The Hobsons Bay Climate Action Group
Transition Hobsons Bay (THB) is a local community group who work to inspire relocalised and resilient neighbourhoods in the face of climate change. THB were formed in 2010 and have achieved a variety of great stuff in this time.
see http://transitionhb.weebly.com/ for some historical information and https://www.facebook.com/groups/transitionhb/ for current information and activites.
In May 2019, THB formed a Climate Action Group, as a sub group of THB, to run a campaign asking Hobsons Bay City Council to declare a climate emergency. The Climate Action Group engaged with community, councillors and council officers. We then developed a public petition asking Hobsons Bay Council to declare a climate emergency.
In October 2019, Councillors passed a motion to declare a climate emergency. Hooray!!
What next?
The Climate Action Group are seeking to work with Hobsons Bay City Council to develop an effective climate emergency response. We are inviting the Hobsons Bay community to to get involved with this advocacy to council, and to join us in the community to mobilise the action that is needed to get us through the climate emergency.
Transition Hobsons Bay (THB) is a local community group who work to inspire relocalised and resilient neighbourhoods in the face of climate change. THB were formed in 2010 and have achieved a variety of great stuff in this time.
see http://transitionhb.weebly.com/ for some historical information and https://www.facebook.com/groups/transitionhb/ for current information and activites.
In May 2019, THB formed a Climate Action Group, as a sub group of THB, to run a campaign asking Hobsons Bay City Council to declare a climate emergency. The Climate Action Group engaged with community, councillors and council officers. We then developed a public petition asking Hobsons Bay Council to declare a climate emergency.
In October 2019, Councillors passed a motion to declare a climate emergency. Hooray!!
What next?
The Climate Action Group are seeking to work with Hobsons Bay City Council to develop an effective climate emergency response. We are inviting the Hobsons Bay community to to get involved with this advocacy to council, and to join us in the community to mobilise the action that is needed to get us through the climate emergency.
CLIMATE EMERGENCY
What does climate emergency mean? "emergency" /ɪˈməːdʒ(ə)nsi/ a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action. Climate emergency is referring to two things. 1. The situation, and 2. the response; The climate emergency situation refers to catastrophic changes to the world’s climate caused by humans putting additional greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. These greenhouse gases have heated our planet. It is continuing to heat and it's a disaster on a global scale. This aspect of the climate emergency is extensively documented. We face serious consequences for the atmosphere, for weather systems, for human ability to produce food, and for all people and species. The climate emergency response refers to an approach to tackling climate change, which seeks to mobilise and take action at a scale and speed that will restore a safe climate. Taking this approach aims to see the least possible loss and damage during the transition back to a safe climate. The target is to provide maximum protection globally for all species and all people. A safe climate allows existing and future generations, communities and ecosystems to survive and flourish. The current climatic conditions are not safe for a huge range of species and are increasingly unsafe for millions of people. To restore a naturally safe climate we need to transition rapidly to zero emissions across all sectors, as well as draw down of all the excess greenhouse gases in the air. ‘Business as usual’ and incremental or gradual improvements will not be enough. The technical solutions needed to transition to a zero emissions economy and beyond have been identified by science and research. What is needed now is appropriate political action and rapid implementation of the solutions. |
And, what does a climate emergency declaration do? "declaration" /dɛkləˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ a formal or explicit statement or announcement. A climate emergency declaration makes a public statement about the climate emergency situation. In declaring a climate emergency our council should be acknowledging the emergency situation that we are in. It should also indicate that the council will respond to that emergency situation. You may have heard of a Declaration of War or a Declaration of a State of Emergency. During these times governments function differently from normal to allow them to respond to crisis situations. A Climate Emergency Declaration is a variation on this. However, in a practical sense a Climate Emergency Declaration has more in common with a Declaration of War due to the economy-wide scale of action required and the fact that its duration is likely to be measured in years rather than days, weeks or months. The point of a Climate Emergency Declaration is to allow governments the power to direct our economy and society in ways needed in order to avoid a climate catastrophe and to re-establish a safe climate. Action under a declared Climate Emergency would be done most effectively at state, federal and even a global level. At a local government level declaring a climate emergency provides a leadership signal to higher level governments. It also sends a signal to their local community about the seriousness of climate change and that their council is choosing to respond to a climate emergency. Source and for more information: https://www.caceonline.org/a-guide-for-councils.html and https://climateemergencydeclaration.org/framework-and-resource-to-help-councils-with-their-climate-emergency-response/ |
HOBSONS BAY CLIMATE EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
The Hobsons Bay Climate Action Group has developed this Climate Emergency action plan.
The Action Plan includes actions across three different focus areas.
1. Advocacy for a Hobsons Bay City Council response to the climate emergency
2. Moblisation of people in Hobsons Bay
3. Support resilience in our community
The Hobsons Bay Climate Action Group has developed this Climate Emergency action plan.
The Action Plan includes actions across three different focus areas.
1. Advocacy for a Hobsons Bay City Council response to the climate emergency
2. Moblisation of people in Hobsons Bay
3. Support resilience in our community
1. Advocate for a Hobsons Bay City Council response to the climate emergency
Advocating for our council to respond to the climate emergency is the key focus for the Climate Action Group. We will participate in council processes, attend council meetings, engage with our councillors and officers, and continually ask for the best climate emergency response for Hobsons Bay City Council using various methods. We expect that our council will lead the community through the climate emergency and we will help them do that. In 2019, the Climate Emergency Group developed 10 suggested actions that HBCC council could take immediately in response to the climate emergency. These were given Councillors when we were advocating for the terms of our petition. In this action plan these actions have been modified and updated in response to the Hobsons Bay City Council's climate emergency motion. As HBCCs response has not explicitly made a statement about the climate emergency situation nor committed to reviewing strategies in response to the climate emergency, we have have also included a new priority advocacy action. This asks that council "work constructively with the community to develop an appropriate Hobsons Bay City Council Emergency Declaration statement and response plan." This new list of 11 suggested actions can be seen to the right. For more detail about these 11 Actions click here |
11 Actions for Hobsons Bay City Council
1. Work with the community to develop an appropriate Hobsons Bay City Council climate emergency declaration statement and response plan. 2. Commit to achieving 100 per cent renewable energy for HBCC corporate energy use by 2025 3. Commit to achieving a 30 per cent canopy cover (including shrubs) by 2050 and set interim targets 4. Train and engage the HBCC leadership team and Councillors, about the climate emergency 5. Acknowledge and support our young people in the climate emergency mobilisation 6. Set leading targets and continue to reduce vehicle emissions through fleet being all the lowest emission in their class eg. Hybrids, or Electric Vehicles (EV) and electric trucks 7. Establish a climate emergency cabinet/ advisory committee to guide and evaluate all policy, practices, projects and major decisions within council plan with a climate emergency lens. 8. Rapidly roll out community solar programs. Establish a solar savers - rates based program for low income households. Help establish a local renewable energy project(s) 9. Build a s pedestrian path and way finding signs from train station in to the Council Civic Centre to welcome civic engagement. 10. Establish a new staff role to engage Hobsons Bay City Council staff and community around the climate emergency 11. Establish a new specialist advocacy staff role - to advocate to state and federal government to adopt a climate emergency approach. |
2. Activate the community
"Activism works. So act." Greta Thunberg, (on Twitter) The Climate Action Group aim to normalise the idea of the climate emergency and encourage, inspire and people take action in response to the climate crisis. Hobsons Bay residents will be proud of Hobsons Bay's contribution to mobilising the change we need. The Climate Action Group will support those taking action and those who are working to be make sure the transition through the climate emergency will lead to a positive and sustainable future locally and globally. We will look for oppurtunities to:
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3. support resilience in the community
The transition through the climate crisis will be smoother if the community strengthens at a local level and we support each other. The purpose of Transition Hobsons Bay is to work to inspire relocalised and resilient neighbourhoods in the face of climate change. The Climate Action Group supports THBs activities under this purpose as responses to the climate emergency. We also recognise that there are many, many other activities throughout the Hobsons Bay that are will be an important part of an effective response to the climate emergency (even if they don't recognise it as such).For example - friends of groups, community gardens, sports groups. We will look for opportunities to promote and work with those groups to strengthen our local communities and neighbourhoods . We will look for opportunities to reach out to the community and talk about the climate emergency and help with community responses. |