SA councils take further steps to reduce their emissions

The Local Government Net Zero Accelerate Program, coordinated by LGA South Australia and funded by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), has provided councils with a clearer picture about their emissions profiles and how they can help the state reach net zero by 2050.

LGA South Australia President, Mayor Dean Johnson said the program has been an important undertaking, especially for participating councils lacking the resources to evaluate their own emissions and find ways to improve.

“While some larger metropolitan councils may have specialist staff to dedicate to emissions reduction, we know that’s often not the case for many regional councils,” Mayor Johnson said.

“We identified councils that could greatly benefit from inclusion in this program, and through the process we’ve been able to produce two valuable resources that can be used by other councils right around the state.

“I thank all participating councils and those who expressed interest in the program for fast-tracking our sector in this space and ensuring local government plays its part in helping South Australia achieve net zero emissions.”

Alongside a best practice guide, research and information collected through the project has been used to generate a sector-wide summary for local government emissions in South Australia.

By using these resources, councils can avoid duplication of effort, better understand their own emissions profile, identify opportunities to reduce emissions and build their own emissions reduction plan, deliver consistent messaging and contribute to local government benchmarking.

DEW Director, Climate Change, Flood Risk and Coasts, Mary-Anne Healy said the Net Zero Accelerate Program “is a great example of what can be achieved when state and local government collaborate to deliver local climate change solutions”.

“The best practice guide and other resources will help councils plan to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions which in turn can help drive action at a local community and business level,” she said.

The new resources are now available on LGA’s website.

About the Net Zero Accelerate Program

The Local Government Net Zero Accelerate Program is the first project of its kind in South Australia to help councils meet the state’s emission reduction goals.

Working with councils over the past 12 months, LGA has:

• generated emissions summary reports for 15 participating councils including their emissions inventory, key emission reduction actions and a pathway to work toward net zero emission
• hosted collaborative workshops with small groups of participating councils to present case studies and explore emission reduction opportunities
• outlined key recommendations for sector-wide initiatives that will assist in local government contribution to the state’s emission reduction targets.

Other outcomes include building a community of practice and achieving significant cost savings by supporting several councils in one program.

Find out more

For media enquiries, contact:

LGA Media: 0476 853 689 | media@lga.sa.gov.au

DEW Media: 0448 169 428 | DLDEWMedia@sa.gov.au