Mosman Council has had a long commitment to environmental sustainability and has taken a wide range of actions over the past few years to switch to renewable energy sources and reduce greenhouse gases.
Council declared a Climate Emergency in November 2019 and the following year set a target for council operations of zero net emissions by 2030 and an aspirational target for the community of zero net emissions by 2040.
The council recently adopted its Climate Action Plan – Resilience and Adaptation Strategy, which focuses on risk management and recovery while assessing and preparing for predicted impacts of climate change, complementing the previously adopted Climate Action Plan – Mitigation Strategy.
“All council’s energy is now supplied by renewable sources as part of a deal secured along with 24 other participating councils in one of the largest renewable energy deals for local government,” Mosman Mayor Carolyn Corrigan said.
“Mosman Council has been steadily reducing emissions, cutting our operational electricity emissions by 29 per cent over the past decade and we have now confidently locked in further significant cuts to our emissions in coming years by switching facilities and buildings to LED lighting, installing rooftop solar PV and adopting technological and behavioural efficiency measures.”
Solar panels have been installed on Mosman Civic Centre in one of the key conversions to renewable energy for council’s buildings, while lighting upgrades have been carried out in public infrastructure and car parks to retrofit existing lighting with more environmentally-friendly LED.
Council is shifting to sustainable transport through the use of electric vehicles and a bike, while community uptake of electric vehicles is being supported through the installation of three 50 kW Evie Networks fast charging stations, with negotiations underway with private vendors to facilitate the potential installation of two more, while council intends to introduce planning requirements to ensure that future residential flat buildings will have electric car recharging capacity.
Council also works closely with the community and local schools to improve other environmental sustainability outcomes, with council helping residents to divert problem waste items from landfill, including expanded polystyrene, batteries, globes and clothes, through its partnership with RecycleSmart’s home pick-up recycling service.
