Decision Maker: Council
Decision status: Recommendations Determined
To Council:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) Report
On 9 August
2021, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released
a report on the most up-to-date understanding of the climate system and climate
change across the world.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio
Guterres, described the report as a “code red for humanity”.
The report states that:
·
Human-induced climate change is already affecting
many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe.
·
Global surface temperature will continue to
increase until at least the mid-century under all emissions scenarios
considered. Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st
century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas
emissions occur in the coming decades.
·
To limit global temperature increases we must limit
emissions, reaching at least net zero CO2 emissions, along with strong
reductions in other greenhouse gas emissions.
City of Sydney Action on Climate Change
Taking
effective action on climate change has been a key priority for my entire term
as Lord Mayor. After extensive citywide consultation the City made the
commitment in 2008 to reduce emissions by 70 per cent by 2030. We did the
master plans, set the targets and took action, and we have met this ambitious
organisational target by reducing greenhouse gas emissions nine years early in
2021, securing Sydney’s future as one of the world’s top green, liveable and
creative cities. The City of Sydney became carbon neutral in 2007 and we were
the first major city in Australia to declare a climate emergency in 2019.
We have brought forward our target for
City-wide net zero greenhouse gas emissions to 2035 (from 2040), which we
believe can be achieved through the further expansion of renewable energy,
working with our partners to increase the efficiency of our buildings, better
managing our waste, supporting active transport choices and switching to
electric vehicles.
The City’s Environmental Strategy 2021-2025
responds to the climate emergency by working in partnership with residents,
businesses, and other levels of government to build a resilient, inclusive, and
regenerative city.
Renewable Electricity
The most significant action we’ve taken to
reduce emissions is to switch to 100 per cent renewable electricity. This was
part of a $60 million, 10-year agreement with Flow Power to purchase renewable
electricity for all of the City’s large sites.
Electricity is the largest contributor to
Australia’s emissions. The Federal Government’s Renewable Energy Target (RET)
was met in 2019 and a further target has not been set, resulting in a lack of
certainty for the market.
The most significant action our residents and
businesses can take to tackle accelerating global warming is to purchase
renewable energy.
Residents and businesses can buy 100 per cent
accredited GreenPower through most retailers. The latest reporting shows that GreenPower customers have purchased over 19 million MWh of
electricity from renewable sources, which equates to over 16 million tonnes of
emissions reduction. However, customer numbers are low across NSW households
and businesses. Reasons for this include; lack of awareness, lack of trust,
price premium (or perceptions of) and lack of active promotion by
retailers.
Many Local Governments are keen to promote GreenPower, however there is no data available to track
customer numbers by Local Government Area, which is why the City is
collaborating with Resilient Sydney to advocate for retailers to provide
location data (Local Government Area level) for customers.
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) will also be
key to the offsite procurement of renewables; the City is working with NABERS
on the new NABERS Energy rating and renewables indicator (percentage) which
will acknowledge PPAs, as well as GreenPower when
launched in 2022. For larger customers
(commercial, strata buildings etc, Power Purchase Agreements will continue to
provide a more cost-effective option for renewable electricity
purchasing).
Emissions from the local area have decreased
26 per cent since 2006. Further significant reductions could be made if
residents and businesses switch to renewable electricity. A 50 per cent uptake
of renewable electricity (on 2019/20 consumption) would see overall emissions
decrease by 33 per cent; while a 100 per cent uptake would see emissions
decrease by 66 per cent. Emissions reductions from other sectors: transport,
gas and waste are also essential to reach the City’s target of net zero
emissions by 2035.
Emissions Reduction Through Planning
Controls
When the City of Sydney adopted its Climate
Emergency Response Plan in 2020 it identified further opportunities to drive
environmental performance through planning.
A significant result of this work was the Net Zero Buildings pathway
that was adopted by Council in May 2021. The work to continue to look at the
ways we can improve the environmental performance of our built environment
should continue.
COUNCILLOR
CLOVER MOORE
Lord Mayor
Moved by the Chair (the Lord Mayor), seconded by Councillor Miller –
It is resolved that:
(A)
the
Lord Mayor be requested to write to:
(i)
the Premier
requesting that the NSW Government provide GreenPower
data at a Local Government Area level so it can be embedded into the Resilient
Sydney platform to enable all Councils to start promoting and tracking uptake;
(ii)
the
Premier requesting that the NSW Government bring its net zero emissions target
forward to 2035, in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) report and to align with the City of Sydney’s net zero emissions target;
and
(iii)
the
Prime Minister requesting that the Federal Government commit to a net zero
emissions target no later than 2050 and update the national renewable energy
target to provide certainty and investment;
(B)
the
Chief Executive Officer be requested to:
(i)
prepare
a report on the resourcing required to deliver an enhanced program of activities to increase
the take-up of GreenPower / renewable electricity by
residents and businesses in the City of Sydney, to be provided through a CEO
Update; and
(ii)
establish
an indicative program for a Climate Emergency Planning and Resilience Working
Group, building on the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) working group process
including Councillors and key staff, to explore ways to accelerate climate
action in our community and identify obstacles requiring advocacy to the NSW
and Federal Governments; and
(C)
Council
sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, calling on the Federal and NSW
Governments to:
(i)
end
expansion of fossil fuel production in line with the best available science as
outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United
Nations Environment Programme;
(ii)
phase
out existing production of fossil fuels in a manner that is fair and equitable,
taking into account the respective dependency of countries on fossil fuels, and
their capacity to transition; and
(iii)
invest
in a transformational plan to ensure 100 per cent access to renewable energy
globally, support fossil fuel-dependent economies to diversify away from fossil
fuels, and enable people and communities across the globe to flourish through a
global just transition.
Carried unanimously.
S051491
Report author: Erin Cashman
Publication date: 16/08/2021
Date of decision: 16/08/2021
Decided at meeting: 16/08/2021 - Council
Accompanying Documents: