Lord Mayoral candidates share their climate policies

Our campaign is dedicated to making Sydney a safer, cleaner, and more accessible city, and improving active transport infrastructure is a crucial part of this vision. We will conduct a thorough audit of existing bike lanes to ensure they are safe, effective, and well-integrated with other transport options. This may sound counter-intuitive to some of you, but the only way to expedite the transition is to get everyone onboard the journey, consulted and engaged otherwise you are starting on the back foot from day one (which frankly is the situation we are in).

Any new bike lanes will only be introduced after comprehensive consultation with residents, cycling groups, and local businesses to ensure they meet community needs. We support expanding pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and creating ‘Living Streets’ where traffic is reduced, and walking and cycling are prioritised. Additionally, we will advocate for better integration between public transport and active transport modes, making it easier for residents to choose sustainable travel options over private cars. This approach will help reduce emissions, improve air quality, and create a healthier, more liveable community

The Greens strongly support active transport and reducing car dependence in our city. This includes supporting the completion of a strong, separated cycleway network, and extending public transport including light rail – along Broadway and Parramatta Rd, and to Zetland.

The Greens have been actively working to reduce road speeds to 30km per hour, something we are pursuing through council and at the NSW level through our local Greens MPs.

Roads take up so much of our public spaces – the Greens have been working to reclaim the streets for community and nature. This term the Greens have successfully updated council strategies to make it easier for roads to be closed for community events and street parties. Next term, we want to follow other cities around the world in establishing regular car free days, and closing King Street for community events.

The City of Sydney has been slow to take up opportunities for electric vehicle charging both on the street and in private car parks. The Greens consider EV charging to be essential public infrastructure, and new EV charging should be established in public car parks and other public locations identified by residents as a priority. While the Greens’ policy gives priority to active transport, the rapid increase in electric car use is welcome and benefits greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Since 2007, we have spent over $135m delivering a bike network with over 25 kilometres of safe, separated cycleways, 66 kilometres of shared paths and 45 kilometres of other cycling infrastructure. Next financial year we will spend $24.9 million on bicycle related infrastructure with $105 million earmarked over the next ten years including continuing to offer free cycling courses and pop-up bike maintenance sessions.

We are busy constructing new separated cycleways in the CBD including Oxford Street west and Castlereagh Street north. Design work is underway for new cycleways from Glebe to Ultimo, the Rosebery Quiet Way, O’Dea Avenue and Wellington Street in Waterloo, and Ultimo to Surry Hills.   

Bike Trips increased by 24% between 2022 and 2023 and more than doubled since bike counts began in March 2010. 

Our target is for 10% of all trips to be made by bike by 2030. In Green Square, already 15% of residents are going to work and/or study by bike, showing our target is achievable. 

We are investing $28 million annually to make Sydney more walkable which includes reallocating space for people through public domain upgrades like those on George, Castlereagh, Pitt and Crown streets. 

You can walk to anywhere without a car in current transportation infrastructure. Air pollution is not caused by cars, it is caused by cloud seeding in Australia to induce rain. How many people now is cycling to work to anywhere? What is the percentage of these cycler among the whole population? I encourage all forms of transportation.

As Mayor, I will build well designed active transport infrastructure to support our city’s growth and reduce transport emissions.

Walking and riding is a healthy, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to get around. Reducing reliance on cars reduces emissions and improves air quality. It also reduces congestion and improves the amenity of our streets.

But bad cycleway policy is dividing Sydney. To connect and improve Sydney’s cycleway network, we need a fresh approach.

From unsafe pop-up cycleways on Moore Park Road and Bridge Road in Glebe, to real concerns with designs for Oxford Street – our communities are feeling unheard and disempowered.

My team and I will listen to residents, commuters and businesses to see that safety concerns are addressed. We will build consensus and support for safe, evidence based, and fit-for-location separated cycleways and shared quietways.

We’ll also improve accessibility and amenity to make Sydney a world-class city for walking.

Socialist Alliance is running for Council that delivers for people, not profit. We are campaigning for a liveable city with housing justice. On Climate Action – we have to take Greta Thunbergs advice and act like our house is on fire, because it is. We are campaigning for a sustainable, recycling, interconnected public transport and green energy, City. Corporate capitalism has sent us to the dangerous 1.5 degree warming point, so we can’t proceed with business as usual.  We need Council buildings and public housing to be covered with solar panels, and cheap and free green energy for households and small businesses. We need our harbour to contain cargo ships powered by wind, not pollutive tankers or P&O cruise ships. We want Council to remove all asbestos from garden spaces and inform residents about the progress. We want Council to provide subsidised electric bikes to every City resident to encourage a rapid transition away from cars and expand the bike paths. Develop a free City-run car-share program and provide monetary incentives for residents to sell their cars to the program.

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Our campaign recognises the importance of reducing household emissions and making homes more energy-efficient. We will support future building approvals to include green initiatives such as rooftop solar, energy-efficient appliances, and adequate EV charging infrastructure where appropriate. For the 60% of Newtown residents who rent, we will advocate for stronger incentives for landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. We are exploring the possibility of rate reductions for homes that meet high green standards, making sustainable living more affordable. Additionally, we will collaborate with state and federal governments to provide grants and incentives for energy efficiency upgrades, ensuring all residents can participate in reducing emissions and lowering their energy bills. Regular audits will be conducted to ensure that recycling and waste management processes are effective and contribute to our sustainability goals

The Greens’ clean energy plan includes:

• A council-owned community battery (or batteries) plus additional solar on Council buildings to share clean energy with residents (including renters and those on low incomes) who don’t have such access currently at cheaper prices. Other councils are already doing it, we can do it too.
• Incentives and regulations aimed at landlords to make rented homes more energy-efficient (for example, insulation, draught proofing, electrification and installation of energy efficient appliances and air conditioning)
• A Council-run energy assessment City of Sydney Sustainable Living service
• Establishing a ‘Renters’ right to know’ requirement for properties being bought, sold and tenanted. Renters will have the right to documentary evidence that a property meets minimum efficiency standards and also how to trigger a Council home inspection.
• Safe and accessible e-bike and e-wheelchair recharging requirements in tenanted properties.

As part of our next Environmental Strategy currently in development, we are looking at how we can better support households with the costs of electrification, installing solar and switching to GreenPower, especially those on lower incomes and renters.

Most of the emissions in our local area come from buildings and more than 80% of our residents live in apartments. That’s why we have strategically focused on commercial, tourist and apartment buildings and working with each of these sectors to reduce emissions and water usage and improve energy efficiency. 

Through our Smart Green Apartments program, we have worked with 279 buildings, home to 32,000 residents, to implement energy efficiency improvements and renewables, saving $9 million and reducing emissions by 61,000 tonnes.  We banned gas in new residential developments and are advocating for improved building codes so new homes are water and energy efficient, saving money for renters.

I will allow commercial property also can be used as residential property. I want to help hospitality industry and young people, backpacker, oversea students. In the end there will be more units available for local families to rent, the rent will come down. It is all to do with supply and demand. We should not waste any space and land. Land and space are very precious in city of Sydney council area. If there is a tree in the street block sun light for a house, I will cut it down for the household to utilise solar panels better.

On sustainability, we must lead!

At the last Council meeting, I put forward a motion to establish a rebate for households, businesses and community organisations who install solar, insulate their homes, switch appliances from gas to electric and/or switch to certified Green Power.

It’s not enough for the Council to reduce the emissions of its own operations. We must support others to do the same.

Our team will see this through. And we’ll adapt these incentives for renters, apartment dwellers and public housing tenants so that everyone can access clean and cheap energy.

We have fallen behind on electric vehicle infrastructure. As Mayor, I will rapidly develop public and on-street charging.

I’ll also introduce food and organics waste collection across the LGA.

The City of Sydney has hoarded away $763 million and outsources billions to dodgy companies like the gardening company that polluted Sydney’s beautiful parks. The Clover Moore team has shown no interest in transforming Sydney into a green energy world-leader, but has all the resources to do so. We are campaigning to fit all City of Sydney buildings with solar panels, public, social and housing co-operative dwellings and offer subsidies to residents to do the same, with a plan for 100% renewable city by 2030. We are campaigning for Council to subsidise energy use for residents, with City green energy, so to alleviate one of the main cost-of-living issues for residents in this economic crisis where corporations are price-gouging at extraordinary rates.

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This candidate did not include an email address in their nomination form. We have attemped to contact them.

Local businesses are vital to our community’s economy and play a key role in reducing emissions. We will introduce a range of initiatives to support businesses in becoming more sustainable. This includes offering rate reductions for businesses that exceed established green standards, making it financially viable for them to invest in energy-efficient technologies such as rooftop solar, LED lighting, and electric vehicle charging stations. We will also establish a “Green Business Network” to provide resources, workshops, and support for local businesses, helping them access government grants and transition to more sustainable practices. By working closely with state and federal governments, we will ensure that local businesses benefit from broader climate policies and funding opportunities. Our approach will not only reduce emissions but also lower operational costs, making our local businesses more resilient and competitive.

This term on Council the Greens were successfully in committing council to banning gas in new developments and investigating how we can support existing businesses to transition away from dependence on gas. New planning rules will come to council next term to support businesses to transition.

The Greens would design the City of Sydney Sustainable Living Service (see above) to be available to businesses, and for its staffing to include a commercial and business team who conduct fixed price assessments for the non-government and small business sector.

It is regrettable that the previous Council withdrew support from the Green Living Centre, which used to occupy a council property on King Street, and provided support and practical advice for both local businesses and residents, and profiled best practice – from worm farming to energy efficiency initiatives.  Greens are committed to reintroducing initiatives like the Green Living Centre to our local area, to facilitated partnerships with local businesses and the community again.

By partnering with the owners and tenants of 99 commercial office buildings and 73 buildings across our accommodation and entertainment sector we have seen significant emissions reductions.

• The Better Buildings Partnership (commercial buildings) has reduced emissions by 95% and water use by 63% from a 2006 baseline. 
• The Sustainable Destination Partnership (accommodation) reduced emissions by 24% from a 2018 baseline.
• Our CitySwitch program involves office tenants making up one-third of all office space, and 47 per cent are using renewable energy. 
• It’s is so successful that other councils are joining to support businesses in their areas to move toward net zero emission. The Federal Government are also partnering with the CitySwitch to expand it across Australia. 

As part of our next Environmental Strategy currently in development, we are looking at how we can better support not for profits not participating in the above programs with the costs of electrification, installing solar and switching to GreenPower.

The federal government provide a lot of incentives for local businesses to install solar panel. Local council is not involved in these projects.

As above, I will establish a rebate for households, businesses and community organisations who install solar, insulate their homes, switch appliances from gas to electric and/or switch to certified Green Power.

The City of Sydney is committed to achieving net zero emissions across our entire local government area by 2035. We lead and partner with key business sectors, industry associations, and government to drive collective action to meet environmental targets for our local area.

We’ve also made significant progress with initiatives such as the Building Better Partnership, the Sustainable Destination Partnership, our performance standards for net zero energy buildings, CitySwitch, and targeted grants for sustainability-focused projects.

As Mayor, I will champion and build upon this work.

Small businesses need support from the local council. Cheap, to free Council green energy would assist with soaring business costs as would subsidised rents for small businesses the community supports. If Council offered cheap or free green energy to businesses, they would support this Council green energy campaign.

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We will prioritise urban greening initiatives, such as increasing tree canopy cover and enhancing green spaces, to combat urban heat islands and improve community resilience. Our policies will also focus on upgrading stormwater management systems to handle more intense rainfall, reducing the risk of flooding. Education will be a key component, with programs designed to inform residents about climate risks and promote community-led adaptation projects like community gardens and local energy initiatives. Every new and existing policy will be evaluated for its climate impact, ensuring that our community is prepared for future climate challenges. By leading from the front on green policies, we will make the City of Sydney a model of sustainability and resilience.

The Greens on Council policies include:

• An ambitious planting program to achieve 50% tree canopy coverage by 2040 (from the current 19%)
• Increase biodiversity by enshrining a rewilding target of 15% coverage by 2040
• Reclaim streets for public green corridors, removing roads and vehicle access, lining the corridors with trees and greenery, with shared access for pedestrians, cyclists and local residents where necessary
• Develop a comprehensive strategy to connect disparate green spaces across the City of Sydney

We know that renters and people on low incomes are particularly vulnerable to weather extremes and climate impacts. At the local, State & national level, the Greens are working to require much higher standards for rental properties, and protection for renters so they can’t be evicted if they complain about poorly insulated or unsafe housing.

Finally, council spaces play a vital role – for example libraries can be the only airconditioned, free, public places available for people in a heat wave. The Greens would strengthen Councils resilience strategies to expand the role of council’s public places, to provide support during extreme weather, and acknowledge additional vulnerable groups, including food delivery drivers.

Our Resilience Strategy outlines how we will ensure our city and community is adequately prepared for and resilient to future climate impacts,– how we adapt to a changing climate, including heat, drought, storms, flooding and rising sea levels, and create solutions for those who are most impacted. Key initiatives include:

• Supporting our community to cope with increased heat and drought. 
• Advocating for climate-proof social, affordable and rental housing, including minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties
• Increasing our tree canopy to address the heat island effect and keep people cool in extreme heat. Since 2007 we have added new canopy covering the same area as 80 Sydney Cricket grounds
• Supporting residents to prepare for emergencies, with detailed resources and workshops
• Update flood and sea level rise planning to prepare the city for predicted climate impacts.

And as part of our next environmental strategy we will build on our Smart Green Apartments program and look at how we can support households, renters and people in social housing to transition to renewable energy, including through GreenPower and onsite renewables and community storage.

In my opinion, climate change is causing by land reclamation: occupy sea with concretes to build high rise buildings. It increased the sea level, thus cause all the serve climate. I will not grant any building plans over 3 storey in CBD area, and area next to the sea. Every 7 storey of commercial buildings need to be completely open, without windows and walls.

We’re experiencing climate change in real-time. Governments at all levels must act urgently.

As Mayor, I’ll increase green space, canopy cover and native habitat to cool our streets and promote biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

I’ll implement water-saving measures, improve drainage systems, and create green infrastructure (like rain gardens and bioswales) to reduce stormwater runoff.

I’ll build social cohesion, economic cohesion and disaster preparedness, through the Resilient Sydney program/partnership.

To sink carbon and create a world-leading green city we need mass community, verge and ‘floating’ gardens that cool the region and reduce pollution. We want Council to organise and fully staff the organising of community cheap vegetables and fruit stalls at local markets with produce from the City community gardens.  We need car-free days, like Paris and Mexico City. Swathes of Sydney are in danger of flooding so we want Council to design a Sydney ‘sponge city’, with mangroves and waterways soaking up floodwaters. Copenhagen and some Chinese cities are urban planning a proper response to the impending climate catastrophe, but because the dominating Clover Moore team is operating on behalf of big business, they aren’t offering anything of substance.

We need immediate, urgent action on all these components of a green city. Elect a socialist mayor to work with and for the people, to win a city based on the principles of people before profit.

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This candidate did not include an email address in their nomination form. We have attemped to contact them.