Yarra City Council has adopted its second Climate Emergency Plan with scaled up ambition and a focus on supporting communities most at risk from climate impacts.
Mayor Edward Crossland said, “Yarra’s new Climate Emergency Plan 2024-2030 is our assurance that we’ve heard the calls from our community for greater climate action, and for a more equitable and just society.
“Right now, the climate crisis is accelerating. If we want to create a safe and just future where people and nature thrive, all levels of government must do more, and faster, to address it.”
“Yarra is proud to continue to be a leader on climate action in the local government sector and we are committed to embedding climate action in everything we do.”
“The new Plan recognises that the scale of ambition must match the scale of the problem to realise our vision of a climate safe, sustainable and just society.”
“We are committed to a climate emergency response that centres justice and equity, ensuring that our entire community – particularly those at greatest risk – are resilient, connected, empowered, and share in the benefits of our investments.”
“We look forward to partnering with Traditional Owners of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung nation in Caring for Country, ensuring our landscapes and waterways are healthier and more biodiverse and our communities feel connected to nature.”
“We will ensure children and young people are represented and can meaningfully participate in decision making and we will advocate for climate mitigation and adaptation strategies which limit the exposure of children and young people to climate impacts.”
The Climate Emergency Plan 2024-2030 focuses on 7 key areas:
- Embedding proactive climate responses in the ways we govern and work and supporting our community to do the same in their everyday lives.
- Prioritising support for community members at greater risk from climate impacts to ensure they are connected, supported, and empowered to build resilience.
- Building partnerships and empowering our community to advocate for stronger climate policies, targets and actions and an equitable future for all.
- Achieving net zero emissions by 2035 by delivering innovative programs and initiatives that reduce energy use and support the transition to all-electric homes, businesses, industry and transport.
- Collaborating with Traditional Owners as decision-makers and partners in caring for Country, connecting our community with nature, and improving biodiversity and climate resilience in the natural environment.
- Ensuring everyone in Yarra lives and works in comfortable and climate-safe homes and buildings, supported by climate resilient public spaces and infrastructure.
- Transitioning to a circular economy by supporting our community to consume less, repair, share, and repurpose more and send less waste to landfill.
Yarra City Council was one of the first Councils in Australia to declare a climate emergency and has made significant progress in responding to the climate emergency, achieving a 70 percent reduction in emissions since 2001.
In 2012, Yarra City Council became the first Victorian council to be certified carbon neutral, meaning all remaining emissions since that year have been offset to bring our net emissions to zero.
Responding to the climate emergency is a strategic objective of the Council Plan 2021-25 developed in partnership with the Yarra community.
Council’s Community Vision showed 90% of community members surveyed agreed that Council should actively invest in measures that promote environmental sustainability and respond to the climate emergency.
