City of Sydney votes to declare ‘climate emergency’ in NSW

Clover Moore’s City of Sydney Council has followed 600 jurisdictions in 13 countries to declare that climate change poses a ‘serious risk’ to residents and the issue should be treated as a ‘national emergency’ but one councillor almost had one of his own at the Monday night meeting.

All the signs were there on Monday — we are in the grip of a climate emergency according to Clover Moore and her City of Sydney Council, which voted to declare that climate change poses a “serious risk” to residents and the issue should be treated as a “national emergency”.

But one councillor faced an emergency of his own at the meeting on Monday night when he was heckled by the public gallery and urged to “sit down’’ when he dared suggest the term “emergency’’ was too “alarmist’’.

Liberal councillor Craig Chung voted for the declaration, but aimed to water it down by suggesting the word “emergency’’ be removed.

Craig Chung in the City of Sydney Council meeting on Monday.

Councillor Christine Forster was not permitted to vote due to a conflict of interest. Picture: Toby Zerna

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Nevertheless, he and all other councillors voted in favour of it — except Liberal councillor Christine Forster, who left the room due to a conflict of interest because she is a media adviser with Woodside Energy.

In front of a packed gallery, some of who held signs supporting the motion moved by the Lord Mayor, Mr Chung defended the work of the Liberal state and federal governments on climate policy, but agreed that a lack of action on climate change was dangerous.

That was met with heckling from the gallery.

It also led to outrage from Deputy Lord Mayor Linda Scott, who said reports of health impacts including Australians finding it hard to breathe increasingly polluted air proved the situation was urgent. Ms Moore also slapped down Mr Chung’s suggestion, before calling out a “succession” of Prime Ministers since Julia Gillard who she said had “failed” to make progress on reducing emissions.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore called out a succession of prime ministers since Julia Gillard who ‘failed’ to make progress on reducing emissions. Picture: AAP/Jordan Shields

Deputy Lord Mayor Linda Scott said health-related problems due to poor air quality proved the situation was urgent. Picture: Christian Gilles

She pointed to the devastating fires Tasmania suffered in early 2019 and the ongoing drought in NSW as evidence of a heating climate on Australian people, the natural environment and the economy.

“This emergency is not just about the numbers, it is about our communities, and its impacts are felt by us all, particularly the poorest among us, the vulnerable, the marginalised and those that live in remote communities,” Ms Moore said.

“The lack of leadership by federal and some state governments to transition to a green economy has had devastating impacts beyond the environment, causing fear in our communities.”

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore with fellow councillors on Monday ahead of the meeting.

Ms Moore had asked councillors to urge the federal government to act on the “emergency” by reintroducing a price on carbon and establish a “Just Transition Authority” to help workers employed in the coal industry to find other jobs.

“Successive federal governments have shamefully presided over a climate disaster, and now we are at a critical juncture, we face a climate emergency,” Ms Moore’s minute said.

She added: “Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased for four consecutive years.

Successive prime ministers since Julia Gillard (pictured) have failed to act on climate change, Ms Moore said. Picture: AAP/Brendan Esposito

“It is clear that the current federal government’s policies are simply not working and I call on council to declare a climate emergency, step up our efforts to hold the federal government to account.

“On January 24 this year, 91 of the hottest 100 places on earth were in Australia.

“Heatwaves on our continent are not only five times more likely, they start earlier, last longer, and are hotter than ever before”.

“With 96 per cent of NSW still drought affected, our farmers and rural communities are being decimated by drought, suffering from water shortages and extended bush fire seasons, witnessing unprecedented fish kills and the death of once mighty river systems.”

Sheep in the drought ravaged Murray Darling River region. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

Ms Moore’s minute said: “We set a goal to reduce our emissions by 70 per cent by 2030, and — following the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 — we set a more ambitious goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050”.

“We became Australia’s first carbon neutral council in 2007, and as of June 2017, we’d reduced emissions in our own operations by 25 per cent.

“In 2020, we will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, allowing us to meet our 2030 target by 2024 — six years early.”

More than 600 jurisdictions in 13 countries have now declared a climate emergency, according to the International Climate Change Emergency Forum.

Councillor Jess Miller, a member of Ms Moore’s Independent Team, said she was inspired by students who took part in a strike over climate change earlier this year.

“You might not agree with tactics like kids missing school and that’s OK, we can agree to disagree — but it’s hard to disagree with the three very simple things at the heart of the climate emergency movement: they are asking that governments tell us the truth, act now, and go beyond politics,” she said.