The City of Fremantle has been officially recognised as an international sustainability leader following its endorsement as the world’s second One Planet City by global sustainability organisation Bioregional.
Announced at the City’s One Planet Fest-a-Con, a three-week festival celebrating local sustainable culture and achievements, the international accreditation acknowledges Fremantle’s progress towards a ‘One Planet’ lifestyle that has been supported by council, local residents and the business community.
Fremantle Mayor, Dr Brad Pettitt, said the international certification was a significant achievement that measured the City’s sustainability actions and strategies against the ten principles of One Planet Living and Common International Targets used for the One Planet Councils Program.
“The One Planet international accreditation is confirmation that our efforts are not only effective at a local level but are recognised as being world best practice.”
“This commitment is about creating sustainable lifestyles that will benefit our local residents and businesses and will build on our One Planet strategy to hit the targets we’ve set by 2020.”
The City is one of only four local governments in the world to be officially certified as a One Planet Council – recognition which is reserved for exemplary regions that are leading the charge on sustainable living.
One Planet Living Communities manager Ben Gill, announced the endorsement from Bioregional. “The way the City has embedded the One Planet Living framework into its operations and vision demonstrates its desire to help put the world on a path to a sustainable future and is why Fremantle has been a leader in sustainability for many years.”
The City of Fremantle qualified as a One Planet Council at a national level in 2014, achieving International Leadership status in the lead-up to international accreditation. The City was also named WA’s first carbon neutral council in 2009.
One Planet Living is an initiative of Bioregional and its partners to make truly sustainable living a reality using ecological footprinting and carbon footprinting as its headline indicators.