Climate Change
Strategies and Goals
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Council is taking a comprehensive approach to effectively mitigate against and adapt to the impacts of climate change with the aim of limiting global temperature increases in line with the Paris Agreement.
In line with this commitment, Willoughby City Council passed a motion to declare a climate emergency in October 2019. It joined a growing number of councils throughout Australia and the world to have done so.
Our Green City Plan 2028 is Council’s local Sustainability Action Plan but it supports and contributes to a number of global, federal and state government strategies and goals.
Residents can get involved in the climate change issue in a number of ways:
- Learn how to reduce your carbon emissions and lessen your impact on the environment by joining our Live Well in Willoughby activities and events.
- Find out what you can do to equip yourself, your family and your household to withstand extreme weather events caused by climate change [Resilient Willoughby]
- Find out more about climate change and what it means to you and your family:
- Find out what Council itself is doing and our targets through Our Green City Plan 2028
Global
To address climate change, countries adopted the Paris Agreement at the COP21 in December 2015. Signatories agreed to work to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees celsius and strive to limit rises to 1.5 degrees celsius. The Agreement also calls for a commitment to achieve net zero emissions by the second half of the century.
Our Green City Plan also supports the UN Sustainable Development goals, specifically Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Our actions to achieve these targets will be recorded internationally under Australia’s contribution.
Federal
At a national level, Australia’s response to the Paris Agreement has been to set a goal of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 5 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 and GHG emissions that are 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Willoughby City Council is a member of The Cities Power Partnership (CCP), a national program to celebrate and accelerate the emission reduction and clean energy successes of Australian towns and cities. It is made up of mayors, councillors and communities who are committed to a sustainable, non-polluting energy future.
Local
The Willoughby Local Environment Plan 2012 makes local environmental planning provisions for development in Willoughby in accord with the planning instrument under section 33A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
The Willoughby Development Control Plan (DCP) specifies detailed guidelines and environmental standards for new development, which need to be considered in preparing a Development Application.
Our Green City Plan 2028 responds to the outcomes of Our Future Willoughby 2028. Phase 1 covers the five-year period 2018-2023. At this point, the plan will be reviewed and Council will report on progress to date. Annual reporting of progress against Corporate Performance Indicators (CPIs) will continue via existing performance, planning and reporting processes.