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                    How to act now on climate change

                    Woman riding bicycle
                    A climate emergency requires urgent action by everyone in our community.

                    We all need to take action to strengthen an international effort to limit global warming to 1.5°C and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

                    The cost of not acting on climate change will be felt by everyone in Melbourne.

                    What we do now will have a huge impact on the type of city we leave for our children.

                    Our Council operations generate less than one per cent of emissions in the municipality. This means City of Melbourne cannot reduce our climate risk without stronger action from the Victorian and Australian Governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

                    A staggering 94 per cent of our city’s emissions come from fossil fuel sources. There are many activities in the municipality we don’t have direct responsibility for such as transport, energy supply, and energy use in privately owned buildings.

                    We do not have the power to regulate building energy performance standards, and we don’t operate public transport or energy utilities.

                    Without urgent policy changes by the Victorian and Australian governments, our city’s emissions reduction targets cannot be met.

                    City of Melbourne is advocating for urgent policy changes by the Victorian and Australian governments.

                    You can also make an impact by reducing your own carbon emissions and influencing others to act on climate change.

                    Here are some actions to get you started:

                    •  Purchase 100 per cent GreenPower for your home or business. Visit Greenpower.
                    • Switch your superannuation to a provider that has divested from fossil fuel. Learn more at Market Forces.

                    • Commit to reducing meat in your diet and source your food locally.

                    • Join the CitySwitch Green Office program to take action at work. Get started at CitySwitch.

                    • Travel in a more sustainable way.

                    • Become a citizen forester and help grow our urban forest.

                    • Become more water wise.
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