Climate Summit for Local Government

Sept 6-8, 2023 | Melbourne

City of Greater Shepparton's climate and sustainability commitments

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

  • Traditional Owners Yorta Yorta
  • Member since 2021
  • Population 66,786
feature_icon_4 / People

Net Zero

community emissions by 2030

Our journey

What council has achieved in the past in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability

Greater Shepparton City Council values the leadership role we have in our community, and have undertaken many projects and made many commitments to play our part in creating a more sustainable and equitable future for our community including having:

  • Declared a Climate Emergency
  • Set a 2030 Zero Emissions Target
  • Purchased 100% renewable electricity for our small and large market electricity through our participation in the Victorian Energy Collaboration project
  • Installed over 500kw Solar PV on council facilities
  • Integrated electric vehicles into Council’s passenger fleet
  • Installed 4 x DC and 4 x AC public charge stations, powered by renewable electricity
  • Upgraded streetlights to low energy lamps through Watts Working Better project
  • Planted over 6000 advanced trees as part of our Urban Forest Strategy to cool our urban areas
  • Planted over 100,000 indigenous trees, shrubs and groundcovers through the One Tree Per Child project
  • Funded Community Sustainability Grants to support actions within our community
  • Adopted a Climate Adaptation Plan for Council’s operations and services
  • Developed the Shepparton Statement – a platform for our youth to have their say on climate and the environment
  • Implemented an Emissions Reduction Plan to reduce council’s energy use by 20% from 2014 to 2020

What council hopes to achieve in the future in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability

Greater Shepparton City Council has also identified many opportunities for future actions to continue to mitigate our emissions and adapt our community to climate change including:

  • Adopt and implement 2030 Zero Emissions Plan for council’s operations
  • Development of Climate Emergency Action Plan for adoption in 2022 to support our community to mitigate against and adapt to climate change
  • Decarbonisation of gas at council facilities
  • Reduction in waste to landfill
  • Continued energy efficiency projects within our facilities
  • Continued installation of solar PV on council facilities
  • Continued transition of fleet to Zero Emissions Vehicles
  • Increasing urban tree canopy cover to 40% by 2040
  • Continuing One Tree Per Child revegetation activities
  • Increasing Environmental Sustainable Design in our buildings and communities

What council hopes to gain from being a member of the Cities Power Partnership

Greater Shepparton City Council hopes that by joining Cities Power Partnership we will increase our knowledge sharing and create collaboration opportunities with other councils. We can then share these learnings more widely with businesses, stakeholders, industry and community, and work together more effectively as we take our next steps towards a better future.

Pledges

Council has committed to the following Cities Power Partnership pledges:

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.
Sustainable Transport
Ensure Council fleet purchases meet strict greenhouse gas emissions requirements and support the uptake of electric vehicles.
Provide fast-charging infrastructure throughout the city at key locations for electric vehicles.
Work Together and Influence
Set city-level renewable energy or emissions reduction targets.

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