Download Local Government action on the Kyoto Protocol

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACTION ON THE KYOTO PROTOCOL
COUNCILLOR DAVID RISSTROM
16TH MARCH 2000
WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN DO TO COPE WITH
GLOBAL WARMING
Thank you for the honour of attending the launching symposium of the
Japan Center for Climate Change Actions.
This is also a special occasion for me, as this is my first visit to my true
home. My mother, Joyce, was born in Osaka and my uncle and his family
still lives here in Japan.
It is also good to be in the country that hosted the very important Kyoto
Climate Change talks, which remain an important guidepost for international
action.
City of Melbourne’s efforts to cope with climate change
Melbourne is the regional office of the Australian and New Zealand office
of the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives. ICLEI has
been central to Melbourne City Council’s successful efforts to engage with
the challenges posed by climate change.
ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection campaign has been an excellent
framework for Melbourne to advance its work on climate change. Council’s
goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the municipality by 20%
on 1996 levels by the year 2010, and to reduce its own direct emissions by
30% on 1996 levels by the year 2010. These are very serious targets.
Melbourne City Council has decided to exceed the targets set by the
Australian Federal Government in the Kyoto Protocol. The people of
Melbourne and the local Council I represent believe that action on climate
change must be stronger and more rapid than it has been in the past, and that
uncertainty about the potential effect of climate change is no longer an
excuse for delaying action.
As I believe is true here in Japan, local government is also very active in
responding to climate change. Local government, with its close connection
to the people is capable of achieving
Successes and Failures
Melbourne City Council was the first local government agency in the world
to use the One-2-Five Energy Management System pioneered by Australian
company Energetics Pty. Ltd. which has recently won a United States of
America Environment Protection Authority contract for the system.
Melbourne City Council has already reduced energy consumption in a key
administration building by 17% based on simple changes to lighting.
Melbourne City Council joined the ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection
Program in 1998 and has since completed an inventory of greenhouse gas
emissions generated by Council’s own operations and those generated
within the municipality. Council released the Greenhouse Action Plan, with
targets and actions, in October 1999 for public comment. Following this
community consultation, the final plan was adopted this month. The
Greenhouse Action Plan includes measures to:
 Re-invest 100% of savings generated by energy efficiency projects (after
capital cost recovery) in energy management and renewable energy
projects for the next ten years.
 Re-invest 20% of the savings generated by electricity contestability and
supply arrangements in energy management and renewable energy
projects for the next five years.
 Evaluate all Council operations for their impact on energy consumption
and greenhouse gas emissions, including, capital works projects.
 Increase the generation and availability of renewable energy sources on
the national grid where possible. We are currently promoting wind and
solar generation power for the City.
 Provide quantitative information and an annual report on progress in
projects.
 Establish a monitoring and reporting system that quantifies and reports on
Council’s energy consumption, energy expenditure and greenhouse gas
emissions.
 Increase the energy efficiency and use of alternative fuels in Council’s
fleet.
 Reduce vehicle kilometres travelled by staff.
 Consider urban development policy matters for their impact on energy
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
 Provide quantitative information and an annual report on progress in
projects.
 Enhance the carbon sink capacity of the municipality by planting at least
1,000 trees annually.
 Encourage and facilitate a reduction in private passenger vehicle use and
promote the use of more efficient public and private transport.
The most significant failure of the City of Melbourne, as I believe may be
true for many of us, is to allow the scientific uncertainty surrounding global
climate change to allow us to delay our action.
Our failure is not acting as rapidly in the past on these measures above as I
believe is necessary to avoid or reduce the extent of human induced global
climate change.
Promoting public awareness
Despite that failure, more recent responses, both internationally and in
Melbourne, demonstrate an increasing maturity in our responses to the
challenges posed by the enhanced greenhouse effect. We as a species are
showing an increasing awareness and honesty about our position in the
biosphere, and that we are capable of making important cultural changes in
response.
Nevertheless, the impact of climate will almost certainly be shared
unequally, both between countries and within countries
Also, although significant climate change, in conjunction with population
increases and resource scarcity, present a great threat to the carrying capacity
of the biosphere and the social organisations we enjoy within it. While these
pressures are urgent, it is essential that progress is not made at the expense
of democratic participation.
Community consultation is an essential element of our Climate Change
action in Melbourne. The citizens of Melbourne show great leadership in
this respect.
In addition to encouraging community involvement in these programs, we
hold regular ‘Peoples Forums’, which invite the public to take the seats
normally occupied by the elected Councillors in the Council Chamber to
discuss issues that are important to the City. At the Peoples Forums, the
citizens are invited to ask questions directly of the elected officials, and to
discuss issues openly on an equal basis.
The theme of the most recent Peoples forum was ‘The Environment’. At
this forum, the people requested that our Municipal Newspaper include a
‘Citizens Column’, for the community to exchange its views with the
Council, in addition to the traditional format of Council telling the
community what it is doing.
We also ensure community access to information by providing greenhouse
action on the Melbourne City Council website. It is my intention in the
future that the energy consumption patterns of the Council will be shown
transparently on our website.
We also encourage community involvement by hosting conferences and
meetings with the Community. Melbourne City Council recently sponsored
the United Nations Environment Program Financial Services Conference in
February 2000. The conference was designed to increase the adoption of
sustainable development and environmentally sound business practices in
the finance sector.
Melbourne City Council also hosted the Urban Future Roundtable and
Passive and Low Energy Architecture Symposiums in 1999. As part of the
Roundtable Program, Council sought the opinion of a range of independent
experts in relation to its environmental initiatives including academics,
architects, consultants and industry representatives. This exposure to expert
scrutiny of the full range of Council’s environmental activities.
Melbourne City Council will host the first meeting of the Melbourne
Metropolitan Environment Forum in April this year. This forum of local
governments and involved environment and community organisations will
ensure that democracy is not put as secondary to environmental
responsibility.
Role of other sectors
Bringing democratic participation with environmental progress means it has
been essential to work with other sectors.
The commercial sector is the biggest contributor of greenhouse gas
emissions in Melbourne. Melbourne City Council is developing a
‘Commercial Building Partnership’. Melbourne has more than 5 million
square metres of office floor space, bridging the distance between building
owners and tenants that often result in energy efficiencies. This partnership
involves:
 Actively pursues partnership projects with local businesses currently
involved in the Greenhouse Challenge and Energy Smart programs.
 Actively recruits and assists businesses to join programs designed to
reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; and,
 Provides advice to businesses on energy demand management.
There is no doubt that the actions of industry can have a very large impact
on climate change. Nevertheless, I believe it is true that the non-government
sector is a very important sector in stimulating action in other areas.
Through democratic processes, the non-government sector provides an
honest assessment of the urgency for action. NGO’s are a welcome
reminder that each sector, government, industry and non-government has a
responsibility not only to each other and to the people that we serve, but we
also have a duty to the future to provide as much opportunity as we enjoy
today.
Conclusion
In concluding, the most important relationship that Melbourne City Council
has established is with the International Council for Local Environment
Initiatives. ICLEI, through its Cities for Climate Protection Campaign, has
provided concrete assistance and tested examples of action on climate
change.
The International Council for Local Environment Initiatives has assisted
Melbourne City Council in developing much of what I have talked about
today. As someone who has maintained an interest in action on climate
change I can honestly say that the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign
has been the most effective mechanism for real on the ground action.
Thank you for inviting me to speak today, and thank you for caring about
this planet. It is a beautiful place shared by many beautiful species. Efforts
such as the establishment of the Japan Centre for Climate Change Actions
are good signs that the human race is demonstrating an increasing maturity
in our response to the challenges posed by global climate change and
honesty about our position in the biosphere.
For these things, on behalf of the City of Melbourne, the International
Council for Local Environment Initiatives, and the animals and plants that
do not have a voice, I sincerely thank you.