The mayor of Parramatta, Australia’s largest city council, is planning to join C40, a global collective of almost 100 mayors worldwide advocating for climate change initiatives.
Presently, Sydney and Melbourne are the only Australian cities in the C40 network, alongside cities like New York, Rome, Stockholm, and Jakarta.
City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Pierre Esber stated that the goals of the C40 network align with the city’s broader vision for the future.
Mr. Esber highlighted that Parramatta has achieved carbon neutral certification for services in Parramatta Square, earned a 6-star Green Star rating for their civic hub, PHIVE, and has been powered by 100 percent renewable energy since 2022. The council aims to reduce carbon emissions by 60 percent by 2048 based on 2015 levels.
Related Stories
“We aspire to a sustainable future for Parramatta, and we lead by example,” Mr. Esber stated in a press release.
He mentioned that the council’s food organics garden organics (FOGO) waste program will be operational by the end of 2024 to divert food waste from landfills and further reduce emissions.
What Are C40’s Policies?
C40’s website details its aim to “influence the global agenda” and focus on sectors such as transportation, buildings, and waste that are significant contributors to the climate crisis.
C40 emphasizes that the world must achieve, at a minimum, the objectives of halving global fossil fuel usage by 2035, ceasing new investments in fossil fuel projects, and tripling renewable energy by 2030.
Their air quality policies include “advocating for a transition to cleaner cooking” by prohibiting household combustion of solid fuels like wood and coal, replacing household cookstoves with more efficient models using clean fuels, preferably electricity.
Cities are also advised to transition their fleets to electric vehicles and promote public transport, walking, and cycling over private vehicles.
In terms of urban planning, C40 aims to “reduce or eliminate” single-family residential zoning to allow for multi-family development and “eliminate parking minimums to discourage private vehicle use.”
Controversial Measures, Wealthy Backers
However, some of C40’s proposed policies have faced criticism.
In London, the mayor has received backlash for implementing measures aligned with the C40 network.
The plan includes stringent climate standards, with certain zones banning vehicles that do not meet emission requirements.
Critics have labeled the plan as a revenue-generating tactic unlikely to deliver promised air quality improvements.
The plan has prompted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to caution the London mayor against expanding it, citing concerns about added taxes and burdens on families.
The C40 website states, “Each of the affiliates may be data controllers of your personal information, and it may be shared internally between these affiliates to achieve the purposes set out.”
Could you please rephrase this?
Source link
