Reducing Australia?s emissions, one community at a time - Sydney Morning Herald

On January 4, 2020, the air temperature reading in Penrith reached 48.9 degrees, breaking a Bureau of Meteorology record that had stood since 1939.

Penrith mayor Karen McKeown has few doubts that global warming impacts represent a direct threat to thousands of vulnerable residents living in her local community.

She says the council’s own research confirms temperatures in the area are rising, in part because of what is known as the Urban Heat Island Effect - an increase in heat-absorbing surfaces such as pavements, roads and buildings.

While world governments at the COP26 summit in Glasgow are still discussing how best to minimise climate change impacts, Australian councils such as Penrith are taking practical steps to alleviate the impacts of global warming as well as setting their own emissions reduction targets.

Recognising that treeless streets, heat absorbing materials and dark surfaces increase temperatures, the Penrith City Council has planted tens of thousands of trees to cool the city and create healthier and more liveable urban spaces.

In the eastern suburbs, Waverley Council is working with strata owners to identify and implement cost-effective energy-saving solutions and supporting the property sector to help deliver council’s net zero emissions by 2030 target.

The 2021 Australian Local Government Climate Review found that more than 70 per cent of responding councils have set or are planning ambitious emissions reduction targets for their operations, while 80 per cent have set or are investigating emissions reduction targets across their entire community.