In this section
- Councils are the key
- Darebin leads the way
- The movement goes global
- What is the Climate Emergency?
- What is a Climate Emergency Declaration?
- How councils can support the campaign
- Entering a Climate Emergency mode
- Step 1. Publicly acknowledge the Climate Emergency
- Step 2. Review your strategic plan
- Step 3. Create a foundation for Climate Emergency action
- Step 4. Implement the strategy and Declare a Climate Emergency
- What is not in a Climate Emergency response
Councils are the key
With the failure of state and federal governments to respond effectively to global warming, councils can play a leading role in responding to global warming by setting safe climate goals and targets, implementing local programs, lobbying state and federal governments, and encouraging other councils to do the same.
If you are not convinced, you can hear Philip Sutton from the RSTI (Research and Strategy for Transition Initiation Inc.) and Councillor Trent McCarthy from Darebin Council make a case why it is critical for councils to adopt a Climate Emergency response at council in a recording of CACE's first event "How councils can reverse global warming: Exploring the critical role" held at the 2017 Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne.
Philip Sutton has also written a paper entitled Local-first implementation making the case for why councils should adopt a Climate Emergency response and how this fits into the broader Climate Emergency / Safe Climate campaign.
A great example of what can be done at local government level and even state level can be seen with Republican Major of Lancaster Rex Paris, who has instituted zero energy homes. electric buses and LED street lights (See his speech at Los Angeles Climate Justice Mobilization 2025 launch).
Local councillors have a great opportunity to play a key role in building a state and then national response to global warming. If you have the majority on your council you can use this this guide to roll out a climate emergency response. If you don't have the majority, you will need to create a campaign to get enough of your fellow councillors on side. We discuss how to develop a campaign here.
If you are not convinced, you can hear Philip Sutton from the RSTI (Research and Strategy for Transition Initiation Inc.) and Councillor Trent McCarthy from Darebin Council make a case why it is critical for councils to adopt a Climate Emergency response at council in a recording of CACE's first event "How councils can reverse global warming: Exploring the critical role" held at the 2017 Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne.
Philip Sutton has also written a paper entitled Local-first implementation making the case for why councils should adopt a Climate Emergency response and how this fits into the broader Climate Emergency / Safe Climate campaign.
A great example of what can be done at local government level and even state level can be seen with Republican Major of Lancaster Rex Paris, who has instituted zero energy homes. electric buses and LED street lights (See his speech at Los Angeles Climate Justice Mobilization 2025 launch).
Local councillors have a great opportunity to play a key role in building a state and then national response to global warming. If you have the majority on your council you can use this this guide to roll out a climate emergency response. If you don't have the majority, you will need to create a campaign to get enough of your fellow councillors on side. We discuss how to develop a campaign here.
Darebin leads the way
Darebin, a council located in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne, has led the way in the Climate Emergency.
On December the 5th 2016, at the urging of local climate groups, the newly elected Councillors recognised that we are in a Climate Emergency at their very first meeting. The motion was "Council recognises that we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action by all levels of government, including by local councils." MOVED: Cr. Trent McCarthy SECONDED: Cr. Steph Amir
Link to original minutes (see 2016, December 5th, Minutes, p.46).
Since then, Darebin Council has begun to prepare their emergency response by adopting a range of initiatives including:
Follow this link if you want to find out more about the ongoing campaign in Darebin
On December the 5th 2016, at the urging of local climate groups, the newly elected Councillors recognised that we are in a Climate Emergency at their very first meeting. The motion was "Council recognises that we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action by all levels of government, including by local councils." MOVED: Cr. Trent McCarthy SECONDED: Cr. Steph Amir
Link to original minutes (see 2016, December 5th, Minutes, p.46).
Since then, Darebin Council has begun to prepare their emergency response by adopting a range of initiatives including:
- required a redrafting of their Climate Change Action plan into a Climate Emergency plan
- provided input to a federal government review of vehicle emission standards
- approved the first public electric car chargers in Darebin
- included the addressing of climate action in the first sentence of their strategic plan (December 2017)
- adopted a climate emergency plan (August 2017)
- chose to establish Climate Emergency Darebin as an entity to facilitate the implementation of the Darebin Climate Emergency Plan (February 2018)
- Climate Emergency Darebin advisory committee first meeting. (April 2018)
- Undertook climate emergency training for the General Mangers and Managers (August 2018)
- Ran a Climate Emergency Conference (September 2018)
Follow this link if you want to find out more about the ongoing campaign in Darebin
The movement goes global
Since then a number of councils around the world, inspired by Darebin's lead, have acknowledged that we are in a Climate Emergency. One council, City of Los Angeles California, voted for a report into City's legislative and budget analysts of the establishment of a "Climate Emergency Mobilization Department" on the 1st of May 2018.
Los Angeles is proposing to establish "a Climate Emergency Mobilization Department with all powers to plan and coordinate all of the City's climate and resilience responses" including "emergency climate mitigation" and "resilience and adaptation programs". The department "would have authority over other City Departments."
Their plan for "emergency public education and an outreach stakeholder process" is impressive and includes the plan to engage with:
i. Mayor’s Sustainability and Resilience Offices
ii. Scientists, social and environmental justice advocates
iii. Local labor unions and union federation
iv. Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance
v. Local Non-Governmental Organizations
vi. Neighborhood councils
vii. Homeowners’ associations
viii. Business groups.
Los Angeles is proposing to establish "a Climate Emergency Mobilization Department with all powers to plan and coordinate all of the City's climate and resilience responses" including "emergency climate mitigation" and "resilience and adaptation programs". The department "would have authority over other City Departments."
Their plan for "emergency public education and an outreach stakeholder process" is impressive and includes the plan to engage with:
i. Mayor’s Sustainability and Resilience Offices
ii. Scientists, social and environmental justice advocates
iii. Local labor unions and union federation
iv. Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance
v. Local Non-Governmental Organizations
vi. Neighborhood councils
vii. Homeowners’ associations
viii. Business groups.
What is the Climate Emergency?
The Climate Emergency has resulted from humans putting additional greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. These have heated our planet, and at current levels are already a true disaster on a global scale. Unless these gases are removed, they will result in a degree of global warming that will be catastrophic for humanity and much of the world's remaining ecosystems.
An ethical and moral response to this emergency would be based around the goal of maximum protection of human and non-human life. Maximum protection would mean creating a global cooling as soon as possible.
To create a global cooling we need to:
1. reduce our emissions to as close to zero as possible in all sectors of our economy, including energy, agriculture, land use, and industrial process; and
2. draw down past emissions.
If we want to do it fast we will have to look a different geo-engineering options such as solar dimming and decide whether the cost benefit and risk profiles of various options are worth it. If we don't cool the planet fast we will lose key ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef and a variety of critical infrastructure do to extreme weather and coastal flooding.
According to Philip Sutton from Research and Strategy for Transition Initiation Inc., if we fail to achieve a global cooling and instead manage only to stabilise temperatures at the Paris Agreement’s best case cap of +1.5°C, this will (See Philip Sutton's paper Local-first implementation page 12):
An ethical and moral response to this emergency would be based around the goal of maximum protection of human and non-human life. Maximum protection would mean creating a global cooling as soon as possible.
To create a global cooling we need to:
1. reduce our emissions to as close to zero as possible in all sectors of our economy, including energy, agriculture, land use, and industrial process; and
2. draw down past emissions.
If we want to do it fast we will have to look a different geo-engineering options such as solar dimming and decide whether the cost benefit and risk profiles of various options are worth it. If we don't cool the planet fast we will lose key ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef and a variety of critical infrastructure do to extreme weather and coastal flooding.
According to Philip Sutton from Research and Strategy for Transition Initiation Inc., if we fail to achieve a global cooling and instead manage only to stabilise temperatures at the Paris Agreement’s best case cap of +1.5°C, this will (See Philip Sutton's paper Local-first implementation page 12):
- fail to prevent the Pacific and Indian Ocean atoll nations from being permanently flooded; fail to prevent permanent flooding of low-lying, heavily populated areas (Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Egypt, etc. where over 100 million people live);
- fail to prevent the destruction of coral reefs around the world including the Great Barrier Reef;
- fail to prevent the mobilisation of the huge carbon stores in the Arctic (that will cause releases of CO2 and methane that could exceed the emissions from all fossil fuels so far);
- fail to provide food security; and
- fail to provide a foundation for military security and positive peace.
What is a Climate Emergency Declaration?
What is a Climate Emergency Declaration? You may have heard of a Declaration of War or a Declaration of a State of Emergency. During these times governments function differently from normal to allow them to respond to crisis situations.
A Climate Emergency Declaration is simply a variation on declaring a State of Emergency, one which is focused on resolving the climate crisis. However, in a practical sense a Climate Emergency Declaration has more in common with a Declaration of War due to the economy-wide scale of action required and the fact that its duration is likely to be measured in years rather than days, weeks or months.
The point of a Climate Emergency Declaration is to allow governments the power to direct our economy and society in ways needed in order to avoid a climate catastrophe and to re-establish a safe climate. Action under a declared Climate Emergency would be done most effectively at state, federal and even a global level.
Local councils can declare an emergency to provide a leadership signal to higher level governments while also sending a signal to their constituents about the seriousness of global warming and that their council is choosing to enter into a Climate Emergency mode.
The rationale behind why local councils should declare a Climate Emergency is discussed further on pages 4 to 9 of Philip Sutton's Local First Implementation paper.
IMPORTANT A declaration should not be made until the council is ready to commit to respond in full emergency mode otherwise it will undermine our efforts to build a genuine Climate Emergency response.
A Climate Emergency Declaration is simply a variation on declaring a State of Emergency, one which is focused on resolving the climate crisis. However, in a practical sense a Climate Emergency Declaration has more in common with a Declaration of War due to the economy-wide scale of action required and the fact that its duration is likely to be measured in years rather than days, weeks or months.
The point of a Climate Emergency Declaration is to allow governments the power to direct our economy and society in ways needed in order to avoid a climate catastrophe and to re-establish a safe climate. Action under a declared Climate Emergency would be done most effectively at state, federal and even a global level.
Local councils can declare an emergency to provide a leadership signal to higher level governments while also sending a signal to their constituents about the seriousness of global warming and that their council is choosing to enter into a Climate Emergency mode.
The rationale behind why local councils should declare a Climate Emergency is discussed further on pages 4 to 9 of Philip Sutton's Local First Implementation paper.
IMPORTANT A declaration should not be made until the council is ready to commit to respond in full emergency mode otherwise it will undermine our efforts to build a genuine Climate Emergency response.
How councils can support the campaign
Councils can support the campaign to reverse global warming and create a global cooling in three key ways.
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UpwardSidewaysDownwardInwards |
Lobbying state and federal governments to adopt and fund a Climate Emergency response
Encouraging other councils to implement a Climate Emergency response through their networks and by leading by example
Local action through education, mitigation, and building a community mandate for strong and immediate action
Councils will need to educate their staff about the climate emergency, its causes, the solutions and what role a council can play to drive broader climate emergency response. This will include developing a new approach to work by many of its staff working on the emergency or related projects. This needs to occur from the CEO downward.
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Councils will not be able to reverse global warming by themselves, but working in these four directions will help encourage and put pressure on state and federal governments to act while councils undertake meaningful practical actions.
Entering a Climate Emergency mode
Below is an outline of actions that councils can adopt if they wish to implement a Climate Emergency response.
- Publicly acknowledge the Climate Emergency
- Review your strategic plan
- Create a foundation for Climate Emergency action
- Implement your plan and Declare a Climate Emergency
Step 1. Publicly acknowledge the Climate Emergency
A first action is to pass a motion in council recognising the Climate Emergency. Darebin Council acknowledged the Climate Emergency at their first meeting after the 2016 election (see above) and since then a number of other councils have done this within Australia and around the world.
Acknowledging the Climate Emergency flags to the community and to council staff your intention to deal with the climate emergency, develop a plan and give it an emergency response strategic priority.
We have developed a series of draft acknowledgement local government may consider to use for the acknowledgement motion. The draft also includes a number of commitments to action and may be added to the acknowledgement motion.
Download the PDF below for draft motions on acknowledgement and commitment.
A first action is to pass a motion in council recognising the Climate Emergency. Darebin Council acknowledged the Climate Emergency at their first meeting after the 2016 election (see above) and since then a number of other councils have done this within Australia and around the world.
Acknowledging the Climate Emergency flags to the community and to council staff your intention to deal with the climate emergency, develop a plan and give it an emergency response strategic priority.
We have developed a series of draft acknowledgement local government may consider to use for the acknowledgement motion. The draft also includes a number of commitments to action and may be added to the acknowledgement motion.
Download the PDF below for draft motions on acknowledgement and commitment.
| cace_council_fact_sheet_2_motions_of_acknowledgement_and_commitment_to_action.pdf |
Step 2. Review your council's strategic plan
A true Climate Emergency response requires that the Climate Emergency to be the key strategic priority of council. Even if it is not made the number one priority by incorporating a response to the Climate Emergency in your strategic plan, council staff and management can have action on the climate emergency incorporated into their position descriptions, KPIs and work plans, including that of the CEO.
Unless you are currently reviewing your Strategic Plan, councils should immediately call in their strategic plans and include a reference to the Climate Emergency, preferably as the overarching priority.
We are in the process of developing a strategic plan template for use by councils.
Councils will also need to develop their Climate Emergency response in a way designed to meet any state government requirements.
For example, in Victoria this means putting Climate Emergency measures in the Council Plan that you submit to state government and framing your action against a defined Victorian council responsibility. Under Victorian local government legislation, the primary objective of a Council is "to endeavour to achieve the best outcomes for the local community having regard to the long term and cumulative effects of decisions" which must have regard to "the social, economic and environmental viability and sustainability of the municipal district;" and include as one of its roles "advocating the interests of the local community to other communities and governments".
(See the Victorian Local Government Act)
In Tasmania, "a council has the following functions:
(a) to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the community;
(b) to represent and promote the interests of the community;
(c) to provide for the peace, order and good government of the municipal area."
(See the Tasmanian Local Government Act)
For more information on local government acts and regulations see:
- in VIC see a guide to local government acts and regulations
- in NSW see acts and regulations
- in WA see this information page
- in SA see local government SA
- in QLD see local government legislation and governance
- in TAS see what is local government
At Darebin, a response to the Climate Emergency was facilitated in the current Council Plan (2017-2021) through the following:
- the first goal "We will be leaders in creating a sustainable city through local innovation projects that address climate change",
- their mission statement "To preserve and improve the physical, social, environmental, cultural and economic health of all our neighbourhoods, and ensure quality of life for current and future generations."
- the Mayor's statement "Together we can continue to build a thriving, resilient, fair city, while addressing our critical issues of climate change, population growth and growing inequality”
- a framing statement relating to future challenges for Darebin including a direct reference to the Climate Emergency "Over the next four years we will face.... A climate emergency - Our changing climate is causing damage to health, property and infrastructure."
- detailing a series of sub goals relating to action on climate which reflect the goals developed in the Climate Emergency plan.
While establishing the mandate for action by council staff, the "Darebin Plan" understates the needed scope, scale and urgency of the Climate Emergency response.
One possible reason for this relates back to the development of Darebin's Climate Emergency plan which was a modification of an almost-finalised draft of a new climate action plan rather than the development of a new Climate Emergency plan. We have maintained a reference page from 2017 showing some of CACE's concerns around the plan at the time.
Ideally the strategic plan should reflect a full Climate Emergency approach in all elements of the strategic plan, in the relevant goal or the Mayor's statement. For example, consider a revised goal we have developed for a hypothetical new Darebin Plan that more closely reflects the acknowledgement of the Climate Emergency that the Darebin Council made in their first meeting in 2016.
"We will be leaders in responding to the climate emergency by undertaking urgent action through advocacy to state and federal governments and local innovation and projects"
VS
"We will be leaders in creating a sustainable city through local innovation projects that address climate change"
VS
"We will be leaders in creating a sustainable city through local innovation projects that address climate change"
Step 3. Create a foundation for Climate Emergency action
The order of your next actions would depend on circumstances in your particular council. These actions are designed to create a foundation for the commencement of your Climate Emergency response.
From this point, in some states it may be difficult or even impossible for councillors to deliver the following actions and will almost certainly require the support of council officers to varying degrees with support of the CEO working to goals outlined in the strategic plan.
There is potential for this section to be supported by community members engaged in a voluntary capacity.
If staff do not respond or support the following processes, the councillors will have to deal with the inaction through their CEO and through the development of specific work plans that detail action and can be linked to KPIs and performance assessments..
Actions include:
The order of your next actions would depend on circumstances in your particular council. These actions are designed to create a foundation for the commencement of your Climate Emergency response.
From this point, in some states it may be difficult or even impossible for councillors to deliver the following actions and will almost certainly require the support of council officers to varying degrees with support of the CEO working to goals outlined in the strategic plan.
There is potential for this section to be supported by community members engaged in a voluntary capacity.
If staff do not respond or support the following processes, the councillors will have to deal with the inaction through their CEO and through the development of specific work plans that detail action and can be linked to KPIs and performance assessments..
Actions include:
- Review capacity of existing staff
- Consider employing one or more Climate Emergency specialist
- Appoint an expert advisory committee to council
- Educate your staff
- Review your global warming / climate strategy or plan
- Review your subordinate plans
- Prioritise your spending and actions
3.1 Review capacity of existing staff (Inwards)
The success of your Climate Emergency response will largely depend on the enthusiasm and ability of the team, who will be charged with developing your Climate Emergency plan and implementing the key elements. Your current staff may not have the ability, experience or drive to do this.
If this is the case, you can consider employing additional staff (see below) to support an existing team, or find new leadership within or outside of your organisation who are up to the challenge.
You should also have a chat to your CEO: are they a climate sceptic or denier? Do they understand the basic concept; will they be able to manage and inspire cultural and operational change within the organisation? It would be difficult if not impossible to implement a Climate Emergency response if the CEO is a climate sceptic, a denier, or apathetic about this issue.
Perhaps you need a new CEO.
The success of your Climate Emergency response will largely depend on the enthusiasm and ability of the team, who will be charged with developing your Climate Emergency plan and implementing the key elements. Your current staff may not have the ability, experience or drive to do this.
If this is the case, you can consider employing additional staff (see below) to support an existing team, or find new leadership within or outside of your organisation who are up to the challenge.
You should also have a chat to your CEO: are they a climate sceptic or denier? Do they understand the basic concept; will they be able to manage and inspire cultural and operational change within the organisation? It would be difficult if not impossible to implement a Climate Emergency response if the CEO is a climate sceptic, a denier, or apathetic about this issue.
Perhaps you need a new CEO.
3.2 Consider employing a Climate Emergency specialist (Inwards)
You may consider employing one or more extra staff members to support the roll-out of your new Climate Emergency strategy. Any new staff member should be able to demonstrate an understanding what the Climate Emergency is and what this might imply for councils. The role for these staff members could be quite varied and include:
It would be a rare candidate who would have experience in all areas. However, critical to the selection of any new staff would be their understanding of the why and the what of the Climate Emergency and their willingness to implement a full Climate Emergency response.
Many organisation have filled Climate Emergency roles with staff or CEOs who immediately pull back from the strong messages and programs they were employed to implement, and instead adopt soft messaging, a more limited scope and weak goals and targets.
Unfortunately the current pool of experienced Climate Emergency campaigners is very limited. So you may have to find candidates who are likely to be able to cope with the many challenges associated with implementing a Climate Emergency response. Look for candidates who have already run ambitious and leading edge projects, have a history of perseverance in difficult or challenging circumstances, are comfortable battling the odds and not prone to giving up or backing down.
You may consider employing one or more extra staff members to support the roll-out of your new Climate Emergency strategy. Any new staff member should be able to demonstrate an understanding what the Climate Emergency is and what this might imply for councils. The role for these staff members could be quite varied and include:
- leading the implementation and or development of the complete strategy and plan
- supporting existing staff with specialist expertise such as:
- deep understanding of global warming and the solutions need to return to a safe climate
- developing and or presenting public education campaigns
- engaging other council staff
- developing and reviewing policies
- building resilience in the community
- lobbying state and federal governments
It would be a rare candidate who would have experience in all areas. However, critical to the selection of any new staff would be their understanding of the why and the what of the Climate Emergency and their willingness to implement a full Climate Emergency response.
Many organisation have filled Climate Emergency roles with staff or CEOs who immediately pull back from the strong messages and programs they were employed to implement, and instead adopt soft messaging, a more limited scope and weak goals and targets.
Unfortunately the current pool of experienced Climate Emergency campaigners is very limited. So you may have to find candidates who are likely to be able to cope with the many challenges associated with implementing a Climate Emergency response. Look for candidates who have already run ambitious and leading edge projects, have a history of perseverance in difficult or challenging circumstances, are comfortable battling the odds and not prone to giving up or backing down.
3.3 Appoint an expert advisory committee
Consider establishing an expert advisory committee to guide and provide advice, leadership or output to the various elements of a Climate Emergency response such as developing a Climate Emergency plan, review of subordinate plans, or development and execution of a communications strategy.
Consider establishing an expert advisory committee to guide and provide advice, leadership or output to the various elements of a Climate Emergency response such as developing a Climate Emergency plan, review of subordinate plans, or development and execution of a communications strategy.
3.4 Educate your staff (Inwards)
If council staff are to fully get behind your Climate Emergency program, they will need to understand both the urgency and and scale of the issues we have and how we can solve the problem; and the key roles councils can play in tackling the Climate Emergency.
Unfortunately the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars by the carbon industries in discrediting climate science and in lobbying our politicians has succeeded in creating public confusion and misinformation about global warming. For example 40 per cent of the public don't believe in human-forced climate change – and some of these people will be your staff (Essential Research poll Feb 2017).
To counter this misinformation and provide the appropriate motivation we would recommend using the services of a number of experts who have specialised in communicating issues around the Climate Emergency. In particular, they could explain the current and future impacts of global warming and why we need to act now to reverse global warming, and what role councils can play.
Possible speakers include:
Of particular importance will be the education of the CEO and general managers about the Climate Emergency as they will lead the implementation within council.
If council staff are to fully get behind your Climate Emergency program, they will need to understand both the urgency and and scale of the issues we have and how we can solve the problem; and the key roles councils can play in tackling the Climate Emergency.
Unfortunately the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars by the carbon industries in discrediting climate science and in lobbying our politicians has succeeded in creating public confusion and misinformation about global warming. For example 40 per cent of the public don't believe in human-forced climate change – and some of these people will be your staff (Essential Research poll Feb 2017).
To counter this misinformation and provide the appropriate motivation we would recommend using the services of a number of experts who have specialised in communicating issues around the Climate Emergency. In particular, they could explain the current and future impacts of global warming and why we need to act now to reverse global warming, and what role councils can play.
Possible speakers include:
- Philip Sutton and David Spratt can speak on a range of topics, including how serious global warming is, why we have no carbon budget or time left to delay action, and what we need to do to reverse global warming.
- Philip Sutton and Adrian Whitehead speaking on the role of councils in the broader campaign to reverse global warming.
- Beyond Zero Emissions can present details around the big changes we need and show that they are indeed possible
- Councillors or key council staff who have driven the adoption of the Climate Emergency response could educate a council's staff about the specific roles and programs proposed by your council.
Of particular importance will be the education of the CEO and general managers about the Climate Emergency as they will lead the implementation within council.
3.5 Review your global warming / climate change plan (Inwards)
Traditional council global warming / climate strategies and plans are too limited in scope and ambition to count as Climate Emergency plans. In particular these:
These plans must be rewritten or started again from scratch with a true Climate Emergency response in mind. You will also need to sequence actions to ensure that essential functional level activities (such as internal staff education) will take place before staff attempt to implement Climate Emergency projects or policy reviews. The plan may require some level of detail to avoid misinterpretation by staff attempting to implement it. However, good foundation work should alleviate this to some degree.
The Goal Your goal should be to achieve maximum protection for human and non-human life in the context of the Climate Emergency response by council through:
Internal Action Your plan will need to capture key elements of the internal education and cultural change processes within the plan. Internal education should be done prior to implementing other measures.
Upwards Action Your plan will need to include measures to:
Sideways Action Your plan will need to include measures to:
Downwards Action Your plan will need to include measures to:
Traditional council global warming / climate strategies and plans are too limited in scope and ambition to count as Climate Emergency plans. In particular these:
- are unlikely to acknowledge we are in an emergency
- will have a limited scope and exclude key areas of response such as animal agriculture or forestry / land clearing, consumption, or draw down.
- will have included time frames that are too slow
- will have included goals that do not go far enough
- will be unlikely to have a direct goal of encouraging state and federal governments to adopt a Climate Emergency response
- will most likely have missed other key elements of a Climate Emergency response such as reviewing other relevant plans, internal cultural change and staff education, and building process to work directly with the community to build a rapid large-scale response.
These plans must be rewritten or started again from scratch with a true Climate Emergency response in mind. You will also need to sequence actions to ensure that essential functional level activities (such as internal staff education) will take place before staff attempt to implement Climate Emergency projects or policy reviews. The plan may require some level of detail to avoid misinterpretation by staff attempting to implement it. However, good foundation work should alleviate this to some degree.
The Goal Your goal should be to achieve maximum protection for human and non-human life in the context of the Climate Emergency response by council through:
- achieving net negative emissions for your municipality as soon as possible
- encouraging a similar response outside of your council area at all levels of government and internationally as soon as possible
Internal Action Your plan will need to capture key elements of the internal education and cultural change processes within the plan. Internal education should be done prior to implementing other measures.
Upwards Action Your plan will need to include measures to:
- lobby state and federal governments and politicians to implement a Climate Emergency response
- build a mandate within the community for Climate Emergency action by higher levels of government
- fill gaps in supporting material needed for a Climate Emergency response such as: (1)
- bringing together the science on current and future impacts
- developing plans for the post-emergency economy
- planning how we go about scaling up the Climate Emergency campaign
- developing plans for Carbon Drawdown and Global Cooling
- planning how to push the Climate Emergency campaign internationally
Sideways Action Your plan will need to include measures to:
- encourage other local governments to adopt a Climate Emergency response and declare a Climate Emergency
Downwards Action Your plan will need to include measures to:
- educate all sections of the community including supporting local groups / organisations to promote the Climate Emergency to their particular cultural, religious, interest or language groups.
- reduce emissions by council and the community in all key areas
- energy
- transport
- diet
- consumption
- waste
- land clearing
- support people of low income to act to reduce their emissions while simultaneously improving their quality of life
- support efforts to draw down past emissions
- mitigate the local effects of current and future global warming-related impacts such as increasingly frequent and severe storms, floods, heatwaves, coastal inundation / erosion, wild fires and food scarcity
- build resilience within the community to withstand and recover from current and future global warming-related impacts such as increasingly frequent and severe storms, floods, heatwaves, coastal inundation / erosion, fires and food scarcity
- seek opportunities for a just transition for affected work forces within your community and general economic development
- develop mechanisms to work directly with community to expand the capacity of the climate emergency response within your municipality. This could include:
- an expert advisory committee on responding to the climate emergency
- expert advisory committees on specific elements of the climate emergency response
- temporary staff / volunteer working groups on specific projects
- standing staff / volunteer working groups specific projects or areas
- building and resourcing mass community mobilisation
- partnerships with community groups and bodies
- elements of the Climate Emergency response which may be outsourced or run by the community
- special bodies or committees established to manage elements of the Climate Emergency response
- creating volunteer positions to work along side or as part of council staff teams
3.6 Review your subordinate plans (Inwards)
A large of number of a council's plans and strategies will directly relate to global warming and will need to be reviewed with respect to ambition and scope once a Climate Emergency approach has been adopted. These will vary from council to council but will include plans focused on:
A large of number of a council's plans and strategies will directly relate to global warming and will need to be reviewed with respect to ambition and scope once a Climate Emergency approach has been adopted. These will vary from council to council but will include plans focused on:
- energy
- transport
- sustainability
- building standards
- waste
- local food
- emergency management and mitigation of flood, fire and heatwaves
- streetscapes and urban forests
- planning
- oil peak adaptation
3.7 Prioritise your spending and actions, and seek to build additional resources
Once in Climate Emergency mode, a council would focus all spare resources, seek additional resources, mobilise community resources and review existing programs to free up resources to respond to the Climate Emergency.
You will need to answer questions like "Do you build a $2.5 million bridge to provide an off-road crossing of a local creek for an important walking and cycling track, or do you build a well-resourced community education team?" "Can you halt a major retrofit of a sporting venue for 10 years? Is that play ground really out of date?" "Are there other programs that can be cut or redirected to a climate emergency?" These are the sort of decisions you will need to make with your limited budgets.
The council will need to find funding for range of needs, including additional staff, staff training, community outreach and education, engagement with other councils and state and federal government, measures to reduce a council's own emissions, and practical community programs in the areas of mitigation and resilience. The last three points are important: a Climate Emergency response or declaration will feel hollow without a range of flagship practical programs implemented by council.
Once in Climate Emergency mode, a council would focus all spare resources, seek additional resources, mobilise community resources and review existing programs to free up resources to respond to the Climate Emergency.
You will need to answer questions like "Do you build a $2.5 million bridge to provide an off-road crossing of a local creek for an important walking and cycling track, or do you build a well-resourced community education team?" "Can you halt a major retrofit of a sporting venue for 10 years? Is that play ground really out of date?" "Are there other programs that can be cut or redirected to a climate emergency?" These are the sort of decisions you will need to make with your limited budgets.
The council will need to find funding for range of needs, including additional staff, staff training, community outreach and education, engagement with other councils and state and federal government, measures to reduce a council's own emissions, and practical community programs in the areas of mitigation and resilience. The last three points are important: a Climate Emergency response or declaration will feel hollow without a range of flagship practical programs implemented by council.
Step 4. Implement the strategy and declare a Climate Emergency
Once your preparatory work has been completed, you can decide how you will declare a Climate Emergency. There are two basic option for step 4. These are to either:
1. implement your strategy / plan and build a mandate for a Climate Emergency Declaration, or
2. take a strong leadership position and make a Climate Emergency Declaration immediately prior to implementing your strategy / plan and move into a full emergency mode.
Which option you choose will depend on a number of factors, including how many other councils have already declared a Climate Emergency and are working in emergency mode, and how strongly committed are your own Councillors and council staff to implementing a Climate Emergency response, and the awareness levels in your local community. This issues is discussed again below in section 4.4 Declare a Climate Emergency.
At this stage the response should now focus more on the upwards, sideways and downwards efforts having completed your inwards preparation.
1. implement your strategy / plan and build a mandate for a Climate Emergency Declaration, or
2. take a strong leadership position and make a Climate Emergency Declaration immediately prior to implementing your strategy / plan and move into a full emergency mode.
Which option you choose will depend on a number of factors, including how many other councils have already declared a Climate Emergency and are working in emergency mode, and how strongly committed are your own Councillors and council staff to implementing a Climate Emergency response, and the awareness levels in your local community. This issues is discussed again below in section 4.4 Declare a Climate Emergency.
At this stage the response should now focus more on the upwards, sideways and downwards efforts having completed your inwards preparation.
4.1 Get state and federal governments to declare a Climate Emergency (Upwards)
Councils need to build pressure on state and federal governments by implementing their plans to lobby, building a community mandate, leading by example in the Climate Emergency campaign.
Councils need to build pressure on state and federal governments by implementing their plans to lobby, building a community mandate, leading by example in the Climate Emergency campaign.
4.2 Get others to follow your lead (Sideways)
Use your informal and formal councillor and staff networks (local, state, national and international) to encourage other councils to declare a Climate Emergency.
For example, Darebin Councillor Susan Rennie got the following motion passed at Victoria's Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) state council:
Motion 56. Climate Change
Submitting Council: Darebin City Council
Motion:
That the MAV recognise that:
(a) we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action by all levels of government, including local councils
(b) human induced climate change stands in the first rank of threats to humans, civilisation and other species
(c) it is still possible to restore a safe climate and prevent most of the anticipated long-term climate impacts – but only if societies across the world adopt an emergency mode of action that can enable the restructuring of the physical economy at the necessary scale and speed;
(d) the MAV has a particular role in assisting local governments in this regard.
Darebin Council will also be running a conference in September 2018 designed to educate and encourage other councils and community members to undertake a Climate Emergency Response.
Use your informal and formal councillor and staff networks (local, state, national and international) to encourage other councils to declare a Climate Emergency.
For example, Darebin Councillor Susan Rennie got the following motion passed at Victoria's Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) state council:
Motion 56. Climate Change
Submitting Council: Darebin City Council
Motion:
That the MAV recognise that:
(a) we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action by all levels of government, including local councils
(b) human induced climate change stands in the first rank of threats to humans, civilisation and other species
(c) it is still possible to restore a safe climate and prevent most of the anticipated long-term climate impacts – but only if societies across the world adopt an emergency mode of action that can enable the restructuring of the physical economy at the necessary scale and speed;
(d) the MAV has a particular role in assisting local governments in this regard.
Darebin Council will also be running a conference in September 2018 designed to educate and encourage other councils and community members to undertake a Climate Emergency Response.
- 4.3 Action your programs (Downwards)
Councils will not have the needed funds to run a full Climate Emergency response, at least initially. Some programs, such as education-based programs using council's existing communication channels, such as council newsletters and website, can be implemented at almost no cost other than staff or volunteer time. Other programs, such as improving the thermal performance of low-income housing, would require massive investment from state and federal governments to be implemented at the needed scale.
However it is still critical that council have a range of programs up and running in as many areas as possible prior to receiving the needed investment from state or federal governments for a number of reasons, including:
Councils will not have the needed funds to run a full Climate Emergency response, at least initially. Some programs, such as education-based programs using council's existing communication channels, such as council newsletters and website, can be implemented at almost no cost other than staff or volunteer time. Other programs, such as improving the thermal performance of low-income housing, would require massive investment from state and federal governments to be implemented at the needed scale.
However it is still critical that council have a range of programs up and running in as many areas as possible prior to receiving the needed investment from state or federal governments for a number of reasons, including:
- practical and meaningful programs even of a small scale will be needed to demonstrate action can and is being taken
- councils can trial a range of programs and see what works
- councils can build internal expertise through practical experience that will enable programs to be expanded rapidly when funds become available
- councils have direct links to the many elements that make up our diverse communities. Councils can use these links to get the whole community to support the Climate Emergency response.
What is not in a Climate Emergency response
No empty rhetoric
Don't make an resolution or motion that acknowledges the climate emergency without proposing significant immediate additional actions to your council's response to global warming including the development of a Climate Emergency plan.
No weak goals, no half measures or transitional investments
Goals that talk about for example "90% renewables" or "low emissions options" should in general not be in a Climate Emergency plan. We need to drop transitional measures. Statements like, “smaller, low emission / hybrid cars are used in the transition away from the internal combustion engine” or "that gas should be used as a lower emissions fuel during the transition to a zero emissions economy", are not part of a Climate Emergency response. This includes supporting statements on half-measures or transitional investments that come from other levels of government.
No long time frames
Timelines that talk about achieving major targets in longer than 10 or 15 years are not part of a Climate Emergency response.
Don't make an resolution or motion that acknowledges the climate emergency without proposing significant immediate additional actions to your council's response to global warming including the development of a Climate Emergency plan.
No weak goals, no half measures or transitional investments
Goals that talk about for example "90% renewables" or "low emissions options" should in general not be in a Climate Emergency plan. We need to drop transitional measures. Statements like, “smaller, low emission / hybrid cars are used in the transition away from the internal combustion engine” or "that gas should be used as a lower emissions fuel during the transition to a zero emissions economy", are not part of a Climate Emergency response. This includes supporting statements on half-measures or transitional investments that come from other levels of government.
No long time frames
Timelines that talk about achieving major targets in longer than 10 or 15 years are not part of a Climate Emergency response.
