Climate for change

GEELONG Sustainability has congratulated the city on its Draft Climate Change Response Plan and says local government and leaders “need to use their considerable power to lobby local Federal MPs for strong climate action too”.

The local sustainability group has prepared a seven-page submission to the City of Greater Geelong’s proposed plan, in which it makes suggestions and details key concerns with the document while also acknowledging “the city has heeded the scientific evidence and set a community target of net zero community emissions by 2035”.

“This bold target will signal to all stakeholders that Geelong wants to be at the forefront of the region’s transition to a clean energy circular economy,” GS said.

“Given the critical importance of effective bi-partisan collaboration between all tiers of government, we think council advocacy for urgent climate action should be a high priority to both state and federal government.”

GS president Vicki Perrett said the group believed an alliance of all stakeholder groups would be essential to coordinate action.

“It needs to bring together community, local authorities, business and academia to set a common agenda, plan effective activities and deliver collective impact,” she said.

“GS is looking forward to playing its part in transitioning the region to a clean energy, advanced manufacturing hub.”

The submission discusses the plan’s seven principles which cover a wide spectrum of climate action and its “many good features” including the target, council’s leadership role and its focus on addressing climate charge beyond its own operations.

GS is delighted that the city has recognised its role in leading the community on climate action, alongside many other councils across Australia and around the globe.

“As the level of government that interacts most with people and their daily lives, councils have a vital role to play in supporting and assisting their communities,” Ms Perret said.

“GS is pleased that the city has recognised that it must lead and influence the entire community to respond to the existential threat faced by climate change.”

However the sustainability group is concerned about the implementation of the plan, and what it considers is an insufficient business buy-in and resources available to achieve the plan’s goals.”

A much higher level of engagement with the business sector is required given the high level of commercial and industrial emissions and that acting early on climate is an opportunity, whilst acting late will be harmful.

“The City of Greater Geelong needs to view this transformation as of such critical importance to the future of our city that it will reallocate budget from areas which are not aligned with achieving the goal of net zero by 2035.”

The GS submission also states that it believes the plan does not adequately recognise Traditional Owners’ culture, perspectives and practices.

“The Wadawurrung Healthy Country Plan can show us how to manage country as a means of addressing current climate and ecological crises,” the submission says.

Submissions closed last month and all feedback will be considered, before the final plan goes to the council in October for endorsement.