Kiama’s transition to a clean energy future just took a huge leap forward, when Kiama Mayor Mark Honey met with the Climate Council, Australia’s leading climate organisation, to discuss pledges to tackle climate change.
Mayor Honey and Councillor Andrew Sloan met with Alix Pearce, director of the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership, this week to look at how the council can lead on climate solutions in the Kiama region.
“Council is committed to reducing our Carbon Footprint, and will shortly announce the top 5 actions to achieve our goals,” Cr Sloan said.
“There will be programs to improve energy efficiency, make greater use of solar energy to power council facilities, encourage more sustainable transport options and better engage with and support local businesses and residents to do the same.”
Mayor Honey said he was delighted to welcome the Climate Council to Kiama.
“We look forward to working with them to tackle climate change in the most effective way,” he said.
“We will also be partnering with Shoalhaven City and other councils to work together on larger projects, share knowledge and press for greater action by other levels of government.”
Kiama Council is in the process of shortlisting the 40 options recommended by the Climate Council and will finalise its top five priorities at its council meeting on Tuesday, November 21.
Ms Pearce said Kiama Council was one of Australia’s leaders when it came to finding innovative, practical solutions to climate change.
“As one of the first councils to join the Cities Power Partnership, Kiama is showing other local governments way forward on clean energy and emissions reduction,” she said.
The Cities Power Partnership, a coalition of local governments across the country committed to finding solutions to climate change, launched in July this year.
Kiama was a founding member, along with South Coast neighbours Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla and Bega Valley.
This article first appeared in the Kiama Independent on 27 September 2017
