Our Climate Change Action
The impacts of climate change are already been experienced locally, nationally and internationally. The Paris Agreement, the key international agreement to address climate change, recognises the need to limit global warming to well below 2°C with effort to keep it at no more than 1.5°C this century.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released the first part of its Sixth Assessment Report which shows that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are responsible for approximately 1.1°C of warming since 1850-1900, and states that global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.
As global temperatures rise, so do the risks associated with climate change including increased extreme weather events, greater loss of coral reefs, higher sea level rise with millions more people exposed to this risk and higher species loss and extinction.
Climate Emergency Declaration
In December 2019, the City of Charles Sturt declared a Climate Emergency.
Responding to the climate emergency recognises that the scale of this problem requires action from all levels of government – and that solutions are available to us, but that rapid action and significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions are needed. We have a role to play in reducing our own emissions, providing opportunities for communities to reduce their emissions, influencing stakeholders and advocating to other levels of government.
Net Zero - Our Map to Net Zero Corporate Emissions details how we aim to mitigate climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across our services and operations.
The Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership (CPP) is Australia’s largest local government climate network, made up of over 145 councils from across the country, representing over half of the Australian population.
In 2019, the City of Charles Sturt joined the CPP and made the following pledges:
- Install renewable energy (solar PV and battery storage) on Council buildings.
- Provide fast-charging infrastructure throughout the City at key locations for electric vehicles.
- Encourage sustainable transport use such as public transport, walking and cycling through Council transport planning and design.
- Set City-level renewable energy or emissions reduction targets.
- Lobby State and Federal Government to address barriers to the take up of renewable energy, energy efficiency and/or sustainable transport.
We are taking action to meet these pledges through Net Zero, our Transport Plan and other projects.
We are a founding funder of Climate Emergency Australia, an alliance of local governments across Australia, working together to have all levels of government acknowledge and respond to the climate emergency with the urgency that is required based on scientific evidence.
There are two main focuses of Climate Change Action, these are mitigation and adaptation. To adequately address climate change, both mitigation and adaptation actions are required.
Mitigation involves the actions undertaken by individuals, communities, organisations and government at all levels to reduce greenhouse emissions and increase the amount of greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere by greenhouse sinks.
Adaption involves individuals, communities, organisations and government at all levels taking action to manage the risks and consequences of climate change.
We are addressing both mitigation and adaptation through Net Zero and AdaptWest, along with additional projects, Plans and Strategies including:
More information
Environmental Management Officer (Climate Emergency Response)
Zoe Smith
zsmith@charlessturt.sa.gov.au