At the October 2025 Council Meeting, the new Climate Emergency Action Plan for 2025 – 2030 was adopted unanimously.
The plan guides our actions over the next 5 years of our Zero Carbon Merri-bek Framework 2040.
The first five year Action Plan was completed in 2025. Read the outcomes report of what was achieved.
Community feedback
Council acknowledged feedback received through community and stakeholder engagement, which ran from 23 June to 20 July 2025.
Overall, community feedback reflected strong support for the strategic directions, goals and actions set out in the draft action plan.
Suggestions received during the consultation period resulted in several refinements to the final Climate Emergency Action Plan, including:
- A broadening of language and activities around climate and social justice to better reflect Council’s obligation to act in solidarity with First Nations, regional and global communities being hardest hit by climate impacts, and to elevate their voices.
- A more ambitious goal for local energy storage by 2030, anticipating the positive impact of the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
- Adding an action to investigate the potential to establish or partner to establish a library of things or similar, to foster equipment re-use in Merri-bek.
- Some restructuring of content, including creation of a graphic visualisation of the ‘plan on a page’, to help communicate the plan.
Council Goals
It is Council’s adopted goal for Merri-bek to achieve 75% emissions reduction by 2030 (against 2011/12 baseline), net zero by 2035 and drawdown (‘negative emissions’) by 2040.
For Council (corporate/operational) emissions we have a highly ambitious target range of between 80 – 100% reduction by 2030 (precluding offsets, against 2011/12 baseline).
By working together we can create a safe climate and a thriving Merri-bek.
