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Draft open for feedback

Climate change is already affecting our City. We are seeing hotter days, more heatwaves, heavy rain, flooding, storms and impacts on local nature, health and community wellbeing.

Council has reviewed the Climate Emergency Strategy 2020–25 and the Climate Emergency Action Plan 2021–25. The review found strong support for climate action, and a need for a clearer, more practical strategy that is easier to understand, deliver and track.

In response, we have prepared a draft Climate Response Strategy (draft Strategy) and 18-month action plan.

The draft Strategy sets out:

  • priorities and actions
  • long-term targets for reducing emissions and building resilience
  • a plan for tracking progress and reporting on results.

Learn more below and share your feedback by midnight Sunday 18 October 2026.

The draft Stategy

Targets

Council

Council will take direct responsibility for reducing emissions from its own operations. A staged approach will be adopted to ensure targets are achievable and reflect current constraints, including budget, data availability and operational dependencies.

'Scope' refers to:

  • Scope 1: Emissions we create directly
    These are emissions from sources that Council owns or controls, such as gas used in Council buildings or fuel used in Council vehicles.
  • Scope 2: Emissions from the energy we buy
    These are emissions created when electricity, heating or cooling is produced for us by energy providers. For example, the electricity used to power streetlights and Council facilities.
  • Scope 3: Emissions linked to the things we buy and do
    These are emissions created by activities that support Council's work but are outside our direct control. This includes things like construction projects, purchased goods and services, waste and transport.

  • By 2030

    Achieve zero emissions across Scope 1 and Scope 2 sources, excluding MAC and heavy fleet vehicles.

  • By 2035

    Achieve zero emissions across Scope 1 and Scope 2 sources, including MAC and our heavy fleet vehicles.

  • By 2040

    Achieve zero emissions across Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions.

Community

Council has an important role in enabling, supporting and influencing emissions reductions across the community. While Council does not have direct control over most community emissions sources, it can work in partnership with residents, businesses, industry, other levels of government and community organisations to drive meaningful action. To align with national emissions reduction commitments and to contribute to Australia’s transition to a net zero future, Council adopts the following community emissions reduction pathway:

  • By 2030

    Reduce emissions by 43% below 2005 levels.

  • By 2035

    Reduce emissions by 62% to 70% below 2005 levels.

  • By 2040

    Reach Net Zero emissions.

Priorities and actions

What we're committing to

This is what Council will focus on over the life of the Strategy.

We've developed a set of 20 actions for the Climate Response Strategy. The first action plan will cover an initial 18-month period to establish priority actions, build internal systems and maintain visible progress.

This will be followed by three successive 3-year action plans across the life of the Strategy.

Learn more about the first action plan open in new window

Measuring success

  • Outcomes

    Are emissions reducing, resilience improving, and climate risks decreasing?

  • Delivery

    What actions, projects, programs and upgrades have been completed?

  • Equity and health

    Benefit from action reaching the people and communities most affected by climate change, including those experiencing greater heat vulnerability, health inequities, gendered impacts or barriers to support.

  • Governance

    Is climate action being embedded into Council planning, budgets and decision-making?

  • Transparency and accountability

    Is progress being reported publicly in a way that is clear, meaningful and useful for Council, community, and councillors?

  • Learning and improvement

    Are we using evidence, feedback and experience to improve over time?

What we want to know

We want to know if the draft priorities and actions reflect what matters most to our community.

  • Do the draft priorities make sense for our City and community?
  • Do the actions respond to local climate risks, barriers and opportunities?
  • Is anything missing?

How much influence can the community have?

  • What the community CAN influence

    • Whether the draft priorities make sense for Maribyrnong and reflect local climate risks, barriers and opportunities.
    • Whether the draft actions in the initial 18-month action plan are clear, practical and focused on the right areas.
    • What local issues, gaps or opportunities should be considered before the Strategy is finalised.
    • How Council might make the Strategy easier to understand, communicate and implement.
    • Sharing ideas for climate action that you're doing and how Council might help this work.

  • What the community CAN'T influence

    • The need for Council to respond to climate change, which is based on climate science, evidence and Council’s existing commitments.
    • Legal, regulatory and policy requirements set by other levels of government.
    • Technical information such as climate risk evidence, emissions data, peer benchmarking and gap analysis findings.

Ways to share your feedback

There are plenty of ways to share your feedback. You can:

  • Complete the survey

    Depending on the level of detail you wish to share, the survey will take between three and five minutes to complete.

    Take the survey 

  • Meet the team

    Find us at:

    • Slow Food Edgewater Farmers' Market, 9am-1pm, Saturday 3 October
    • Maidstone Community Centre, 9.30-11.30am, Thursday 15 October

  • Email or phone us

    Share your thoughts with the Project Team directly, who can be contacted by:

    • Phone: (03) 9688 0200
    • Email: environment@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

    Email us 

  • Share your idea

    Tell us what you're doing to address climate change. Your ideas will help us develop future actions plans.

    Post your idea