Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by
Councillor Ellsmore –
It
is resolved:
(A) Council note:
(i)
currently
global energy prices are going up resulting in increased economic strains for
members of the global community;
(ii)
in July
2022, the Australian Energy Regulator approved price increases of up to 18 per
cent in NSW resulting in residents facing even more economic strain post
Covid-19;
(iii)
a
switch to GreenPower within the City of Sydney could dramatically cut residents
emissions and save them financially;
(iv)
choosing
an accredited 100 per cent GreenPower electricity plan lets people support the
growth of Australia’s renewable sector contributing positively to the City of
Sydney’s efforts to address the impacts of climate change within the City;
(v)
addressing
climate change extends beyond the parameters of simply installing solar panels
on the roofs of homes, but can be achieved in other ways such as switching to
100 per cent GreenPower;
(vi)
GreenPower
is a government-managed scheme that allows households to purchase certified
renewable energy through their electricity retailers. This ensures the retailer
is purchasing electricity sourced from renewable energy projects;
(vii)
the
City of Sydney switched to 100 per cent renewable electricity in 2020 and has
been carbon neutral since 2011. Now the responsibility also lays with the residents
and businesses within the Local Government Area to help contribute positively
to climate change;
(viii)
recently,
the results of the GreenPower survey within the City of Sydney articulated that
concerningly 33 per cent of residents did not know what the electricity plan
was;
(ix)
the
results of this survey also identify that 57 per cent, over half of residents
would switch if they knew it was the best thing they could do for the
environment;
(x)
the
City’s GreenPower campaign was launched on 30 May 2022, in response to a Lord
Mayoral Minute in August 2021. The campaign, which will run until November
2022, encourages residents and businesses to shop around using the Energy Made
Easy government comparison site to find the best deal; and
(xi)
on 11
May 2022, the Lord Mayor wrote to councils across Sydney encouraging them to
join the City’s campaign and offering to share our communication material. To
date, 18 councils have asked us to support them to run their own campaign; and
(B) the Chief Executive Officer be requested to
continue with the City’s GreenPower campaign including by:
(i)
engaging
local community organisations;
(ii)
monitoring
social media sentiment; and
(iii)
looking
for opportunities to support vulnerable community members to compare energy
prices including GreenPower options.
The motion, as varied
by consent was carried unanimously as part of an in globo motion.
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