On 12 May 2017, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), the legislated peak body for 79 local governments in Victoria, passed a climate emergency motion, with 77 per cent of voting municipalities in support.
Darebin Councillor Susan Rennie put forward the motion:
Motion 56. Climate Change
Submitting Council: Darebin City Council
Motion:
That the MAV recognise that:
(a) we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action by all levels of government, including local councils
(b) human induced climate change stands in the first rank of threats to humans, civilisation and other species
(c) it is still possible to restore a safe climate and prevent most of the anticipated long-term climate impacts – but only if societies across the world adopt an emergency mode of action that can enable the restructuring of the physical economy at the necessary scale and speed;
(d) the MAV has a particular role in assisting local governments in this regard.
Climate change requires urgent action by all levels of government, and MAV can play a supportive role for #localgov #statecouncilvotes
— Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) (@MAV_1879) May 12, 2017
Call for federal bipartisan support
“Climate change is an international, national and local concern and Victorian councils want and expect the Australian Government to develop policy settings that will ensure Australia can reach zero net emissions before 2050. (…) We call on the Government to develop policy that is informed by credible science and to become a leader in climate change policy.”
“There is an urgent need for the Government to show strong leadership, to trust in science, and to support regulatory settings that foster innovation and investment in clean energy. A steady, evidence-based approach that has bipartisan support is essential.”
MAV submission to Government to Review of Climate Change Policies, May 2017
Interview with Darebin’s mayor
Five minute radio interview with Darebin mayor Kim Le Cerf in The Sustainable Hour on 94.7 The Pulse in April 2017 – about Darebin Council’s motions in support of the #StopAdani and the Climate Emergency Declaration campaigns.
» Open Source & Creative Commons: Right-click to download audio file in 128kbps for broadcast
» Centre for Climate Safety – 11 April 2017:
Thought leadership: How local councils crunch the climate stalemate
MAV’s climate action advocacy through the decade
Already in 2010, MAV produced a Victorian Local Government Guide to Reducing Carbon Emissions to provide an overview of carbon footprinting for councils and how they could get started on emissions reduction, measuring and reporting.
» Read more about MAV and climate change
Victorian Greenhouse Alliances:
Local governments driving climate action
Sandra Mack from City of Moonee Valle, Cr Trent McCarthy from City of Darebin and Scott Mckenry from Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action
At the Victorian Greenhouse Alliances’ conference on 12 May 2017, Sandra Mack from City of Moonee Valle and Cr Trent McCarthy from City of Darebin lead a session with discussion about the practicalities of taking on the Divestment and Climate Emergency pledges. The session was entitled ‘The Impacts of Advocacy: Divestment and Climate Emergency’ – “exploring new advocacy issues affecting how local governments respond to climate change, including divestment from fossil fuel production and the climate emergency movement.”
The Victorian Greenhouse Alliances are formal partnerships of varying numbers of councils and other organisations driving climate change action across 70 of Victoria’s 79 municipalities. The Alliances work across their networks, communities and partners to deliver regional mitigation and adaptation programs.
More than 200 local government representatives – councillors and officers – as well as others from around Victoria attended the Victorian Greenhouse Alliances’ annual conference to hear about and discuss practical projects and ideas including renewables and energy efficiency plans, community and business engagement, planning for energy and urban heat, adaptation tools and waste-to-energy.
An overview of the conference is available on the Victorian Greenhouse Alliances’ website, plus some of the presentations and contact details for presenters so you can contact them for further information.