Overview
Last week, the Victorian Government announced plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Now, the City of Sydney has one-upped that promise, announcing a net zero carbon emission target by the year 2035. The CBD city council had originally planned to hit the target by 2040, however, under the newly proposed Environmental Strategy 2021-2025, the target has been revised and pushed forward by five years.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore is leading the City of Sydney's charge for stronger environmental action, calling out the federal government's weak approach to the climate crisis.
"We're in the middle of a climate emergency, yet the Federal Government continues to ignore the community, expert advice and international pressure," Moore said in a media release. "Australia's emissions have been going up since 2014, and in the face of the Government's shameful inaction we are stepping up to reduce our emissions steeper and sooner."
The City of Sydney's operations are currently powered by 100 percent renewable energy, with the local government area set to hit its 2030 target of reducing its emissions by 70 percent this year – nine years early. The new 2035 target is in line with research predicting Australia and the rest of the world need to achieve net zero emissions by 2035 in order to avoid 1.5 degrees in global heating and the subsequent consequences of such an increase.
Katherine Griffiths
The local government area has announced a multifaceted plan to tackle its emission output. Firstly, the City of Sydney will encourage businesses and residents to switch to renewable energy sources, as energy consumption is currently responsible for 73 percent of the area's greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the plan, residents will also be encouraged to move away from petrol-run private vehicles through improved public transport and electric car charging stations. Waste will also be addressed, with a goal of 90 percent of residential waste diverted away from landfill by 2030.
This new energy plan follows several other City of Sydney initiatives carving the way for a vision of a greener Sydney CBD. In March, the local government announced plans to cover 40 percent of the city in greenery by 2050 and followed with a plan to convert a huge stretch of George Street into a car-free pedestrian zone over the next two years.
The City of Sydney has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2035. You can read a copy of the City of Sydney's Environmental Strategy 2021-2025 here.