Minimise resource use, reuse as much as we can and ensure the City is continuing to lead the way in tackling climate change.

While COVID-19 is awful, climate change could be much worse. I will push the City of Sydney's environmentally sustainability targets even further and improve resource efficiency -- we still produce too much waste and don't recycle enough, and we don't treat water like the scarce resource it is.

In the time I have been a councillor for the city, approaching almost five years, I have created a set of policies to achieve better climate action in Sydney. Take a look.

• In order to ensure better climate action, we must:

  • Minimise resource use, reuse as much as we can and ensure the City is continuing to lead the way in tackling climate change.

    • Air quality monitoring with real time reporting

      • The World Health Organisation has cited air pollution as one of the largest environmental dangers to global public health. In my time on Council, I have advocated for the implementation of an air quality monitor in the City of Sydney. One was finally installed in Cook and Phillip Park in September 2019, 15 years after the previous one was decommissioned.

      • I would continue instal an integrated network of air quality monitors to track how safe it is to breathe the air in different parts of the city, warn residents and visitors online if it is unsafe, or act accordingly. 

      • The City needs to make a commitment to world’s best practice air quality monitoring so that we can assess our air quality across time in response to climate change and environmental initiatives, and benchmark our performance against other global cities.
    • Maximise recycling rates and renewable resource use
      • Convert the kitchen recycling trial to a comprehensive program in all households and establish links with local community gardens and others for composting opportunities. Expand private sector opportunities for recycling and composting programs
      • Help make solar power a reality - whether you rent or own - by exploring opportunities for infrastructure in new or existing buildings that are owner-occupier or rental homes or commercial premises
      • Ensure all City of Sydney operations, whether in-house or external, are included in environmental performance data
    • Significantly reduce waste and energy use
      • Enable the electric car revolution by installing inner-city chargers in apartment buildings and installed in kerbside locations and carparks
      • Encourage the phasing out of plastic containers for food delivery and eliminate plastic cutlery, stirrers, cups and straws
      • Launch a City of Sydney Circular Economy event to bring together businesses and organisations - from SMEs to corporates - to help learn from each other and speed up the transition to a circular economy
    • Make Sydney a global leader in the transition to a low carbon, circular economy
      • Ensure that City of Sydney meets its 2030 Sustainable Sydney goals and becomes an environmental global leader by continuing to reduce our carbon emissions and cutting down energy, water and waste-water demands through an expansive network of green infrastructure
      • Reduce the City’s reliance on gas as an energy source
      • Create a City of Sydney Waste and Recycling Board to develop opportunities for Sydney businesses and residents to reuse, remanufacture and redistribute materials and kickstart the green economy by providing new jobs
      • Kickstart green innovation by launching the Mayor's Young Environmental Entrepreneur Competition: a competition for students and recent graduates to pitch business ideas that tackle environmental challenges. Provide financial and other incentives to circular economy start-ups.