Climate Summit for Local Government

Sept 6-8, 2023 | Melbourne

City of Sydney's climate and sustainability commitments

City of Sydney is part of the Cities Power Partnership, Australia's largest network of councils leading the way to a sustainable future

  • Traditional Owners Gadigal People
  • Member since 2017
  • Population 242,237

Our journey

The City of Sydney has targets for its local government area (LGA) to be net zero emissions by 2050 and for 50 per cent of electricity to be renewable by 2030 (and for our own operations by 2021).

We have an active and engaged community, and since 2006 total emissions across the LGA have fallen by more than 17 per cent. During this time the local economy grew by 32 per cent, and there are 25 per cent more people living in the city, 19 per cent more workers, 18 per cent more homes and 10 per cent more floor space.

This shows that decoupling carbon emissions from growth is happening, and the new economy can be a prosperous one. Sydney is not alone; this is a common story for many cities around the planet.

The City is a long-standing member of the C40 Climate Leadership group and the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. By joining the Cities Power Partnership we hope to be able to share some of the outcomes from these international networks.

Pledges

Council has committed to the following Cities Power Partnership pledges:

Renewable energy
Use council resources to support the uptake of renewable energy
Install renewable energy (solar PV and battery storage) on council buildings.
Power council operations by renewable energy, and set targets to increase the level of renewable power for council operations over time.
Energy Efficiency
Roll out energy efficient lighting across the municipality.
Sustainable Transport
Ensure Council fleet purchases meet strict greenhouse gas emissions requirements and support the uptake of electric vehicles.

In the news

Blog

Net Zero: How are Australian councils playing their part?

20 Dec 2021
Find out what ‘net zero’ means, why it matters and which Aussie local governments are leading the charge.
Media Release

Seventeen councils join nationwide call for ambitious Federal Government targets ahead of UN climate summit

13 Oct 2021
Councils have called on the Federal Government to commit to strong, unified action on climate change, ahead of COP26.
Media Release

Mayors commit to clean, local jobs

20 Oct 2020
Over forty mayors and councillors have released a joint statement committing to economic recovery solutions that create jobs and tackle climate change.

Join now and be part of the groundswell of local governments and communities across Australia tackling climate change.