Our journey
What council has achieved in the past in energy efficiency, renewable energy or broader sustainability
Lane Cove Council identifies energy efficiency, sustainable transport and renewable energy alongside other sustainability targets in its 2016 – 2021 Sustainability Action Plan. Council’s Sustainability Levy has been used to fund projects to achieve these goals including:
- The Market Square Car Park LED and Smart Lighting Upgrade
- Installation of solar panels on Council buildings and assets including the Aquatic Centre, Council’s highest energy-consuming building
- Sustainable Building Advisory Service, a free service for residents which provides sustainable building advice from a qualified architect or building designer. The service is offered to residents who are planning to build or renovate their home
- Regular community information sessions and workshops on topics including energy efficiency and renewable energy at home
What Council hopes to achieve in the future in energy efficiency, renewable energy or broader sustainability
Lane Cove declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 and subsequently set about measuring emissions and creating emission reduction targets for both Council, and the community. They are:
- A 20% reduction in emissions and no net water gain by 2024*
- An 80% reduction in emissions and no net water gain by 2036*
*based on the 2016/17 baseline
In the community, electricity is the largest contributor of the community’s emissions, averaging nearly 70%. Transport from both resident travel and workers is the second largest emissions source, averaging about 23%.
As a result, Council is focusing on these two areas as they have the potential for the biggest impact in reducing community emissions.
What council hopes to gain from being a member of the Cities Power Partnership
Council sees the value in being a member of a nationwide program where information sharing is paramount and leads to idea sharing to help Council achieve targets of decreased power and water use at all buildings and assets. Council is excited to choose its five key actions and discover how these can result in targets being achieved in its Sustainability Action Plan.