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Our Climate Emergency Declaration

We have declared a climate emergency and are committed to achieving carbon neutrality as an organisation by 2030 and net zero across our City by 2050 to combat climate change. Find out more below.

Climate Emergency Declaration

We recognise the global reach, broad scope and dramatic impact of climate change, and we have identified this global issue as a top priority for our organisation. We’re showing our commitment to taking urgent climate action and we have set the following targets:

  • Carbon neutral as an organisation by December 2030
  • Net zero carbon emissions city-wide by December 2050

See our Climate Action Policy and Corporate Climate Action Planfor more information on how we will reach our carbon neutral target and see what you can do to help us reach net zero by 2050.

Corporate Climate Action Plan

The Corporate Climate Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy to reduce our organisation’s carbon footprint and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
 
The Plan outlines science-based themes of action for each service area in the organisation and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It’s a roadmap for the City to transition to a low-carbon future while improving the quality of life for our community and promoting sustainable development.
 
  

Actions Taken

We have already made tangible changes within our organisation to reduce our emissions and help us to reach our carbon neutral and net zero targets.

Our journey so far: 
  • Declared a climate emergency
  • Developed a Climate Action Policy
  • Introduced lower emissions procurement and support to local businesses
  • Developed a system to measure and report on our carbon footprint
  • Purchased 100% renewable energy for three years from July 2022 to June 2025
  • Completed a climate vulnerability, risk and opportunity assessment of the whole City
  • Established a Community Climate Action Reference Group to help shape future community actions
  • Installed 572kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on 11 City facilities by July 2023
  • Introduced a Corporate Climate Action Plan to guide how we will achieve our organisational target of carbon neutrality by 2030

Partnerships

We understand that alone we can only affect small change at an organisational level, but by working together with our community, local businesses and other key partners we can take real action and achieve real tangible outcomes. See more information about our partnerships below.

Murdoch University

We partner with Murdoch University to undertake research across City services and projects to further sustainable development and smart cities. The most recent project is the Smart Grid developed in partnership with Murdoch University which provides real-time monitoring of environmental parameters, energy and water use, corporate regional emissions inventory and water quality in wetlands across the City. This project was awarded the 2021 Boosting Productivity through Infrastructure category in the Australian Government’s National Awards for Local Government.

Cities Power Partnership

We are a member of Cities Power Partnership, Australia’s largest network of local councils leading the way to a thriving, zero emissions future. Cities Power Partnership connects councils of all sizes throughout Australia, enabling greater access to knowledge, case studies and resources, and providing a powerful national voice for local government.

Find out more information and follow our progress

Smart LED Streelights Trial

We are working together with the local governments of Albany, Armadale, Canning and Cockburn to prepare a business case for Western Power to replace approximately 47,000 inefficient and poor quality streetlights with Smart LED Streelights, which have the potential to reduce greenhouse gases by 65% and use up to 50% less energy.

This follows on from our involvemend in Western Power's Smart LED Streetlights Proposal in 2019-2020.

Switch Your Thinking

We have partnered with Switch Your Thinking, a local government initiative that inspired sustainable action in the community, with a strong focus on reducing greenhouse emissions in the community.
 
Find out more information at Switch Your Thinking.

Climate Action Reporting

The City is a signatory to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and commits to annually reporting emissions for the entire geographical region (both the City and community).  

The reporting is undertaken via the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a not-for-profit charity that runs the global environmental disclosure system. The City has scored an A- on its 2023 climate report card. The A- score means that we have demonstrated environmental leadership and best practice in strategy and action. 

Water Corporation

We have been recognised as a Waterwise Council from Water Corporation. The Waterwise Council program endorses councils working towards managing water resources more efficiently and effectively.
 
Find out more about the Waterwise Council program.

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