Tweed Shire Council has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by an impressive 19% in the last financial year – putting it on track to achieve its emission reduction goals.
This significant achievement is included in Council's Environmental Sustainability Performance Report for the 2022/23 financial year which shows a total greenhouse gas count of 17,873 tonnes, down 4,188 tonnes – representing a 19% decrease year on year.
The positive sustainability results can be attributed to reduced electricity use – particularly in water and wastewater pumps and treatment – and a return to pre-flood patterns of vehicle use.
Here are some of the results:
Grid electricity consumption dropped by 11% in the year to 30 June 2023 because of improved energy efficiency and additional solar projects.
Transport fuel use and associated emissions reduced by 48%, after peaking during the February/March 2022 flood response.
At the Murwillumbah Civic Centre where a significant number of Council staff are based, 55% or 18,450 kg of materials was diverted from landfill, in line with the 'less to landfill' focus of Council's Towards Zero Waste Strategy.
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said she was pleased to see the latest results which indicated Council's steady progress on its Renewable Energy Action Plan.
"Since setting a target in 2016/17 to halve electricity-use emissions by 2025, Council has achieved a 30% decrease to date – a remarkable result, with just 20% remaining," Cr Cherry said.
"At July 2023, Council had installed more than 725 kW of solar arrays at 20 Council facilities and we're really starting to see the positive impacts. That solar has saved Council nearly 2,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually – equivalent to the emissions of nearly 140 average households.
"The great news is that all of these sustainability wins not only help the planet but also save our ratepayers money in the long term, so it's a win-win."
Council's sustainability results also highlighted some poor results:
An 8% increase in printed paper use, attributed to staff returning to work sites post-COVID
An almost 80% increase in water use in public parks, due to Tweed Shire recording less than half the rainfall of the previous year.
Cr Cherry said Council remained committed to reporting on performance to the community – including the good, the bad and the ugly.
"We can see quite clearly that many of our environmental outcomes are often impacted by factors we can't control," she said.
"However, overall, I hope the community is pleased with Council's sustainability results and see that Council is committed to working to minimise its environmental impacts across Council's operations."
Some of Council's other recent sustainability achievements include:
Mayor Chris Cherry was honoured as the 2023 Climate Ambassador in the Cities Power Partnership Awards, highlighting Council's commitment to climate mitigation across the 38 action pledge items.
Tweed is one of just 11 councils in Australia to achieve full compliance in the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy program (GCoM) for its work in 2021.
Tweed Shire Council is one of just 122 cities globally to secure a top score on climate action from the Climate Disclosure Platform (CDP).
Check out the snapshot infographic of Council's environmental performance on the 2022 – 2023 report and Council's sustainable operations at tweed.nsw.gov.au/sustainable-operations and Council's response to climate change at tweed.nsw.gov.au/climate-change.
