Collaboration on climate action will save billions

​The research comes as City of Melbourne Councillors last night endorsed the Draft Climate Change Mitigation Strategy to 2050 for community consultation. 

Environment portfolio chair Councillor Cathy Oke said the strategy outlines the City's commitment to bold action and collaboration with the community, industry and other levels of government to rapidly achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions before 2050.  

This commitment will be upheld by focussing on working with community, industry and government to make the switch to 100 per cent renewable energy, working with building owners, developers, community and the transport sector to achieve zero net emissions building, precincts and transport and reducing the impact of waste. 

Environment portfolio chair Councillor Cathy Oke said: "Cities have stepped up to act on climate change. In Melbourne we've made some incredible achievements in progressing the switch to renewable energy such as leading the Melbourne Renewable Energy Project to build a 39 turbine windfarm in regional Victoria.

"We want to accelerate these kinds of initiatives going forward and work in partnership with the state and federal governments to increase uptake in clean energy initiatives."  

Preliminary estimates in the research commissioned by the City of Melbourne found inaction to reduce the impacts of climate change and missed economic opportunities of transitioning to a low carbon economy will cost the Victorian economy $12.6 billion over the 2020-2050 period.

The $12.6 billion is calculated using the 'social cost of carbon' which is a measure of the health impacts, damage to infrastructure and lost jobs and economic opportunities resulting from high levels of emissions and a failure to transition to a low carbon economy.

The Paris Climate Agreement aims to limit the increase in global average temperature. Australia ratified the agreement in 2016, but without emission reduction targets in national climate and energy policy we cannot deliver on this commitment.

"Without policy changes in state and federal jurisdictions we will not be able to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement targets," Cr Oke said.

"Together with all different levels of government there is a significant opportunity for collaborative action to accelerate emission reductions and increase the level of ambition to deliver on our commitment."

The City of Melbourne controls roughly one per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in our municipality. The strategy prioritises actions to reduce emissions across electricity, gas, transport and waste.

The strategy includes working with industry and government to make the switch to 100 per cent renewable energy, working with building owners, developers, community and the transport sector to achieve zero net emissions and reducing the impact of waste. 

According to Sustainability Victoria, 87 per cent of Victorians think local governments should be taking action on climate change. The City of Melbourne is not alone in striving for change, we are joined by cities in a C40 Climate Action Planning Pilot Program including New York, London, Boston and Paris.

"Our Draft Climate Change Mitigation Strategy to 2050 sets out our commitment to science-based targets in the Paris Climate Agreement and we call on the community to have their say on how we can take collective action on climate change," Cr Oke said.

Opinions, ideas, and feedback can be submitted via Participate Melbourne from September 5 to October 14.

A final draft of the strategy is expected to go before Council before the end of the year.