Yarra Council continues to deliver on our city’s ambitious Climate Emergency Plan, with 75% of activities on track.

A recent progress report to council heard that 89 or 119 actions to address the escalating climate emergency were either in progress or completed. 

As part of the plan – one of the first in Australia when endorsed in June 2020 – we’re fast tracking initiatives like:

• legislating zero-carbon standards for new developments
• delivering educational events and upskilling our community to be climate champions
• refreshing Yarra’s solar program in partnership with the Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) 
• exploring new partnerships with renewable electricity retailers
• providing new grants for climate action and sustainability community projects
• phasing out the use of gas in council-owned buildings 
• installing new bike infrastructure to get more people to use sustainable transport
• transitioning Yarra Council’s vehicle fleet to all-electric options 
• upgrading stormwater harvesting schemes at Edinburgh Gardens and Ramsden Reserve
• continuing advocacy to other levels of government for climate action.

These achievements follow Yarra Council’s endorsement of a Green New Deal in December 2020. The Green New Deal aims to address the health, economic, social and climate crises we currently face as we begin our economic recovery from COVID-19.

For more information read Yarra’s Climate Emergency Plan.