City reaffirms bold 2030 emissions reduction commitments on the road to 2050

05 November 2021

With the UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021 (COP26) taking place in Glasgow this week, the City of Stirling reaffirms its commitments made in the Sustainable Energy Action Plan 2020 – 2030 (SEAP) to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
 
The City of Stirling welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement at COP26 that Australia’s climate change policy will also be a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, meaning every government at the State and Federal level is now committed to that outcome.
 
In a media statement the COP26, President Alok Sharma has stated the two weeks of global negotiations will help determine whether humanity can drive forward the urgent action needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.
 
The statement also made clear the importance on setting ambitious 2030 emissions reduction targets, which represent a halving of global emissions by that date, as well as key actions such as accelerating the move to electric vehicles.
 
The City of Stirling’s SEAP sets out a bold emissions reduction agenda in line with, and indeed exceeding, the stated goals of the COP26 2030 agenda; by 2030, 100 per cent of the City’s electricity needs will be met by renewable sources and committing to a 70 per cent reduction on emissions.
 
The SEAP importantly also includes a documented 2025 review point, with specific key performance indicators set at 50 per cent renewable electricity demand and 35 per cent carbon emissions reductions.
 
The City of Stirling is confident in achieving its SEAP goals, as it was developed after a long history of carbon reduction actions by the City, as well as with incredibly high support from the local community. In a survey of local residents:

  • 91 per cent agreed that the City should set a renewable energy target, and 92 per cent supported the proposed ‘100 per cent renewable electricity target by 2030’
  • 94 per cent agreed that the City should set a carbon emissions reduction target, and 81 per cent supported the proposed ‘70 per cent carbon emissions reduction target by 2030’.

The City’s Council has also endorsed the development of a detailed business case with funding options for the escalation of the City’s solar program and options in relation to wind energy.

Initial analysis conducted by the City indicated that by escalating solar installations and completing them by 2025, the City could achieve an additional $5.74 million in energy cost savings when compared to completing installations by 2030.
 
The City also remains committed to innovative public transport solutions that run on renewable energy, such as the ongoing business case – funded by the Federal Government – into Trackless Tram technology to connect Glendalough Train Station with the iconic Scarborough Beach precinct.
 
Finally, the City Council has ordered the development of an Electric Vehicle (EV) Feasibility Study report in the fourth quarter of this financial year, which is aligned with the SEAP.
 
One key strategy is to transition the City’s fleet to EV and power them with renewable energy. In August 2021 the City announced the current Parking Services fleet of hybrid vehicles will be replaced with EVs in the 2022/2023 replacement program.

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