Community targets

Greenhouse gas targets

Local governments don’t have broad legislative or financial control over major community emissions sources. These are mostly controlled by state and federal governments. For example:

• electricity generation and distribution
• transport policy
• planning controls
• agricultural regulations.

We also don’t have much control over taxes, levies​ or other financial incentives. We have a role in these matters, but we can only be a partner in the solutions. We aren’t able to enforce an outcome.

Our aspirational targets for the Boroondara community will be harder to achieve. They’ll need support from Council and the whole community. They can only be achieved if other levels of government and the Boroondara community are committed to the same path.

We aren’t able to mandate a target like other levels of government. Instead, we’ll partner with the community, businesses and institutions to meet our targets.

Key targets

We have targets for the Boroondara community that are aspirational. These are for our community:

• be carbon-neutral by 2035
• reduce emissions by 60% by 2030 (compared with 2020 emissions)
• reduce emissions by 100% by 2040.

Supporting measures

• support the installation of more 50,000 kw (kilowatt) solar PV (currently 27,000 kw) across Boroondara by tripling the number of buildings with solar energy systems. (this target is for all buildings in Boroondara)
• support residents and schools to plant 50,000 new native plants, including 10,000 trees
• increase the tree cover in Boroondara from 28% to 30%
• make sure there’s a place to charge electric vehicles (EVs) within 2 km of all activity centres
• provide sustainability workshops and education opportunities for 3,000 people each year
• support the community to only use 130 litres of water per person per day
• divert at least 80% of waste from landfill.