Ballarat businesses and organisations are collaborating with the City of Ballarat to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.
Over six months after Ballarat City Council adopted the Ballarat Net Zero Emissions Plan on 26 October 2022, the City of Ballarat convened a session to check in with companies and groups to learn about emission reduction measures now underway and future plans.
The Ballarat Net Zero Emissions Plan presents an aspirational community-wide aim of net zero emissions by 2030 and the measures needed to accomplish this goal.
The strategy emphasises five main areas for action: business, homes, new projects, transportation, and waste. The plan outlines the roles of stakeholders such as the City of Ballarat, companies and industries, families and people, and community groups in achieving net zero emissions.
The event, held on Thursday, 8 June, allowed Ballarat organisations to present their climate action accomplishments and goals.
The event heard about projects such as the recently formed Ballarat Energy Network by Committee for Ballarat, the Smart Living Ballarat Program, and emissions reduction measures by various organisations such as BREAZE, McCain, and Laminex, among others.
City of Ballarat Councillor Belinda Coates said the session demonstrated that groups and companies are dedicated to lowering carbon emissions to zero by 2030.
“To reach net zero emissions by 2030 requires a bold and challenging approach from our entire community. While we facilitated its development, the Ballarat Net Zero Emissions Plan is designed to be a roadmap for collaborative action and outlines how we can partner with our community, businesses, community leaders and other levels of government to be more sustainable,” Councillor Coates stated.
Ballarat Renewable Energy and Net Zero Emissions (BREAZE) President Mary Debrett said BREAZE is dedicated to doing all possible to help accomplish the 2030 net zero objectives.
“As part of the Beyond Zero Emissions Alliance we will work with the City of Ballarat, and with other community groups dedicated to living sustainably, to assist residents to get off gas and fully electrify their homes, and also to make them more thermally efficient – which will not only cut emissions but also cut residents’ energy bills,” she said.
The Ballarat Net Zero Emissions Plan expands on the work currently being done by the City of Ballarat and the wider community to reduce emissions to create an environmentally sustainable future.
The City of Ballarat’s actions involves transitioning fleets to net zero emissions, including installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and acquiring new EVs.
