Leading business and community organisations gathered in Sydney today for the launch of the Waverley Council Net Zero Alliance.
The Net Zero Alliance will support and assist Waverley Council to achieve its community target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
Founding members Sydney Roosters, Waverley College, St Catherine's School, Sydney and the Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce will work with the Council and each other to help make sustainability second nature within their own networks to benefit the Waverley community and Sydney's east at large.
The Net Zero Alliance is an initiative of the Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, who hosted today's launch and emceed by innovation expert and journalist James O'Loghlin at Bondi Pavilion.
"The Waverley community is committed to helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our environment, which is easier done when there are opportunities to work together and share ideas and resources," Mayor Masselos said.
"We established this Alliance so that we can be on this journey to net zero together, and I'm calling on our community and other organisations within Waverley to join us as we make changes big and small to meet our ambitious community target."
At the launch, Mayor Masselos outlined the Council's pathway to net zero including changes to development control plans, low emissions transport and working collaboratively with Alliance members to accelerate outcomes.
Forum speakers also discussed the variety of actions their organisations are taking to achieve net zero including climate advocacy in sport (Easts), supporting small businesses to save energy costs (Bondi Chamber of Commerce) and what it means to be a sustainable school (Waverley College). Josie Ashton, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Rewiring Australia also spoke about the importance of electrifying our homes and industries, to support the transition to net zero.
"Actions to drastically reduce community greenhouse gas emissions are a key priority for Waverley Council and today our Alliance founding members have demonstrated their commitment to helping enact lasting change for our planet by officially signing on to join this initiative" Mayor Masselos said.
"I am also excited to announce that the Council has become a partner of CitySwitch, a program that will help office-based businesses in Waverley easily identify and implement cost-saving solutions to reduce operating costs, common area energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and improve waste management.
"Waverley joins other Councils across Australia, including the City of Sydney, to work together to support business reduce emissions and save money, and that's what City Switch is designed to do.
City Switch builds on the success of the Council's Building Futures program, launched in 2018 to help selected multi-level strata apartments reduce emissions and operating costs.
"Waverley Council's sustainability actions and net zero targets are backed by the latest evidence-based science and together we can all work together to engage our community to create a better future for everyone" Mayor Masselos said.
"Council offers targeted programs to help our community contribute to the target, including sustainability rebates for Strata buildings, the award-winning Solar my School and Building futures programs and rolling out new cycleways and Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure to support the growing demand for low emissions mobility.
"We are also inviting sustainability change agents and experts to join our pilot Thinker-In-Residence program, at our Innovation and Knowledge hub in Bondi Junction. We are also supporting action at all levels and sectors to urgently address the climate and biodiversity emergency."
In 2021, Waverley Council became one of the first organisations in Australia to adopt a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030 for its organisation. In March last year, the Council adopted a new 2035 target for the community, replacing the previous target of 2050.
