After a delay of two months, the City of Unley Climate & Energy Plan passed in a marathon effort. The delay you may remember was to examine the role carbon credit offsets pay.
The debate was a marathon debate with Cr Rabbitt moving the recommended motion. This was to approve the plan prepared by our Administration.
.
A responsible plan that would see us reach a zero-carbon target by 2030. A plan that would be subject (as I indicated recently) to a review in 2023/24. 2 years from now.
Cr Bonham moved an amendment to bring forward the carbon zero goal, by purchasing carbon credits, to December 2023. This, for me, is an overly ambitious goal. One that will test our administration significantly. To prompt resourcing challenges that will impact our budget.
A Goal too, that will potentially challenge many in our community. Many will be not pleased to learn we will be spending their money on projects of others.
To the rescue, however, came an amendment proposed by Cr Russo. An amendment that will be key to achieving the revised goal with some acceptance by those I mentioned earlier.
This amendment reads
“include an education and communication strategy that
is across all delivery elements of the Climate and Energy Plan”
Members needed to be briefed on the role Carbon Credits play, and their necessity to be included in the strategy. Given this, surely so will our community. Not just this, but why we need to spend your dollar on others.
Cr Hughes proposed a further amendment. This to make the amended date be the subject of further community consultation. This was appropriate to consider given the community has not been involved in bringing the date forward so dramatically.
In its absence however and hopefully, the education and communication strategy should address this.
Thankfully it has now passed through the chamber.
While the City of Unley Climate & Energy Plan Passed in a marathon effort, the real marathon now commences. Working it.
In other words, our administration can now start implementing the strategy and (more importantly) our year-one goals. I trust the need to focus on setting up the carbon offset component of the strategy does not interfere with the many strategies targeting our own backyard.
And our leadership continues to grow.