1 INTRODUCTION

This Strategy sets out the case for a range of cost-effective actions that can be implemented progressively over several years to reduce Council’s carbon emissions and adapt its operations to the impacts of climate change. These actions include investing in renewable energy, becoming more energy efficient, sequestering carbon, transitioning to more sustainable transport options and reducing our waste to landfill. Specifically, Council’s Climate Change Strategy is intended to:

• Demonstrate Council’s leadership, through the development of a Climate Change Policy that provides a framework and ten guiding principles (see below) for climate action, sets ambitious targets for climate mitigation, undertakes to reduce risk to and increase the resilience of Council’s operations to climate change, and undertakes to support the community’s efforts to do the same.

• Focus Council’s efforts on increasing solar PV and batteries, energy efficiency and the purchase of renewables in the short to medium term1; progressively increase its renewable energy supply as batteries and electric vehicles become cheaper; continually improve sustainable procurement policies and practices; minimise waste; and continue to invest in wetland restoration and tree plantings that sequester carbon and improve the region’s biodiversity.

• Provide a roadmap of actions that Council can initiate and progress in the short, medium and long term that respond to the risks of climate change that are considered to have the greatest potential impact on Council’s operations and the safety and wellbeing of the community.

• Initiate a process to determine what a suitable Sustainability Framework looks like for MidCoast

Council, with particular consideration of how a climate action strategy can inform Council’s key strategies and plans across all sustainability-focused areas, including Council’s Resourcing

Strategy and its Delivery Program and Operational Plans.

MidCoast Council’s Climate Change Strategy is represented by the graphic below, which illustrates the key areas for action that when implemented together in a planned way, can significantly reduce energy demand, increase onsite renewables, reduce emissions and increase climate resilience.

FIGURE 1: CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY

1 Short-term includes the next one to two Operational Plan periods, while Medium-term should be taken to mean the period covered by Council’s next Delivery Program period – i.e. four years