Councils interested in the benefits of urban green spaces should check out the Greener Spaces, Better Places October newsletter.
Greener Spaces Better Places is a national initiative that brings together academia, business, government, community groups and the green industry to share knowledge and find new ways to work together to make sure that as our cities and towns grow, so too do our green spaces.
Read More“Hi everyone, my name is Simon Richardson. I am the Mayor of Byron Shire. I thank all the organisers for being daring to put on the Daring Cities 2020 gathering. Byron Shire is in the North of Northern NSW. We are the most easterly point of Australia. Byron Shire is small in size and population but we are large in our audacity and our daring. With a population of only 34,000 we welcome 2.4 million visitors per year. The reason they come is for our environment. From our wonderful marine parks, to our pristine rainforests it is the environment that is the drawcard.”
Read MoreOn Friday 9 October, as part of the Daring Cities 2020 Global Forum over 60 young people from around the world engaged in an event #DaringYouth: We Dare You To. One of the outcomes was this #DaringYouth Statement, which shows the collective aspirations participants have of their cities, to inspire urban leaders to take even more daring action on the Climate Emergency.
Read MoreA new committee for the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) in Oceania, established to address climate change from a local level has met for the first time. The committee aims to boost collaboration between cities, local governments and community partners globally to achieve emissions reductions while adapting to a changing climate.
Read MoreThis September 2020, ICLEI celebrated its 30th anniversary. Here are some reflections on ICLEI’s history globally and in the Oceania region, and we look forward to continuing to support local and regional governments for many years to come.
Read MoreToday, ministers of 24 countries (including Australia) will meet at the Fifth Mission Innovation’s annual Ministerial meeting (MI-5). The primary agenda for this year’s Ministerial is to adopt the new approach for Phase 2 of Mission Innovation. There is a hope that the next phase will include a focus on how cities can help drive the clean energy transition.
Read MoreThe ACT Government uses a Renewables Reverse Auction mechanism to determine how the households in Canberra are powered. The latest round of the Government’s renewable electricity ‘reverse auction’ will help Canberra stay 100% renewable into the next decade and deliver the best pricing outcome for residents in the program’s history.
Read MoreHobsons Bay has taken a major step towards its climate change mitigation goals of achieving net-zero emissions for council emissions by 2020 and for its community emissions by 2030. It is installing new solar panels on more than 40 council owned and occupied buildings, acting as a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
Read MoreOn Tuesday 25 August 2020, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council (MPS) unanimously adopted its ambitious Climate Emergency Plan – Ensuring Our Future: Our Climate Emergency Response, the sixth Climate Emergency Plan developed and adopted by an Australian local government.
Read More“The most significant action globally has been, as always, at local government. On climate action, halting biodiversity loss, building resilience, creating circular economies and addressing inequality, ICLEI is the one global organisation which can connect, support and enhance the capacities of local governments everywhere, to maintain and intensify their efforts,” said Cr Stone.
Read MoreICLEI and Swinburne University have now conducted interviews with the first group of 9 CitiesWithNature Pioneer councils. The interviews are designed to learn about council priorities for nature-based solutions and to develop the best way for the research community and ICLEI to support their work. More interviews will be conducted in the coming months and at least one focus group webinar will be held to discuss the findings with interviewees.
Read MoreMayors and councillors are invited to submit an application for the inaugural Oceania GCoM Steering Committee by 7 September 2020. The Steering Committee will provide strategic advice and advocacy for the GCoM program throughout Oceania region. It will also communicate the benefits and opportunities of GCoM and encourage other councils to join and explore opportunities to grow the program through the formation of partnerships.
Read MoreIt’s been one year since the City of Wollongong declared a climate emergency. Since then, the Council has progressed on many fronts including net-zero emissions targets, urban greening, cycling infrastructure, waste management and sustainable procurement. Wollongong is one of just 27 Australian signatories to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, having joined in 2017.
Read MoreICLEI Oceania is delighted to welcome two new members to the ICLEI network, the City of West Torrens and Cairns Regional Council. Now part of ICLEI’s global network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments, Cairns and West Torrens will contribute to and benefit from city-to-city knowledge exchange, technical expertise and contribute to global advocacy campaigns and processes.
Read MoreThis year, Earth Overshoot Day falls on 22 August 2020, three weeks later than in 2019. Earth Overshoot Day is significant for local governments because it can help to reframe global environmental issues within a context of global limits.
Read More
