Energy and climate change

We buy renewable electricity for all our operations – including street lights, pools, libraries, sports fields and the historic Sydney Town Hall.

The switch is expected to save up to $500,000 a year over the next 10 years. It will reduce carbon emissions by around 20,000 tonnes a year – or the power used by 6,000 average households.

Watch this video to see where we’re buying renewable electricity from, and how you can go renewable too.

We’ve installed solar panels at 45 sites, including offices, childcare centres, community centres, sporting facilities, libraries and works depots.

Together, the capacity of the solar panels at these sites is over 2 megawatts – enough to meet the daily needs of around 250 homes.

Read more about our rooftop solar initiatives.

We know residents and businesses across the city want to use clean energy, so we’re making it easier by:

• providing GreenPower and renewable power purchase agreement guides for businesses that want to switch to buying renewable electricity
• educating residents on GreenPower electricity plans – the fastest way to go renewable, even if you rent
• funding programs like Greener for Business, and app that outlines a simple net zero action plan and cost savings for small to medium-sized businesses
• running programs and offering grants to help building owners and businesses improve their energy efficiency and switch to renewables.

Due to the urban heat island effect, dense inner-city environments can become hotter than surrounding suburban areas, which puts vulnerable residents at risk. We’re tackling the problem by:

• growing the city’s tree canopy cover by 50% by 2030. Trees help reduce air temperature by blocking the sun’s rays and improve the air we breathe as they absorb harmful particles and pollutants
• working with research centres to monitor heat in our city, trial cool pavements and identify new ways to reduce urban temperatures.

We continue to encourage the federal and state governments to act on climate change by:

• working to improve air quality in the city
• advocating for better-performing buildings and encouraging the adoption of rating systems such as Green Star and NABERS
• advocating for changes to the regulation of recycled water so it is financially feasible
• working to improve BASIX and the national construction code to ensure we don’t build more poor-performing buildings that will lock in carbon emissions for decades to come
• planning to be the first local government area in Australia to replace our public lighting portfolio with energy-efficient LEDs – we are partnering with Ausgrid to fast track the upgrade of utility-owned streetlights.

Sydney has already begun to feel the effects of climate change, which is why we’re taking steps right now to reduce the impact by:

• planting more trees and other vegetation to help reduce temperatures in Sydney
• providing cool shared spaces during long hot summers, such as swimming pools and libraries
• managing the impacts of flooding and protecting our waterways by installing rain gardens and wetlands, and investing in stormwater infrastructure in developments such as the Green Square town centre
• providing emergency accommodation and other services for homeless people and those sleeping rough during severe weather events.

We’ve measured and reduced energy and greenhouse gas emissions, installed and used renewable energy, and purchased carbon offsets for emissions that can’t be avoided since 2007.

In November 2011, our carbon neutrality was officially recognised under the National Carbon Offset Standard (now Climate Active) and this has been retained ever since.

We’ll continue to purchase carbon offsets and remain a certified carbon neutral organisation with an increasing share of higher quality, nature-based carbon offsets as outlined in our environmental strategy 2021-2025.