The Greens acknowledge that climate change poses one of the greatest threats to our world in human history, and urgent local, national and global action is required now to ensure a safe climate. We commit to implementing ambitious actions to help mitigate climate change and we will work to make our local communities increasingly resilient. Climate emergency planning touches all areas of the Inner West Council operations, and will be considered in every decision we make.
We commit to:
- Lead by example to ensure Inner West Council operations are carbon neutral by 2025 and Council has a net zero reduction target of 75% by 2030.
- Improve energy efficiency of all council buildings, and install solar panels on all council buildings and car parks.
- Transition council buildings and swimming pools away from gas.
- Encourage and enable sustainable transport by council staff.
- Transition the council’s vehicle fleet to electric, and make sure they are run by 100% renewable energy.
- Ensure that council’s investments, banking and procurement services do not support companies involved in the extraction, processing or trade of fossil fuels.
Reduce transport emissions by:
- Creating walkable neighbourhoods.
- Prioritising improvements to cycling and pedestrian facilities (see the Inner West Greens Active Transport Policy 2021).
- Encouraging and supporting the uptake of electric vehicles (see the Inner West Greens Electric Vehicle Policy 2021).
- Encouraging localised living through planning decisions.
- Supporting the local sharing economy and event creation to reduce transport emissions related to the shipping of goods.
Renewables uptake
- Provide information, pathways and solutions that enable all residents, businesses and organisations to move towards a zero carbon future, through viable energy efficiency and renewable energy uptake.
- Support the installation of resilient community-scale grid systems, including battery storage.
- Support mechanisms to facilitate solar installation and improved building efficiency for rental properties and apartment buildings.
- Ensure continued funding to community groups and NGOs that support the uptake of renewables.
Advocate to the state government to:
- Close all coal-fired power stations.
- Introduce a moratorium on onshore conventional gas.
- Support the development of large and small-scale renewable power sources, including locally distributed power schemes.
- Mandate and enforce more ambitious environmental standards for all new residential and commercial developments, including renewable energy and efficiency requirements, green space, water, waste and recycling.
Other actions
- Address urban heat island effect by increasing green spaces, tree canopy and green roofing (see the Inner West Greens Tree Canopy Policy 2021)
- Ensure that climate action is diligently undertaken as a matter of urgency, and that the Inner West Council places climate at the centre of all decision making.
- Support community-led action on climate change, including both climate-friendly community initiatives and activism supporting stronger climate action.