Geoff Helisma |
At Clarence Valley Council’s November 2018 meeting its community-based Climate Change Advisory Committee asked councillors to support its request to “declare a Climate Emergency so that all of Council’s actions and decisions are examined against the urgency to address and minimise the effects of climate change”.
The request was the subject of strident debate, some of which focussed on whether or not the word ‘emergency’ was the appropriate one to use.
However, at the end of debate, councillors Kingsley, Baker, Williamson, Lysaught and Simmons supported Cr Kingsley’s motion to defer the decision until the April 2019 meeting, “to allow for further investigation on the operational and financial implications” of such a declaration.
Councillors subsequently discussed the concept at a workshop in March.
At last week’s April 23 meeting, only councillors Baker and Lysaught voted against the final five-point motion that included “recognis[ing] that there is a climate emergency which requires actions by all levels of Government” – during debate, though, Cr Lysaught said that his only “issue” was the use of the word “emergency” and that he did “believe in climate change; I am not a denier”.
Councillor Baker did not say what his thoughts were about climate change; however, he said what was being debated was a “nothing motion” that needed an “action plan” to gain his support.
Meanwhile, Cr Kingsley’s cautionary words at the November 2018 meeting provided context for the ultimate outcome.
“Climate change is real, no doubt; anyone who does not believe … has their head in the sand and rear end in the air and have a distorted view of the world,” he said at the time.
“I want to reiterate, this motion is not about not supporting the committee’s recommendation, but to ensure that we do our due diligence and find out what the impact might be and placate those scared by the word ‘emergency’.”
As he predicted, the deferment “provided the general manager and staff the opportunity” to consider the advisory committee’s report, which he said was “lacking”.
Staff compiled a list of up-to-date climate change data, attributed to the relevant organisations – BOM, CSIRO, NASA, IPCC and the UN Emissions Gap Report 2018 –, and pointed out that the advisory committee had “referenced over 300 local authorities around the world, including 12 in Australia, that have now either declared or recognised a climate emergency”.
Staff also advised that “by recognising a climate emergency Council will be seen as an organisation making an important leadership contribution to the global goal of mitigating climate change impacts”.
“Such recognition is a leadership action intended to engage Clarence Valley residents, other local governments and other levels of government to implement urgent action …” the report stated.
Among the predicted outcomes of declaring a climate emergency, staff highlighted CVC programs already underway as a result of previous councillors’ decisions.
Declaring a climate emergency would provide “a platform for continuing Council’s own emissions abatement efforts” which includes the adoption of the “the 100% Renewables Report, which sets out a fast track strategy to reduce emission by 40% before 2030 and increase the use of renewable energy by 50% before 2030”.
“Cost savings … demonstrated by the 100% Renewables Report shows that [the] average payback period for solar and energy efficiency measures is 6.5 years,” the report stated.
Staff advised there were no additional costs associated with declaring an emergency and that “fast tracking the implementation of the 100% Renewables Report and the adoption of targets for emission reduction and renewable energy is Council’s significant and urgent response to Climate Change”.
The councillors’ final decision also acknowledged CVC is already “lowering its emissions” and initiated the inclusion of the subheading ‘Climate Change’ in all future reports.
The councillors’ decision reiterated continuing with all actions outlined in the 100% Renewables Report, and “noted the minutes of the Climate Change Advisory Committee dated 22 June 2018; and thanked the committee for their ongoing input”.
Staff advised that declaring a climate emergency could, in the future, provide “an opportunity to lobby other [higher] levels of Government on the urgency of reducing emissions” and that it “will be noted by other local governments and, importantly, State and Federal Governments”.