The City of Sydney has been carbon neutral since 2008. Amidst strong economic growth, emissions across our Local Government Area have fallen 12 per cent since 2006 and we have reduced emissions in our own buildings and operations by over 23 per cent.
In continuing our work to create a sustainable city, we have recently completed a landmark plan to help prepare for the impacts of climate change, including more heatwaves and extreme weather.
Heavy rainfall and deluges like those that flooded parts of Sydney and the Hunter Valley in April are expected to remain a feature of Sydney’s weather patterns and become increasingly common. (Photo credit: City of Sydney)
The Climate Adaptation Strategy includes a series of actions to address these impacts, such as heatwave response, flood management, and sea level rise adaptation.
There is no more important issue for the long-term success of Sydney than addressing climate change. We know that the effects are already being felt, and by 2070 our city will be more than 3 degrees warmer than it is today.
As our climate changes, the hottest days will become hotter, more frequent and last longer, leading to strain on vital infrastructure, community health and air quality.
Through the Climate Adaptation Strategy and working with our community, businesses and other levels of government, we will build our capacity to adapt and respond to a changing climate and maintain the wellbeing and prosperity of our global city.
When consulted our community on a long-term plan for our city’s future, the top priority for many people was taking meaningful action on climate change.
The resulting plan, Sustainable Sydney 2030, lays out a vision for becoming a green, global and connected city. We are now well on track to meet our ambitious greenhouse gas reduction target of 70 percent below 2006 levels by 2030.
The City’s draft climate adaptation plan is available for public feedback here.