The Cities Power Partnership (CPP) has just released a new report Tackling Climate Change Together: Local Governments Lead the Charge, which highlights hundreds of climate pledges made by councils in the program, Australia’s largest council climate alliance. the Federal Government on policies to tackle climate change, committing to hundreds of projects to cut greenhouse gas pollution.
The Cities Power Partnership has grown by 31 new councils, taking the network to over 100 councils representing almost 11 million Australians.
Member councils are required to make five climate pledges, committing to projects ranging from powering council facilities with clean energy through to setting ambitious city-wide renewable energy and emissions reduction targets.
Key report findings
- Cities Power Partnership councils have submitted over 300 climate and energy pledges, making up a huge combined effort to drive down greenhouse gas pollution.
- Over 130 of the submitted pledges focus on increasing renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas pollution at council or community level.
- Councils are setting ambitious emissions reduction and renewable energy goals, with over 70 pledges focused on how councils can work together and with their communities to drive down local emissions by city-level clean energy or emissions reduction targets and and help to educate and change community behaviour to reduce climate impact.
- Councils are saving ratepayers money through energy efficiency, with over 60 pledges to introduce energy efficient lighting (particularly street lighting) and to make council buildings more energy efficient, reducing climate impact and saving thousands of dollar off power bills.
- Sustainable transport is a priority, with over 45 council pledges to make fleets compliant with greenhouse gas emissions requirements, accelerating local uptake of electric vehicles, providing electric vehicle charging infrastructure and encouraging sustainable transport use through council transport planning and design.
