In this section
- Why Councils?
- What is the Climate Emergency?
- Do we have the big picture solutions?
- What is a Climate Emergency Declaration?
- How councils can support the campaign
- Why councils should respond to the climate emergency?
- Full Mobilisation
- Next steps
Why Councils? 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.
A first action is to pass a motion in council acknowledging we are in a climate emergency and start your implementation of your emergency response. The second key action is to go into full emergency mode. See discussion below for more information on both these steps.
Darebin Council acknowledged the climate emergency at their first meeting after the 2016 election and since then, hundreds of other councils have done this within Australia and around the world.
A first action is to pass a motion in council acknowledging we are in a climate emergency and start your implementation of your emergency response. The second key action is to go into full emergency mode. See discussion below for more information on both these steps.
Darebin Council acknowledged the climate emergency at their first meeting after the 2016 election and since then, hundreds of other councils have done this within Australia and around the world.
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 crisis on a global scale. Unless these gases are removed, they will result in 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 large areas of low lying land will be lost along with a range of other catastrophic effects.
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 large areas of low lying land will be lost along with a range of other catastrophic effects.
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.
Do we have the big picture solutions?
When talking about the climate emergency problem with your community it is important to show them we actually have all the solutions we need to combat climate change. The good news is that we do and we have since the mid 2000's.
Can we get change fast enough?
The short answer is yes we can, if our politicians act soon. Your council can help this process by treating climate change as an emergency when state and federal governments are not.
Watch this great TED Talk by Tony Seba on Clean Disruption in the areas of Energy & Transportation. It explains the numerous extremely fast technological changes we have had in the past are simply driven by economics and market pressure. If you are short of time just watch the first few minutes to get a sense of what is possible.
- Beyond Zero Emissions has developed a range of 10 year emergency speed transition plans and other plans to respond to and reverse global warming
- Zero Carbon Britain has developed transition plans for reaching zero emission solutions for the UK
- Drawdown looks at the top 100 global scale solutions we can use to return to a safe climate.
Can we get change fast enough?
The short answer is yes we can, if our politicians act soon. Your council can help this process by treating climate change as an emergency when state and federal governments are not.
Watch this great TED Talk by Tony Seba on Clean Disruption in the areas of Energy & Transportation. It explains the numerous extremely fast technological changes we have had in the past are simply driven by economics and market pressure. If you are short of time just watch the first few minutes to get a sense of what is possible.
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 led 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 community about the seriousness of global warming and that their council is choosing to respond to the emergency . This link provides a range of appropriate motions for councils wishing to declare or acknowledge we are in a climate emergency.
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.
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 led 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 community about the seriousness of global warming and that their council is choosing to respond to the emergency . This link provides a range of appropriate motions for councils wishing to declare or acknowledge we are in a climate emergency.
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.
How councils can support the campaign
After making a Climate Emergency Declaration councils can support the campaign to reverse global warming and create a global cooling in four key ways.
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Lobbying state and federal governments to adopt and fund a full 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
Focused on staff education, change management, policy development leadership and implementation.
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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.
We expand these concepts in both of these sections; Your Climate Emergency Plan and Post Declaration Ideas however the gold stand for action by any council is going into a full emergency mode, which we explain here.
Here is a short list of ideas to get you thinking:
We expand these concepts in both of these sections; Your Climate Emergency Plan and Post Declaration Ideas however the gold stand for action by any council is going into a full emergency mode, which we explain here.
Here is a short list of ideas to get you thinking:
- Educate and mobilise their community about the climate emergency using existing or low cost communication channels, while building support for a emergency action at the state, national and international levels
- Reduce emissions and drawdown previous emissions in their own operations and in their community.
- Build community resilience against some global warming impacts.
- Directly lobby state and national governments to take emergency action to reverse global warming and fund the mitigation and resilience programs councils can implement.
- include cost positive programs (ie, incurs an implementation cost but is ultimately of greater financial benefit to the council or community).
- and don't forget the most important action you can take is to move into full emergency mode.
Why councils should respond to the climate emergency?
It is about leadership, it is about saving yourself, your kids or the things you care about. It is about avoiding a global climate catastrophe.
If you are not convinced yet, 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.
If you are not convinced yet, 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.
Full mobilisation
'Emergency mode', 'full mobilisation' or 'emergency mobilisation' is different terms for the mode we will need all levels of government to enter if we are to avoid a climate collapse.
It occurs when a government - including a council - allocates all discretionary funds and resources available to the council to the task of reversing global warming though community education about the issue, advocacy for action by higher level governments, mitigation of future and current impacts or resilience building.
CACE is now focused on getting local governments to move into emergency mode as we believe this will drive action by higher levels of government.
CACE defines local government emergency mobilisation as:
- the climate emergency response (mitigation, resilience, education and advocacy) is the number one priority of council
- staff training has been undertaken for all staff, including managers and the CEO, focused on the climate emergency and the role of council in the areas of mitigation, resilience, education and advocacy
- the council has undergone a whole of council review of existing policies and practices to identify where climate emergency outcomes could be achieved in the area of mitigation, resilience, education and advocacy, through modified business practices, modified policies, new programs or new policies, including reviewing the councils fund management and procurement policies
- the council has done an emergency budgeting exercise and has identified all available discretionary funds that can be directed to a climate emergency response and has committed these funds
- a new climate emergency policy is developed incorporating the areas of mitigation, resilience, education and advocacy. The new policy should be focused on achieving multiple benefits beyond just a global warming response such as supporting the most disadvantaged members of the community, and include all emissions sources including emissions from consumption .
- the climate emergency response should feature as the lead issue in all general council communications including the home page of the website and any community newsletters. In an emergency, every opportunity is taken to communicate the emergency to the community
- the council is mobilising its community to support their action and work with council to achieve net negative emissions by 2030 or earlier and to put pressure on higher levels of government.
- a community wide planning process has been undertaken for how the council can achieve net negative emissions, including consumption emissions, by 2030 or earlier within the broader community, including the development of key target areas, key partnerships and budget requirements.
It should always be noted that councils, even in emergency mode, cannot provide the needed resources by themselves. Hence building pressure on higher levels of government to fund and legislate for emergency action to restore a safe climate at state, national and international levels is the most critical task a council can undertake.
It occurs when a government - including a council - allocates all discretionary funds and resources available to the council to the task of reversing global warming though community education about the issue, advocacy for action by higher level governments, mitigation of future and current impacts or resilience building.
CACE is now focused on getting local governments to move into emergency mode as we believe this will drive action by higher levels of government.
CACE defines local government emergency mobilisation as:
- the climate emergency response (mitigation, resilience, education and advocacy) is the number one priority of council
- staff training has been undertaken for all staff, including managers and the CEO, focused on the climate emergency and the role of council in the areas of mitigation, resilience, education and advocacy
- the council has undergone a whole of council review of existing policies and practices to identify where climate emergency outcomes could be achieved in the area of mitigation, resilience, education and advocacy, through modified business practices, modified policies, new programs or new policies, including reviewing the councils fund management and procurement policies
- the council has done an emergency budgeting exercise and has identified all available discretionary funds that can be directed to a climate emergency response and has committed these funds
- a new climate emergency policy is developed incorporating the areas of mitigation, resilience, education and advocacy. The new policy should be focused on achieving multiple benefits beyond just a global warming response such as supporting the most disadvantaged members of the community, and include all emissions sources including emissions from consumption .
- the climate emergency response should feature as the lead issue in all general council communications including the home page of the website and any community newsletters. In an emergency, every opportunity is taken to communicate the emergency to the community
- the council is mobilising its community to support their action and work with council to achieve net negative emissions by 2030 or earlier and to put pressure on higher levels of government.
- a community wide planning process has been undertaken for how the council can achieve net negative emissions, including consumption emissions, by 2030 or earlier within the broader community, including the development of key target areas, key partnerships and budget requirements.
It should always be noted that councils, even in emergency mode, cannot provide the needed resources by themselves. Hence building pressure on higher levels of government to fund and legislate for emergency action to restore a safe climate at state, national and international levels is the most critical task a council can undertake.
Next Steps
For councils or councillors interested in implementing a climate emergency response you can view the following pages:
- Motions to declare a climate emergency - here we discuss the start of your climate emergency journey in the form of a motion passed by council to acknowledge we are facing a climate emergency
- Your climate emergency plan - here we discuss rewriting your climate plan into an emergency plan
- Entering emergency mode -here we discuss getting your council in full emergency mode
- Post declaration - this page further discusses ideas council could implement post declaration or entering emergency mode
