Our climate is warming and the impacts are being felt across Australia. According to the Bureau of Meteorology Australia’s 2022 State of the Climate Report, Australia’s climate has warmed by 1.47 ± 0.24 °C since national records began in 1910. Australia is also experiencing changes to rainfall patterns, increasing fire danger, increased extreme weather events and sea level rise. Learn more about how climate change will impact the Dubbo Region here.

Addressing climate change will require all levels of government, industry, businesses, and households to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to implement measures to adapt to the expected future climate.

The purpose of the Net Zero Framework is to provide Council with an overarching blueprint for reducing greenhouse gas emissions within its operations to ‘net zero’ by 2050.

Simply put, at a global level we need to balance the amount of emissions we put into the atmosphere with the amount we take out to tackle the ‘enhanced greenhouse gas’ effect and resulting global warming or climate change. For Council, the ultimate goal of the ‘Net Zero’ Framework is to achieve a significant reduction in emissions, aiming for zero or close to zero (typically at least 90% reduction based on best practice) by a target date, usually by or before 2050.

From the global to local level, governments are committed to addressing climate change and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the international level these commitments are outlined within a number of key agreements and reports, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2015 Paris Agreement. Nationally, the Federal Government has legislated a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and is committed to achieving ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050. The NSW Government is also committed to a 70% emissions reduction by 2035 and to achieving ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050 (both targets are yet to be legislated).

At the local level, a large number of local councils and their communities, representing more than two thirds of the NSW population, are committed to reducing their emissions. Bathurst, Tamworth, Albury and Wagga Wagga councils have all set targets to achieve net zero emissions within their operations by 2050.

The Framework will:

• Help Council to meet the local community’s environmental aspirations to achieve ‘net zero’ emissions, as per Objective 6.1 of the Towards 2040 Community Strategic Plan.
• Help Council to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, assisting with the global effort to combat climate change and its impacts.
• Help Council to reduce operating costs through the adoption of emission reduction goals with a focus on improving Council energy efficiency, adopting renewable energy, transitioning to zero emissions vehicles, and adopting best practice in waste and supply chain management.
• Help Council to support and unlock economic opportunities related to reaching net zero such as local circular economy initiatives.
• Help Council to avoid the risks associated with ‘business as usual’ – With global, national and state net zero commitments the Framework will assist Council to reduce enterprise and operational risks associated with ‘business as usual’.
• Help to position Council and the community amongst other leading governments striving to achieve net zero emissions