Councillor Chris Harris

The City of Sydney lags shamefully behind other global cities which have already initiated extensive programs to address global warming.

At Monday night’s Council meeting, however, it appeared the City is about to change all that with a slew of environmental motions and projects dominating the agenda.

But only Chris Harris proposed the adoption of definite targets and performance indicators with annual assessments of progress in greenhouse gas reduction.

“We need to reduce Sydney’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60% by 2050 according to key environmental bodies such as the Total Environment Centre, the Nature Conservation Council of NSW and The Wilderness Society,” he said.

“Other experts put the figure at 80%.”

“While I commend the several significant environmental actions the City is already undertaking, unless we set and meet these targets we will be failing in the job ahead of us.”

“An ad-hoc approach is not good enough.”

Item 7 of Chris Harris’ motion also stated the City should extend its influence beyond its own operations by requiring contractors to meet similar energy and greenhouse reduction targets.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore opposed the motion but proposed that its points be fed into the City’s Environmental Management Plan now under preparation.

This amendment was accepted by Cr Harris and was passed unanimously. (See notice of motion below)

What other cities and corporations are doing

–· Some cities have built their own co-generation power plants running on methane from waste biomass, selling electricity back to the grid. St. Paul, Minnesota, which has had to forgo Winter Carnival ice sculptures and on-ice softball tournaments
in recent years because of rising temperatures, is using a biomass-fired power plant for both heat and electricity. Keene, New.Hampshire., is harnessing methane and other gases at its landfill to run a generator that powers its recycling centre

–· Many cities are engaged in carbon trading schemes

–· In Helsingborg, a Swedish coastal city of 120,000, buses run on biogas made from garbage and other organic waste from households and nearby farms. It’s part of a program that dates from 2000, when city officials decided they would get 20% of municipal vehicles running on renewable fuel by 2010. By 2004, they had reached 23%. “We have upped our target so that 50% of the city’s cars, vans and trucks should use renewable fuel by 2010–and we will meet that target,” says Ulla Ingers, Helsingborg’s assistant director of environment.

–· Wal-Mart in Texas has begun installing wind turbines on its stores to generate electricity and is talking about putting solar reflectors over its parking lots. It also rewards suppliers - anywhere in the world - who demonstrate real reductions in greenhouse gas emission with prime shelf-space in stores. In the same way the City could favour particular contractors and suppliers, leveraging its buying power to benefit the environment. Terms of contracts should annually demand details of eco-friendly progress made by each contractor in the past year. Then you will see the competitors rapidly change their approach.

–· Wal-mart also insists that truckers shut off their engines when stopping for a break, yielding estimated savings of $25 million a year. By doubling the gas mileage of the fleet through better aerodynamics and lower-friction tires, Wal-Mart expects to pocket $310 million a year. One of the biggest items on its energy bill is lighting. Instead of going with the cheapest bulbs, the company is experimenting with costlier LED strips for refrigeration units that last longer and use less energy.

–· HSBC, the world’s second largest bank, has pledged to neutralize its carbon output by investing in wind farms and other green projects. The City should be doing the same.

–· Portland, Oregon, which zeroed in on global warming beginning in 1993, has already slashed emissions by 13% per capita, partly by building light rail and 730 miles of regional bikeways. In Sydney, light rail obviously depends to a large extent on the state government but the City’s own bike strategy can certainly be accelerated and ramped up

–· Toronto, Canada is serious about roof greening. There are thousands of hectares of flat roof in the city which could bear gardens established with community input but subsidised by startup capital from the city. A City study found quantifiable and significant monetary savings from stormwater flow reduction including impact on combined sewer overflow, improvement in air quality, reduction in direct energy use, and reduction in urban heat island effect. Other benefits that could not be quantified included: aesthetic improvement of urban landscape, increase in property values, benefits resulting from green roofs used as amenity spaces, use of green roof for food production, and increased biodiversity. Roof gardens also sequester carbon. Every bit of green helps.
–· Toronto also runs a building retrofit program whereby owners use loans from the City to improve the energy rating of buildings and repay the loans out of subsequent energy savings.

–· Seattle Washington: In November Seattle City Light became the first major electric utility in the nation to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions. As part of that effort, some cruise ships docking at Seattle’s waterfront now get electric power from City Light so they can cut their engines and reduce emissions. And the privately owned garbage trucks contracted by the city have switched to cleaner-burning biodiesel and ultra-low sulphur fuels to help protect the climate and reduce pollution.
(Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels’s U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement challenge sparked a grassroots effort that has garnered international attention and has underscored the growing consensus that action is needed now to slow global warming)
–· Seattle Washington: The One Less Car Challenge is a new program that gives you a taste of living with one less car. Basically, you go on a “car diet” for a month by not driving your second car - or your only car. You’ll get great tips on how to get around by bus, bike & foot, as well as some nifty incentives - like some free Flexcar use for the month.
The notice of motion
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (S044431)
5. By Councillor Harris

City of Sydney to set and reach effective emission reduction targets.

That the City:

1. Recognises that in its role as manager of Australia’s largest city it has both the means and the responsibility to adopt a leading role in rapidly reducing Sydney’s greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Agrees with leading Australian Environmental bodies - the Total Environment Centre, the Nature Conservation Council of NSW and The Wilderness Society - that the overall goal for Sydney should be to achieve a 60% reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2050.

3. Commits to exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming pollution by:

a. setting progressive targets and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) whereby the City meets its 2050 target.

b. allocating the resources necessary to achieve these targets.

c. reducing the City’s dependence on fossil fuels by converting to 100% green power in the short term and reducing the city’s actual energy use in the medium term.

d. working with other councils to accelerate the development of renewable energy and fuel-efficient technologies.

e. annually assess performance against the KPIs and accelerate programs that fall short
4. Create and implement education programs targeted at business and city residents in order to change behaviour in relation to energy, water use and waste.
5. Develop a Toronto style ‘Better Buildings Program’ so that the city can work with city-based businesses to retrofit buildings in order to reduce energy use. And as a matter of urgency explore energy effective programs adopted by other cities and corporations globally with a view to adopting the most successful examples for Sydney.
6. Programs that save money and/or achieve a return on investment should be balanced against other, more expensive environmental programs initiated concurrently.
7. Examine ways that the City can influence its contractors and suppliers to also adopt energy saving methods to match the City’s progress towards its energy saving and greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Note from the CEO: These issues are being investigated and costed in the preparation of the City’s Environmental Management Plan which is currently underway. Council can then determine its priority projects as discussed at the Environment Management Workshop.