Our journey
What council has achieved in the past in energy efficiency, renewable energy or broader sustainability
Eurobodalla Shire Council is on track meet its current target of a 25 per cent emissions reduction by 2020, and will have saved over 14,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year and over $1 million per year in the process.
This has been achieved though energy efficiency and demand management programs, installation of more than 630kW of solar power at council facilities, LED street lighting upgrades, and methane flaring at council’s landfills.
What council hopes to achieve in the future in energy efficiency, renewable energy or broader sustainability
Eurobodalla Shire Council recently adopted a new Emissions Reduction Plan that will guide efforts to tackle emissions within Council’s operations and in the community. It includes two new targets:
- Reduce Council’s energy emissions from the 2005/06 baseline by 80 per cent by 2030
- Source 100 per cent of Council’s electricity from renewable energy by 2030.
To achieve these targets, Council’s actions will include upgrading all remaining street lights to LEDs, investigating opportunities to use methane from landfill gas extraction and to operate a biogas energy plant at Surf Beach sewage treatment works. Facilitating electric car charging infrastructure and developing a Council Climate Adaptation Strategy will take place, and Council will also examine opportunities to use battery storage and investigate a large scale solar farm. The ability to implement the targets will be impacted by NSW and Australian government initiatives and policies.
Why council joined the Cities Power Partnership
Eurobodalla Shire Council joined the Cities Power Partnership to share with other councils the award-winning work it has done in reducing emissions. Council also hopes to learn about new strategies and actions that have been successfully implemented in other local government areas. Ultimately the Partnership should help us continue reducing our emissions and help other councils and communities to do the same.