Councils across Australia have taken climate action into their own hands since the late 1990s, driving grassroots change and community-focused mitigation and adaptation strategies to stem global warming.
The 2024 Australian Local Government Climate Review to be released tonight underscores how councils are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change as trusted first responders to climate change.
“In 2007, while many state and federal governments were trying to wrap their heads around how to tackle the climate challenge and reduce emissions, 240 Australian councils, representing 84 per cent of Australia’s population, were already taking action,” the review said.
Some 89 per cent of 110 surveyed councils hold themselves accountable to net zero emission targets ‘generally no later than 2030’.
By contrast, the federal government’s target currently commits Australia to reducing emissions to 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Director of the Better Futures Australia program, Lisa Cliff, said the 2024 Australian Local Government Climate Review provides a snapshot of what councils are doing across every state and territory.
“Now, it’s time for the Australian government to catch up and align its policies with measures already adopted at a local level,” Cliff said.
The report, first launched in 2018 and now in its third iteration, is produced by Ironbark Sustainability in collaboration with Better Futures Australia and ICLEI Oceania.
Author Imogen Jubb, climate program manager at Ironbark Sustainability, said the findings outline ‘the crucial role of local councils in Australia’s net zero plan’, providing evidence-based examples for a multilevel governance approach to climate action.
“Despite Australia’s position as one of the largest exporters of fossil fuels and per-capita emitters of greenhouse gases, councils work hard to drive effective emissions reduction and prepare communities for climate impacts,” Jubb said.
“Local governments are the unsung heroes, quietly spearheading climate action for decades… all without adequate resourcing.”
According to the report, around 30 per cent of councils have ‘no budget at all’ to reduce corporate emissions, while the remainder (outside capital cities) access median budgets ‘well under $100,000’. Separately, two thirds of councils have no allocated budget to reduce community-wide emissions.
Jubb said partnering with councils presents one of the most efficient ways for state and federal governments to implement successful climate programs and achieve positive outcomes.
The report presents real world examples of how local governments are best placed to implement activities in these sectors, with state and federal government support. Partnering with local governments will also enable sector plans that are socially inclusive and equitable, and benefits are shared by all while shielding the vulnerable from disproportionate costs.
It also highlights several modelled intervention programs that local government could implement for a five to seven per cent reduction in emissions across the community, including:
- Solar PV adoption in lagging sectors.
- Facilitating community access to power purchase agreements (PPAs).
- Increasing EV and active transport infrastructure.
The 2024 Australian Local Government Climate Review will be officially launched by Anna Reynolds, Lord Mayor of Hobart, during a Climate Leaders Dinner at the National Arboretum tonight.
The dinner will also be attended by Kristy McBain, Federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories.