Our journey
What council has achieved in the past in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability
Whitehorse City Council has been taking action on sustainability and climate change for many years across both its operations and within the community. Between 2002 and 2020, Council has reduced its corporate emissions by more than 35 percent. This reduction has been achieved through a number of initiatives including purchasing 100% renewable electricity for six of Council’s major energy consuming buildings, installing over 920kW of solar panels on 45 Council and community buildings, upgrading streetlights with energy efficient LED globes, and reducing energy use in eight of Council’s major energy consuming buildings through an Energy Performance Contracts In addition to this, Council has:
- Adopted its Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) Policy in 2021 for Council buildings and infrastructure to achieve more efficient, resilient assets
- Integrated 30 electric and hybrid vehicles into its fleet
- Provided the community with pop-up recycling trailers for clothing and electrical goods
- Established a Food and Organics Waste Service available for residents since July 2022
These past successes set the foundation for even stronger action on sustainability and emissions reduction into the future
What council hopes to achieve in the future in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability
In September 2022, Whitehorse City Council declared a Climate Emergency and is developing a new Sustainability Strategy with extensive community input, to be finalised in early 2023. This will help guide Council’s future work in sustainability and climate change action, to ensure long term sustainability outcomes and reduced emissions.
What council hopes to gain from being a member of the Cities Power Partnership
Whitehorse City Council joined Cites Power Partnership in 2022 with the aim of networking and learning from experts and leading councils on the latest research and best practice examples to tackle climate change. Through learning from the experience of other partners who are developing low carbon cities and communities, Council hopes to make changes locally that reduce emissions, while at the same time make financial savings and reduce exposure to electricity price rises. Whitehorse City Council is also keen to share what it has learned along its sustainability journey with other councils.