Darebin recognises a Climate Emergency

At their first meeting on December the 5th 2016,  at the urging of local climate groups, the newly elected councillors declared 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).

Critical to this occurring was the combined efforts of a number of groups over more than four years, including Save the Planet who ran climate emergency candidates in the area at each Local, State and Federal election and Darebin Climate Action Now who ran the local Climate Emergency Declaration campaign. 

Probably most importantly was that a group of progressive councillors were elected who were willing to discuss the climate emergency and understand that it is one of the most serious threats that faces humanity, and then instead of putting it in the too hard basket chose to take a leadership position of global significance. 

Luck also played its part when Adrian Whitehead from StP and CACE bumped into Cr Trent McCarthy in the council car park and discussed putting a climate emergency declaration into a motion he was proposing at their first council meeting rather than sometime later.