This page 'Ideas for post declaration' is a clearinghouse for models, programs and action that could be included in the council's mobilisation and climate emergency plan.
Unfortunatey CACE doesnt have the resources (FTE level dontaions most weclome) to maintain this page as an uptodate clearing house of the best ideas on this issue so recently CACE has been workign with Dale Martin, former Moreland councillor, who has develop an excellent resource for councillors and commity members, The Local Government Climate Emergeny Toolkit.
Dale's tool kit provides a comprehensive summary of 30 actions a council can under take in repsonse to the claimte emergency. These rated from 1 to 3 stars under 7 braod areas of action.
The LGCET also explains the basic process of how a council works and provides a number example motions councillors can use immediately.
Understanding how a council works is critical as getting your climate emergeny action underway. Ultimately you must embed the claimte emergeny response into you council plan / stratgeic plan, council budget and your CEO and executive management team's KPIs
The LGCET is currently under going a review to produce the second edition and will update each year. If you feel the LGCET is missing anything critical jump on the webpage and email Dale.
Though not written for council staff and officer the LGCET also is an excellent resource for officers as well.
CACE wil contiune to update this page focusing on cutting edge ideas and programs rather than the material that has been available in the broader public space such as ideas for energy retrofits etc.
However before you read this page please look at our pages on what an emergency response by council should look like:
Please feel free to suggest additional content or innovative programs your council is developing here.
Unfortunatey CACE doesnt have the resources (FTE level dontaions most weclome) to maintain this page as an uptodate clearing house of the best ideas on this issue so recently CACE has been workign with Dale Martin, former Moreland councillor, who has develop an excellent resource for councillors and commity members, The Local Government Climate Emergeny Toolkit.
Dale's tool kit provides a comprehensive summary of 30 actions a council can under take in repsonse to the claimte emergency. These rated from 1 to 3 stars under 7 braod areas of action.
The LGCET also explains the basic process of how a council works and provides a number example motions councillors can use immediately.
Understanding how a council works is critical as getting your climate emergeny action underway. Ultimately you must embed the claimte emergeny response into you council plan / stratgeic plan, council budget and your CEO and executive management team's KPIs
The LGCET is currently under going a review to produce the second edition and will update each year. If you feel the LGCET is missing anything critical jump on the webpage and email Dale.
Though not written for council staff and officer the LGCET also is an excellent resource for officers as well.
CACE wil contiune to update this page focusing on cutting edge ideas and programs rather than the material that has been available in the broader public space such as ideas for energy retrofits etc.
However before you read this page please look at our pages on what an emergency response by council should look like:
Please feel free to suggest additional content or innovative programs your council is developing here.
On this page you will find...
Big picture issues for councils declaring a climate emergency
Consumption
Council waste
Big picture issues for councils declaring a climate emergency
- Responding to future and current climate risk
- Responding to a future food crisis
- Various strategies to mobilise councillors, staff and communities
- Your community's emissions
- Household consumer lending model for renewables or energy efficiency
- Community owned renewables
- Council large scale renewable electricity purchases
- Getting off gas
Consumption
Council waste
- Organic waste conversion
- Plastics and synthetics (content needed)
- Hard rubbish and council programs for dirty alternative waste treatments (content needed)
- Precinct development
- Building standards
- Radical planning principles
- Watersheds
- Urban cooling and greenspaces
- Urban Forest
- Waterways and watersheds
- Local food growing
- City plans
- Traffic calming
- Zero and low emissions transport
- Infrastructure
- Flight
- Encouraging the circular economy
- Divestment from fossil fuels
Big picture issues for councils declaring a climate emergency
Responding to future and current climate risk
. Legal analysis available for the Australian context suggest councils could be liable if an adequate council climate-related response is not provided. Failure to adopt meaningful goals and implement meaningful action with put councillors, CEOs and staff at potential risk of legal action. See Dutch legal case against its government as an example of future legal action to come.
Future climate risks include floods, coastal inundation, fires, storms, cyclones, heatwaves, food stress and diseases.
An example of where councillors and council senior management will likely be held to account will be the approval of new develops in areas subject to flooding or coastal inundation. This ABC article looks at issues of insurance for properties in these areas. This 2020 webinar is an excellent starting point for councils assessing legal risk.
Here is a couple of tool that look at future see level rise and other climate related events.
Future climate risks include floods, coastal inundation, fires, storms, cyclones, heatwaves, food stress and diseases.
An example of where councillors and council senior management will likely be held to account will be the approval of new develops in areas subject to flooding or coastal inundation. This ABC article looks at issues of insurance for properties in these areas. This 2020 webinar is an excellent starting point for councils assessing legal risk.
Here is a couple of tool that look at future see level rise and other climate related events.
- Coastal Risk Australia seeks to provide maps of predicted coastal flooding resulting from climate change. However their maximum sealevel rise for the end of the century is based on the IPCC maximum prediction of .75m by 2100. NASA lead scientists suggest that this rise could easily be up to 4m. A manual option enable you to explore these scenarios http://coastalrisk.com.au
- Geoscience Australia website deals with a range of risks facing Australian communities from fires to floods.
|
Ballarat based community group BREAZE has recognised the threat current and future global warming is to their community and is seeking to develop a response that can deal with some of the worst scenarios their community will face.
|
Responding to a future food crisis
At some future points it is predicted that climate change will cause a simultaneous collapse of multiple food production areas around the world called a "multi-breadbasket failure" leading to a global food crisis.
In this crisis world food prices will sky rocket, millions will starve, millions more will become refugees, martial law will be declare in many nations, extreme food rationing will be imposed and numerous nations will fail.
Take a look at this UK website which discusses UK vulnerability to global food crisis including a link to the paper on a global "multi-breadbasket failure" .
Councils should prepare for such an event and maximise their local food growing and resilience.
Programs should focus on:
Emergency Planning
Councils should identify mechanisms and locations for controlled distribution of food rations during an extreme national or global food crisis, assuming food is made available by higher levels of government.
Councils should also undergo a planning exercise to identify possible land that could be converted to local food growing including identifying material needs such as tools, soil, and seeds needed to achieve various levels of implementation, and other issues such as lead and other pollution likely to be found near major roads and in former industrial areas.
At some future points it is predicted that climate change will cause a simultaneous collapse of multiple food production areas around the world called a "multi-breadbasket failure" leading to a global food crisis.
In this crisis world food prices will sky rocket, millions will starve, millions more will become refugees, martial law will be declare in many nations, extreme food rationing will be imposed and numerous nations will fail.
Take a look at this UK website which discusses UK vulnerability to global food crisis including a link to the paper on a global "multi-breadbasket failure" .
Councils should prepare for such an event and maximise their local food growing and resilience.
Programs should focus on:
- an immediate and massive increase in the number of community gardens across your council area,
- supporting local food growing by providing, subsidising or linking community to food growing courses,
- linking community members to food garden design and implementation services
- support disadvantaged members of the community to establish appropriate food growing on their own properties, for example raised garden beds for elderly or disabled.
- establishing farmers markets to enable easy access to community members from across your council areas
- encourage residents have an emergency food supply of at least 1 month up to a year
- encourage all schools in your area to install kitchen gardens and conduct food growing lessons
- providing nutritional education in the community and schools
- supporting groups such as Transition Towns and Retro Suburbia and other permaculture groups already working in this space.
- refuse to support new develops where small sized blocks limit food growing opportunities. Insist on a food growing plot for each house or dwelling built on a new estate.
- in general refuse small subdivision of existing large blocks.
- build a local biochar facility and distribute biochar to your community
- councils can develop systems to re-purpose surplus food into relief programs which can help with food poverty in the short term, but it should be noted that in a global food crisis these surpluses may not exist and people reliant on this source of food may suffer additional stress.
Emergency Planning
Councils should identify mechanisms and locations for controlled distribution of food rations during an extreme national or global food crisis, assuming food is made available by higher levels of government.
Councils should also undergo a planning exercise to identify possible land that could be converted to local food growing including identifying material needs such as tools, soil, and seeds needed to achieve various levels of implementation, and other issues such as lead and other pollution likely to be found near major roads and in former industrial areas.
Prime locations include golf courses which are cleared, fertilised, supplied with water and fairly flat.
Engaging community and other councils
The most significant thing a lone council can do to help reverse global warming is educate their community and other councils about the climate emergency and encourage them to put pressure advocate up to higher levels of government for an appropriate response. This does not stop at passing a climate emergency motion, no more than announcing an encroaching bushfire to the public just once would suffice.
Councils circulate regular newsletters and communications to their community and engage with multiple community committees across their portfolios. These are just some of the avenues through which the climate emergency can be communicated to the community.
A great mechanism to engage community groups in the council area is for council to invite representatives from each community group to a climate emergency event with appropriate activities such as guest speakers explain the emergency and what can be done, and ask each representative to take the message back to their communities, with opportunities for re-engagement.
A Citizens' Assembly is a great tool for mobilising the community and advocating up to higher levels of government.
The council or councils can hold a conference to get community and other councils to adopt a climate emergency approach.
At Darebin a community leaders climate meeting was organised by council wil over 100 people in attendance and representatives from all different part of the community in Darebin. It is important at these events to have clear pathways for people to take action.
Other options include building a campaign to engage every household in your council and to help them understand why we are in a climate emergency and what needs to be done in response.
The most significant thing a lone council can do to help reverse global warming is educate their community and other councils about the climate emergency and encourage them to put pressure advocate up to higher levels of government for an appropriate response. This does not stop at passing a climate emergency motion, no more than announcing an encroaching bushfire to the public just once would suffice.
Councils circulate regular newsletters and communications to their community and engage with multiple community committees across their portfolios. These are just some of the avenues through which the climate emergency can be communicated to the community.
A great mechanism to engage community groups in the council area is for council to invite representatives from each community group to a climate emergency event with appropriate activities such as guest speakers explain the emergency and what can be done, and ask each representative to take the message back to their communities, with opportunities for re-engagement.
A Citizens' Assembly is a great tool for mobilising the community and advocating up to higher levels of government.
The council or councils can hold a conference to get community and other councils to adopt a climate emergency approach.
At Darebin a community leaders climate meeting was organised by council wil over 100 people in attendance and representatives from all different part of the community in Darebin. It is important at these events to have clear pathways for people to take action.
Other options include building a campaign to engage every household in your council and to help them understand why we are in a climate emergency and what needs to be done in response.
Strategies for achieving emissions reduction, drawdown and resilience
Councils have many levers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions community wide, to begin drawing down excess greenhouse gas emissions, and to build community resilience. Happily, strategies that fit into one of the areas: mitigation, draw down and resilience, typically also fit into one of the other areas. For example, smart management watershed and urban forests both cool local environments (resilience) and fix soil carbon (drawdown); retrofits can reduce emissions (mitigation) while providing a more comfortable living for occupants (resilience) and can also be targeted to help those most disadvantaged in the community.
The solutions presented here are no means exhaustive and this page does not attempt to deal with information or programs that should already be well embedded into council strategies, or supported by information disseminated by federal or state government departments or environmental NGOs, instead we focus on newer or more leading edge areas and ideas.
For high level solutions on a global scale Project Drawdown list the top actions we need to take to reduce our emissions and can be used as a useful reference. The only problem is their targets are too slow and effectively suicidal.
The Rocky Mountain Institute has done an excellent guide for local government which unlike almost all other guide includes a focus on diet. General guides for councils include this UK-focused FOE page, which divides ideas into low-high cost.
Your Communities Emissions
If you are an Australian council you can check out these calculations for your emissions here at this website https://snapshotclimate.com.au/.
However please remember the international standard for calculating emissions for local councils are deliberately exclude consumption emissions except for electricity and a couple of others.
The effective of this avoiding having to tackle this issues of consumption whether it is paper sources for destroyed native forest, meat and dairy produced from high emitting farms or the general crap many of us by everyday.
However at CACE we belief you should tackle all emissions sources in your council area, whether they are a coal power plant an aluminium smelter or a farm and your consumption emissions.
This is important as local community can help guide the needed transitions in key industries while pressure to change can be generated from both inside and outside the area.
Getting to Zero
It may be a bit daunting to tackle reducing your whole community's emissions however a few organisations such as the Z-NET is Zero-Net Emission Transition and consultancy Ironbark Sustainability and have developed a systematic approach to tackling your community emissions and bringing them down to zero.
Z-NET is Zero-Net Emission Transition, an open-source pathway for a local community to set targets and achieve zero-net emissions. Your can see their plan for Hepburn Shire here. Their work is comprehensive and engaged the local community. Councils going down this path will need to engage staff, consultants or fund a community group to help manage the project. For example you could engage the Starfish Foundation, one of the key organisations behind Z-NET
Ironbark Sustainability is a local government focused sustainability consultancy who have worked in the space for more than 15 years and in that time worked with over 260 councils.
There are of course other business and groups working in this space.Make sure they have a track record and can produce the results you want (if you want to be featured here please drop us a line).
Councils have many levers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions community wide, to begin drawing down excess greenhouse gas emissions, and to build community resilience. Happily, strategies that fit into one of the areas: mitigation, draw down and resilience, typically also fit into one of the other areas. For example, smart management watershed and urban forests both cool local environments (resilience) and fix soil carbon (drawdown); retrofits can reduce emissions (mitigation) while providing a more comfortable living for occupants (resilience) and can also be targeted to help those most disadvantaged in the community.
The solutions presented here are no means exhaustive and this page does not attempt to deal with information or programs that should already be well embedded into council strategies, or supported by information disseminated by federal or state government departments or environmental NGOs, instead we focus on newer or more leading edge areas and ideas.
For high level solutions on a global scale Project Drawdown list the top actions we need to take to reduce our emissions and can be used as a useful reference. The only problem is their targets are too slow and effectively suicidal.
The Rocky Mountain Institute has done an excellent guide for local government which unlike almost all other guide includes a focus on diet. General guides for councils include this UK-focused FOE page, which divides ideas into low-high cost.
Your Communities Emissions
If you are an Australian council you can check out these calculations for your emissions here at this website https://snapshotclimate.com.au/.
However please remember the international standard for calculating emissions for local councils are deliberately exclude consumption emissions except for electricity and a couple of others.
The effective of this avoiding having to tackle this issues of consumption whether it is paper sources for destroyed native forest, meat and dairy produced from high emitting farms or the general crap many of us by everyday.
However at CACE we belief you should tackle all emissions sources in your council area, whether they are a coal power plant an aluminium smelter or a farm and your consumption emissions.
This is important as local community can help guide the needed transitions in key industries while pressure to change can be generated from both inside and outside the area.
Getting to Zero
It may be a bit daunting to tackle reducing your whole community's emissions however a few organisations such as the Z-NET is Zero-Net Emission Transition and consultancy Ironbark Sustainability and have developed a systematic approach to tackling your community emissions and bringing them down to zero.
Z-NET is Zero-Net Emission Transition, an open-source pathway for a local community to set targets and achieve zero-net emissions. Your can see their plan for Hepburn Shire here. Their work is comprehensive and engaged the local community. Councils going down this path will need to engage staff, consultants or fund a community group to help manage the project. For example you could engage the Starfish Foundation, one of the key organisations behind Z-NET
Ironbark Sustainability is a local government focused sustainability consultancy who have worked in the space for more than 15 years and in that time worked with over 260 councils.
There are of course other business and groups working in this space.Make sure they have a track record and can produce the results you want (if you want to be featured here please drop us a line).
Stationary energy
Stationery energy is often one of the big emissions sources within urban based communities however it is essentially easy to solve through a mix of energy efficiency, renewable energy production locally, purchasing renewable energy from remote sites and getting off gas.
This area can be complex for council to navigate if they are not experienced in these areas. Councils could consider employing the expert help from organisations such as BOOM who provide an integrated platform for understanding and procuring energy solutions for businesses, not-for-profits and government bodies to create sustainable energy outcomes or Ironbark Sustainability who provide similar services.
Below we list a range of actions can take in this area.
Household consumer lending model for renewables or energy efficiency
How does a council set up a revolving loan fund for their community? CORENA runs through the key points of these programs in this page and presentation.
Darebin's Solar $avers is a working example of one such scheme. The scheme sells solar PV panels to low income residents. Repayments are made via a small increase in rates payments, designed to be lower than the utility savings. Solar PV systems should also include a basic energy audit to ensure homes have roof insulation and basic gap sealing.
Community Owned Renewables
There are a range of options for community owned renewable energy The Community Solar Toolkit by SolarShare/Canberra Clean Energy project team provides detailed information about how a community can establish a community solar farm.
Also see Frontier Impact Group's Community Renewable Energy Financing Toolkit. Read more here.
BOOM consulting has facilitated a large number of solar installs on community owned assets.
Council led large scale projects renewable electricity purchases (Power Purchase Agreements, PPAs)
There are a number of councils who have entered power purchase agreements (PPAs) to purchase renewable energy through for example building of a wind farm as done by Melbourne City Council's Melbourne Renewable Energy Project.
Melbourne City Council has produce a PDF that covers many of the key issues. Melbournes PPA led the way for many other councils to adopt PPAs for the purchase of renewable energy where councils purchase renewable energy and save money on there powerbills though the exercise of bulk purchasing in the context of every decreasing prices for renewable energy.
The largest of these PPA is the Forty-eight Victorian who have entered a PPA that will provide about half of the power requirements for Victoria's council operations (the equivalent of power for 47,000 homes) under the leadership of Darebin Council. These large agreements are helping drive the renewable energy market in Australia in the context of policy failure by federal and state governments.
Stationery energy is often one of the big emissions sources within urban based communities however it is essentially easy to solve through a mix of energy efficiency, renewable energy production locally, purchasing renewable energy from remote sites and getting off gas.
This area can be complex for council to navigate if they are not experienced in these areas. Councils could consider employing the expert help from organisations such as BOOM who provide an integrated platform for understanding and procuring energy solutions for businesses, not-for-profits and government bodies to create sustainable energy outcomes or Ironbark Sustainability who provide similar services.
Below we list a range of actions can take in this area.
Household consumer lending model for renewables or energy efficiency
How does a council set up a revolving loan fund for their community? CORENA runs through the key points of these programs in this page and presentation.
Darebin's Solar $avers is a working example of one such scheme. The scheme sells solar PV panels to low income residents. Repayments are made via a small increase in rates payments, designed to be lower than the utility savings. Solar PV systems should also include a basic energy audit to ensure homes have roof insulation and basic gap sealing.
Community Owned Renewables
There are a range of options for community owned renewable energy The Community Solar Toolkit by SolarShare/Canberra Clean Energy project team provides detailed information about how a community can establish a community solar farm.
Also see Frontier Impact Group's Community Renewable Energy Financing Toolkit. Read more here.
BOOM consulting has facilitated a large number of solar installs on community owned assets.
Council led large scale projects renewable electricity purchases (Power Purchase Agreements, PPAs)
There are a number of councils who have entered power purchase agreements (PPAs) to purchase renewable energy through for example building of a wind farm as done by Melbourne City Council's Melbourne Renewable Energy Project.
Melbourne City Council has produce a PDF that covers many of the key issues. Melbournes PPA led the way for many other councils to adopt PPAs for the purchase of renewable energy where councils purchase renewable energy and save money on there powerbills though the exercise of bulk purchasing in the context of every decreasing prices for renewable energy.
The largest of these PPA is the Forty-eight Victorian who have entered a PPA that will provide about half of the power requirements for Victoria's council operations (the equivalent of power for 47,000 homes) under the leadership of Darebin Council. These large agreements are helping drive the renewable energy market in Australia in the context of policy failure by federal and state governments.
Building a mircogrid
Mircogrids represent the opportunity to supply power locally and provide some protection from larger grid failure.
Mircogrids represent the opportunity to supply power locally and provide some protection from larger grid failure.
Getting off gas
Just like burning coal, burning gas releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and heats our planet. Just like coal we must get off gas at emergency speed.
Councils can seek to ban gas from new building developments or major home retrofits. Darebin Council is creating a new brown field development which is gas free.
Councils can offer subsidies or schemes (i.e. loans paid back via rates) to replace gas appliances (As per Solar $avers described above). For example
This Cedamia page, Don't lock in gas when the grid is turning green! has strategies for councils helping their communities to get off gas.
Just like burning coal, burning gas releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and heats our planet. Just like coal we must get off gas at emergency speed.
Councils can seek to ban gas from new building developments or major home retrofits. Darebin Council is creating a new brown field development which is gas free.
Councils can offer subsidies or schemes (i.e. loans paid back via rates) to replace gas appliances (As per Solar $avers described above). For example
- gas heaters > heat pumps and adequate insulation
- gas stoves and cook tops > electric induction cook tops
- gas ovens > electric ovens
- gas water heaters > electric heat pump or solar thermal
This Cedamia page, Don't lock in gas when the grid is turning green! has strategies for councils helping their communities to get off gas.
Retrofit programs
A number of councils have rolled out retrofit programs. See here for a summary of three programs.
A number of councils have rolled out retrofit programs. See here for a summary of three programs.
Diet and Agriculture
Animal agriculture is a massive contributor to global warming and the ecological emergency. Changing you diet by eating less meat and high emission foods particularly beef, lamb and dairy is an instant way to lower your personal emissions.
Councils have responded by creating a local meat free day, educating people about the nutritional benefits of eating less meat, banning meat within council for functions etc. or encouraging home food growing, community gardens or school gardens.
Some efforts are being made to reduce emissions for animals farming including: capturing emissions from methane release from manure; building soil carbon; regenerative agriculture; food supplements, re vegetation etc.
However these actions are measured against the internationally recognised system of account for global warming from different sources. This systems spreads out the impact of global warming of methane over 100 years rather than looking as its actual impact during the time it is up in the atmosphere which is around 10-12 years. When the actual impact of methane on the warming we are experiencing today the actions to date still fail to produce net zero or net negative beef lamb and dairy.
Animal agriculture is a massive contributor to global warming and the ecological emergency. Changing you diet by eating less meat and high emission foods particularly beef, lamb and dairy is an instant way to lower your personal emissions.
Councils have responded by creating a local meat free day, educating people about the nutritional benefits of eating less meat, banning meat within council for functions etc. or encouraging home food growing, community gardens or school gardens.
Some efforts are being made to reduce emissions for animals farming including: capturing emissions from methane release from manure; building soil carbon; regenerative agriculture; food supplements, re vegetation etc.
However these actions are measured against the internationally recognised system of account for global warming from different sources. This systems spreads out the impact of global warming of methane over 100 years rather than looking as its actual impact during the time it is up in the atmosphere which is around 10-12 years. When the actual impact of methane on the warming we are experiencing today the actions to date still fail to produce net zero or net negative beef lamb and dairy.
Consumption
If we think about how much we could reduce our emissions tomorrow this figure might be 50%, 60%, 70% or higher by simply changing our lifestyles and can changing what we consume. We could drive half as much, turn of half the light, change our diet, stop driving the car and use public transport, stop buying junk.
Levels of consumption within the community are an important issue in any council's emergency response.
If we think about how much we could reduce our emissions tomorrow this figure might be 50%, 60%, 70% or higher by simply changing our lifestyles and can changing what we consume. We could drive half as much, turn of half the light, change our diet, stop driving the car and use public transport, stop buying junk.
Levels of consumption within the community are an important issue in any council's emergency response.
Council waste
Organic waste conversion
Organic waste in landfill's anaerobic environment produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Biochar and anaerobic digesters are two strategies to overcoming this issue while producing valuable by-products. Here is a summary of issues with organic waste to landfill.
Turning organic waste including woody offcuts (can even work on human waste) into biochar both reduces methane emissions from landfill, sequesters the carbon (drawdown) for 100s and 1000s of years, captures nutrients that might otherwise be lost and produces a great soil conditioner that can be use in gardens, public green spaces or farmland.
Biochar is being used by council already to reduce costs of disposing of organic matter such as in Manningham Australia, to support urban tree growth in Stockholm, and California Governor's Office of Planning and Research is looking at biochar for supporting forest health. See an Australian example of sewage converted into biochar.
A CACE factsheet on biochar is available here.
Anaerobic digestion is a simpler solution than biochar for wet waste, including food and sewerage, however, one of the by-products, biogas, is will convert to carbon dioxide when burnt rather than being trapped in a sequestered form. This is less harmful than the methane that would have been produced but a greenhouse gas nonetheless. The remaining organic waste (digestate) is a nutrient rich fertiliser.
Many councils are looking to composting to remove organic waste from landfill. Perhaps most commonly, council facilitates the household uptake of on-site composting but the number of councils collecting organic waste to compost is growing. Councils, at least in Australia and most likely elsewhere, are now picking up green waste weekly and accepting foodscraps in the contents. The contents are being composted on an industrial scale and redirected from landfill. While composting is preferable to landfill, there is debate as to the amount of methane produced in the process, particularly of the composting is done in the open air and not in a sealed environment designed to trap the methane produced. Biochar is also preferable because it locks up carbon for 100s or 1000s of years, whereas the cycle for compost prior to release of the carbon may be as low as a year, depending on climate and other factors.
Plastics and synthetics (content needed)
Plastics and synthetics leach chemicals that effect living organisms, escape landfills, and also produce methane as it degrades. It is common to hear that the best way to remove plastic from the waste stream is to burn it, such as is done in Scandinavian countries however there are serious issues with this practice. Please let CACE know of any cutting edge solutions you are aware of, as well as any effective campaigns for waste minimisation that councils can implement.
Hard rubbish and council programs for dirty alternative waste treatments
(Under development)
Sewerage
See 'Council Waste Conversion' above, including an Australian example of sewage converted into biochar.
CRC Low Carbon Living also provides some research in this area.
Organic waste in landfill's anaerobic environment produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Biochar and anaerobic digesters are two strategies to overcoming this issue while producing valuable by-products. Here is a summary of issues with organic waste to landfill.
Turning organic waste including woody offcuts (can even work on human waste) into biochar both reduces methane emissions from landfill, sequesters the carbon (drawdown) for 100s and 1000s of years, captures nutrients that might otherwise be lost and produces a great soil conditioner that can be use in gardens, public green spaces or farmland.
Biochar is being used by council already to reduce costs of disposing of organic matter such as in Manningham Australia, to support urban tree growth in Stockholm, and California Governor's Office of Planning and Research is looking at biochar for supporting forest health. See an Australian example of sewage converted into biochar.
A CACE factsheet on biochar is available here.
Anaerobic digestion is a simpler solution than biochar for wet waste, including food and sewerage, however, one of the by-products, biogas, is will convert to carbon dioxide when burnt rather than being trapped in a sequestered form. This is less harmful than the methane that would have been produced but a greenhouse gas nonetheless. The remaining organic waste (digestate) is a nutrient rich fertiliser.
Many councils are looking to composting to remove organic waste from landfill. Perhaps most commonly, council facilitates the household uptake of on-site composting but the number of councils collecting organic waste to compost is growing. Councils, at least in Australia and most likely elsewhere, are now picking up green waste weekly and accepting foodscraps in the contents. The contents are being composted on an industrial scale and redirected from landfill. While composting is preferable to landfill, there is debate as to the amount of methane produced in the process, particularly of the composting is done in the open air and not in a sealed environment designed to trap the methane produced. Biochar is also preferable because it locks up carbon for 100s or 1000s of years, whereas the cycle for compost prior to release of the carbon may be as low as a year, depending on climate and other factors.
Plastics and synthetics (content needed)
Plastics and synthetics leach chemicals that effect living organisms, escape landfills, and also produce methane as it degrades. It is common to hear that the best way to remove plastic from the waste stream is to burn it, such as is done in Scandinavian countries however there are serious issues with this practice. Please let CACE know of any cutting edge solutions you are aware of, as well as any effective campaigns for waste minimisation that councils can implement.
Hard rubbish and council programs for dirty alternative waste treatments
(Under development)
Sewerage
See 'Council Waste Conversion' above, including an Australian example of sewage converted into biochar.
CRC Low Carbon Living also provides some research in this area.
Town planning
Councils around the world have varying planning levers. For example, most Australian councils are beholden by state planning authorities whereas UK unitary councils have full planning autonomy. But even Australian councils can implement ambitious planning if the plans have been submitted to the state in advance and justified in terms of local requirements.
Precinct development offers the opportunity for ambitious planning and building standards. One of the barriers to ambitious precinct development is that the council is often pressured to go for the lowest cost developer but due to the economies of scale precinct development offers, achieving high-standard ESD and water sensitive design at a moderate cost, should be prioritised.
Councils working in conjunction with the Government Valuer and lenders can make the case that the high-standard buildings are worth more because savings will be realised over the life of the building. Some of these savings can be rolled into the upfront cost. The home buyer may pay more upfront but have more available to pay the mortgage with the projected lower operating costs, and even potential income from powerledger systems.
Water sensitive design for cooling and effective watershed management is vital to mitigate the heat island effect. See the section on 'urban cooling' below.
Other planning considerations for precinct development and infill include parking (grouped and discrete, not dispersed and omni-present), co-housing (encourages shared resources), greenspaces and many other elements.
Given that we are in a climate emergency, the case needs also to be made for a Radical Town Planning Approach.
Councils around the world have varying planning levers. For example, most Australian councils are beholden by state planning authorities whereas UK unitary councils have full planning autonomy. But even Australian councils can implement ambitious planning if the plans have been submitted to the state in advance and justified in terms of local requirements.
Precinct development offers the opportunity for ambitious planning and building standards. One of the barriers to ambitious precinct development is that the council is often pressured to go for the lowest cost developer but due to the economies of scale precinct development offers, achieving high-standard ESD and water sensitive design at a moderate cost, should be prioritised.
Councils working in conjunction with the Government Valuer and lenders can make the case that the high-standard buildings are worth more because savings will be realised over the life of the building. Some of these savings can be rolled into the upfront cost. The home buyer may pay more upfront but have more available to pay the mortgage with the projected lower operating costs, and even potential income from powerledger systems.
Water sensitive design for cooling and effective watershed management is vital to mitigate the heat island effect. See the section on 'urban cooling' below.
Other planning considerations for precinct development and infill include parking (grouped and discrete, not dispersed and omni-present), co-housing (encourages shared resources), greenspaces and many other elements.
Given that we are in a climate emergency, the case needs also to be made for a Radical Town Planning Approach.
Greenspaces, watersheds and waterways
Urban Cooling and greenspaces
The Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) has developed a series of factsheets for repairing or designing a living stream site on a flowing urban waterway, including catchment strategies, and to support them in working out which actions to take.
This paper, Guide to Urban Cooling Strategies by CRC Low Carbon Living is a must read for all councils.
The Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) has developed a series of factsheets for repairing or designing a living stream site on a flowing urban waterway, including catchment strategies, and to support them in working out which actions to take.
This paper, Guide to Urban Cooling Strategies by CRC Low Carbon Living is a must read for all councils.
Urban forests
Trees in green spaces, verges, and on public and private land help create our urban forest. They have a tremendous cooling effect and even help maintain regular rain. This paper, 'What can Councils do to support a healthy urban forest?' by City Canopy details what councils can do to encourage and maintain a healthy urban forest.
Trees in green spaces, verges, and on public and private land help create our urban forest. They have a tremendous cooling effect and even help maintain regular rain. This paper, 'What can Councils do to support a healthy urban forest?' by City Canopy details what councils can do to encourage and maintain a healthy urban forest.
Waterways and watersheds
Councils are having to deal with 1 in 100 year rain events with alarming frequency. In many cases, appropriate watershed management, including rain gardens, and domestic water tanks, can alleviate the expense of major infrastructure projects, while building the resilience of the community (urban cooling and water storage). This Melbourne Water document, Tapping into the Benefits of Rainwater Tanks provides simple guidelines. This series of factsheets from the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, provides guidelines for watersheds.
Councils are having to deal with 1 in 100 year rain events with alarming frequency. In many cases, appropriate watershed management, including rain gardens, and domestic water tanks, can alleviate the expense of major infrastructure projects, while building the resilience of the community (urban cooling and water storage). This Melbourne Water document, Tapping into the Benefits of Rainwater Tanks provides simple guidelines. This series of factsheets from the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, provides guidelines for watersheds.
Local food growing
Encouraging local food production can help community members suffering food insecurity and helping improve community nutrition in general as well as providing resilience to future climate related food stress. See "Responding to a future food crisis" above for more detail.
Encouraging local food production can help community members suffering food insecurity and helping improve community nutrition in general as well as providing resilience to future climate related food stress. See "Responding to a future food crisis" above for more detail.
Transport
There are many options here ranging from improving pedestrian and cycle infrastructure (to be provided) to proving electric car charges and parking (to be provided). City centres could be closed to vehicles or restricted to low or preferably zero emissions options. For example Munich has had a low emissions zone in its city centre since 2008, similar model could require zero emissions.
Here is a summary of Los Angeles County's 2028 Roadmap for transportation and here is a link to the full document.
Another mechanism is lobbying higher level governments for funding for major expansion of zero emissions public transport services.
Road construction is also an option. The City of Adelaide is the first to achieve a 100 per cent recycled road made completely from renewable materials after a push from Council in 2018. Read more here.
There are many options here ranging from improving pedestrian and cycle infrastructure (to be provided) to proving electric car charges and parking (to be provided). City centres could be closed to vehicles or restricted to low or preferably zero emissions options. For example Munich has had a low emissions zone in its city centre since 2008, similar model could require zero emissions.
Here is a summary of Los Angeles County's 2028 Roadmap for transportation and here is a link to the full document.
Another mechanism is lobbying higher level governments for funding for major expansion of zero emissions public transport services.
Road construction is also an option. The City of Adelaide is the first to achieve a 100 per cent recycled road made completely from renewable materials after a push from Council in 2018. Read more here.
Flight
During a global climate emergency should we continue flying around Australia and around the world? Groups such as Flight Free Australia argue no.
For most councils, flight emissions will be a very small fraction of their organisation's emissions, occurring largely because councillors are traveling to national conferences such as the annual Australian Local Government Association conference or to undertake training, or the CEO or members of the executive management team (EMT) are travelling to undertake training as part of the job packages.
COVID has taught us that we do not need to meet face to face to get thing down and undertake our work. However people do like to meet face to face and people do like staying in hotels and having their meals paid for so there might be some push back.
Are their alternatives? In some cases people can travel by train and or drive, however this takes time and unless traveling by train or being driven by someone else it may be difficult or impossible to effectively work while traveling.
Even if traveling by train many of Australia's interstate train services are primitive by international standards, being infrequent, extremely slow, and often lacking basic tools such as charging points or free WiFi.
For a council, ending flights can simply be a decision of the Council which takes effect immediately if supported by the CEO and EMT or it might take effect in a few years until the CEO's and EMT's contracts are rewritten. If a council does have to fly they should offset their emissions.
During a global climate emergency should we continue flying around Australia and around the world? Groups such as Flight Free Australia argue no.
For most councils, flight emissions will be a very small fraction of their organisation's emissions, occurring largely because councillors are traveling to national conferences such as the annual Australian Local Government Association conference or to undertake training, or the CEO or members of the executive management team (EMT) are travelling to undertake training as part of the job packages.
COVID has taught us that we do not need to meet face to face to get thing down and undertake our work. However people do like to meet face to face and people do like staying in hotels and having their meals paid for so there might be some push back.
Are their alternatives? In some cases people can travel by train and or drive, however this takes time and unless traveling by train or being driven by someone else it may be difficult or impossible to effectively work while traveling.
Even if traveling by train many of Australia's interstate train services are primitive by international standards, being infrequent, extremely slow, and often lacking basic tools such as charging points or free WiFi.
For a council, ending flights can simply be a decision of the Council which takes effect immediately if supported by the CEO and EMT or it might take effect in a few years until the CEO's and EMT's contracts are rewritten. If a council does have to fly they should offset their emissions.
Councils should also lobby for improvement of all types of electrified rail powered by 100% renewable electricity involved in both local and interstate travel including very fast rail which is the standard in many countries overseas.
See Beyond Zero Emissions plan to build a very fast rail from Brisbane to Melbourne. This plan would replace any need to fly on one of the world's busiest short air links - Melbourne to Sydney.
See Beyond Zero Emissions plan to build a very fast rail from Brisbane to Melbourne. This plan would replace any need to fly on one of the world's busiest short air links - Melbourne to Sydney.
Purchasing policy and council funds management
Corporate council policies are often a low cost mechanism to introduce a practice community wide, in other councils and at higher levels of government. An example is not allowing vendors to use disposable plastics at festivals. Council may provide non-disposable plastic plates and a wash-up service, as is provided at the Australian Sustainable Living Festival. The vendors can then request this service elsewhere and community expectations also change. Other examples of positive council policy changes include vegan-only council catering, banning balloon releases.
Other examples include not purchasing products the contribute directly to global warming such as purchasing paper or wood products sources from native forest destruction such as Reflex paper or buying or selling high emission food such as beef, lamb or dairy.
A useful way to prioritise potential actions is by means of the ‘Procurement Hierarchy’, which is based on the European Waste Hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle and recover. This ICLEI paper provides examples of European councils encouraging a circular economy (aimed at minimising waste and making the most of resources) in their procurement.
A single council may have millions invested in rates, superannuation, and other funds. UK councils alone invest $14 billion. The funds should be invested in a way that avoids fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial agriculture, social injustice etc. There are numerous guides available but it will come down to what alternatives are available to the council. Councils can also use their weight to give an ultimatum to existing fund managers that the must divest to keep the council's business or move their money.
Campaigns such as Market Forces explain options for your funds management.
Councils can also avoid working with companies profiting from destroying our planet. This could include where councils buy insurance or which companies they use as consultants. For example GHD, a consulting company, is profiteering from its work for the Adani Coal mine. See Market Forces for information on GHD and their involvement in Adani or visit the Stop Adani website to send GHD a letter. The Stop Adani! campaign has produced a guide for how councils to help stop the Adani Coalmine through procurement and advocacy.
Simply put your council should boycott any company profiteering from global warming.
Corporate council policies are often a low cost mechanism to introduce a practice community wide, in other councils and at higher levels of government. An example is not allowing vendors to use disposable plastics at festivals. Council may provide non-disposable plastic plates and a wash-up service, as is provided at the Australian Sustainable Living Festival. The vendors can then request this service elsewhere and community expectations also change. Other examples of positive council policy changes include vegan-only council catering, banning balloon releases.
Other examples include not purchasing products the contribute directly to global warming such as purchasing paper or wood products sources from native forest destruction such as Reflex paper or buying or selling high emission food such as beef, lamb or dairy.
A useful way to prioritise potential actions is by means of the ‘Procurement Hierarchy’, which is based on the European Waste Hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle and recover. This ICLEI paper provides examples of European councils encouraging a circular economy (aimed at minimising waste and making the most of resources) in their procurement.
A single council may have millions invested in rates, superannuation, and other funds. UK councils alone invest $14 billion. The funds should be invested in a way that avoids fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial agriculture, social injustice etc. There are numerous guides available but it will come down to what alternatives are available to the council. Councils can also use their weight to give an ultimatum to existing fund managers that the must divest to keep the council's business or move their money.
Campaigns such as Market Forces explain options for your funds management.
Councils can also avoid working with companies profiting from destroying our planet. This could include where councils buy insurance or which companies they use as consultants. For example GHD, a consulting company, is profiteering from its work for the Adani Coal mine. See Market Forces for information on GHD and their involvement in Adani or visit the Stop Adani website to send GHD a letter. The Stop Adani! campaign has produced a guide for how councils to help stop the Adani Coalmine through procurement and advocacy.
Simply put your council should boycott any company profiteering from global warming.
