilient and low-emission society.

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