City failing on targets
CLIMATE CHANGE: Geelong council plan ‘off track’
DAYS after rejecting a motion to declare a climate emergency, a report has revealed the City of Greater Geelong is struggling to meet sustainability and emissions reduction targets.
A series of “disappointing” sustainability figures were included in the City’s 2018-19 annual report, including revelations the City had barely made a dent in a target to halve emissions by 2020.
The figures reveal council cut 2014-15 emission levels by only 2 per cent, with the annual report listing the progress of the plan as “off track”.
The City also failed to increase the percentage of kerbside waste diverted from landfill, to increase the use of sustainable material in construction or to plant more street trees — despite targets to do so.
Cr Sarah Mansfield — who chairs the environment and sustainability portfolio — said it was concerning the council was not on track to meet its targets, particularly its emissions reduction plan.
“It’s disappointing that despite having that target for years now, we haven’t really had a significant reduction in our emissions over that time,” Cr Mansfield said.
“If anything, our targets need to be more aggressive.
“We’ve set targets and we’re not meeting them. We need to work out why and what resources are needed to do that.
“I think it highlights that there is a lot more work to be done in this space.”
She said the City’s recently announced renewable power purchase plan was expected the greatly reduce the council’s emissions.
City Hall plans to join a buying group of 47 councils to buy renewable energy to power municipal offices, leisure centres, streetlights and community buildings.
Mayor Bruce Harwood said last week the plan would help the council halve emissions by 2020.
“We are committed to meeting our emissions reduction target, and switching to maximum renewable energy capacity will help us achieve this,” Cr Harwood said.
The council rejected a notice of motion to declare a climate emergency late last month.
Councillors instead passed an alternative motion acknowledging “climate change poses a risk to the people of Geelong and Australia, and requires a genuine and co-ordinated response”.
Each side in the council debate accused the other of either “party politics” or “internal politics” in the decision to use or reject the term “climate emergency”.
The alternative motion included directions for council to write to the state and federal environment ministers calling for action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.