Published on Friday, 26 November 2021 at 11:38:55 AM
The journey towards net zero carbon emissions for City of Greater Geraldton operations by 2030 has kicked into high gear with Council adopting an emissions reduction plan.
The Achieving Net Zero Corporate Climate Change Mitigation Plan recognises the actions the City has already taken to reduce its carbon footprint and identifies a range of opportunities for further reductions.
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the Council committed to addressing climate change when it declared a climate emergency late last year.
“The science is clear, climate change is occurring and when we declared a climate emergency in December 2020 we joined 40 other local governments across our state who have already done so,” he said.
“The younger generation is very aware of climate change and we have a responsibility to act on their behalf and to step up and become the regional leader in adapting to climate change the community has said they want us to be.
“The good news is, we have been reducing our emissions for years and now have a plan to focus our efforts and meet our 2030 target.”
For nearly a decade the City has been reducing its carbon footprint by replacing street and sporting grounds lighting with LEDS, installing geothermal systems and solar panels at its facilities, and more recently began a Food Organic Garden Organic (FOGO) waste trial.
The City’s largest emitter of green house gases is the Meru Waste Facility with nearly 90 percent of its operational emissions generated from waste decomposing in the landfill.
“Keeping green waste out of landfill is critical to reducing our emissions and is why we have been trialling the kerbside collection of FOGO waste and will be expanding it to another 2500 households this financial year,” Mayor Van Styn said.
“Although all the initiatives the City has undertaken to reduce our carbon emissions have come at a price, the long term savings and benefits for the community and our future generations far outweigh the cost.
“We look forward to working with our local supply chain and contractors over the next eight years to achieve our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.”
For more information on The Achieving Net Zero Corporate Climate Change Mitigation Plan visit the City’s website here
Picture Caption: Solar panels installed on the roof of the Geraldton Regional Library in early 2020.
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