Australian councils have been at the forefront of climate action for decades. From improving energy efficiency and installing renewables on council owned facilities to implementing large-scale community programs, local governments hold leading insights into the opportunities and challenges of taking meaningful action on climate change.

But with the window for action shrinking quickly, what should Australian councils be doing in the lead up to COP26 in November 2021?

On the 19 November, Better Futures Australia hosted this session to find the answers. Together with an esteemed panel of speakers, the session covered the global and Australian context for local councils, their role and what the sector as a whole needed to do in the lead up to the COP26.

Hosted by Michael Williams, Artistic Director of Sydney Writers’ Festival, the audience heard from

• Julie-Anne Richards, Executive Director at Climate Action Network Australia

• Anna Reynolds, Lord Mayor, Hobart City Council

• Frank Cownie, Mayor of De Moines, Iowa and interim ICLEI President

Participants also heard about 20 local government case studies to be shared by climate champions from across Australia.

Mayor Cownie shared insights about the global Race to Zero campaign and global momentum for climate action, while Lord Mayor Reynolds shared Hobart’s inspiring vision and laid out the path for other Mayors across Australia to follow her lead.

Convenors

• Alexi Lynch, Ironbark Sustainability

• Darcy Pimblett, Climate Council

• Stephanie Ziersch, Consultant