The City of Melbourne recently released its second Greenhouse Action Plan and is on track to reach the targets it set for 2010. Council aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations by 30 percent by 2010 and by 20 percent by 2010 across the municipality as a whole.
Melbourne’s greenhouse gas abatement measures have already reduced emissions from Council’s operations by 10 percent. Earlier this year, Melbourne became the first Australian Council to complete the fifth and final milestone of the Cities for Climate Protection program.
More recently, its greenhouse program was awarded the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day award for best specific environmental initiative by a Local Government.
The latest Plan includes a number of established and ongoing projects as well as new initiatives that will further reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the City.
However, a single organisation acting alone will not achieve the change necessary to arrest global warming. Melbourne is actively pursuing partnership projects with key government agencies, businesses and community groups to mobilise a municipal wide effort, particularly in priority areas such as commercial buildings.
Like many capital cities, the commercial sector is responsible for more than 60 percent of the municipality’s greenhouse gas emissions. Council has formed a Commercial Buildings Partnership program with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Victoria and the Property Council of Australia to work with the commercial buildings sector to increase energy efficiency, reduce costs and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
However, transport is the most rapidly increasing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Cars and trucks are also responsible for 70 percent of Melbourne’s air pollution. To address both of these issues, the City of Melbourne has forged a partnership with Environment Victoria, Greenhouse Challenge members, Fosters Brewing and Australia Post to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with commuter transport.
The Travelling Green initiative aims to decrease such emissions by 10 percent over six months through the surveying of staff, the preparation of a plan and the implementation of actions. Melbourne aims to ‘stretch’ its greenhouse efforts by developing a strategy toward net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the municipality by 2020.
For further information about the City of Melbourne’s greenhouse program, contact Kimone Stacey-Missen, telephone (03) 9658 8421 or go to www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/greenhouse
