Climate change has the potential to impact our community, our environment and the economy.

Local councils play a critical role helping communities avoid and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changing climate.

On behalf of its ratepayers, councils are also responsible for assets and services that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

It’s important to us that we work with you, the community, to raise awareness and support local action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the severity of climate change.

We’re already seeing the increasing impacts of climate change. Which is why we must also build capacity and resilience in our communities to the changing climate and protect the natural environment so highly valued by our community.

In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the global body of scientists who assess the science related to climate change for the United Nations – released a report highlighting the urgent need to respond to climate change.

The IPCC warned that in order to avoid catastrophic global warming we must not reach 1.5° degrees above pre-industrial levels or, at the very minimum, not exceed that. They also warned that we could have just 12 years to limit a climate catastrophe.

The increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere contributes to global warming as a result of the enhanced greenhouse effect. How much the climate changes will depend strongly on the extent to which greenhouse gas emissions can be avoided and reduced.

Responding to climate change requires a two-pronged approach. Not only will we need to reduce emissions (commonly referred to as greenhouse mitigation), but we will also need to build community resilience to the changing climate (known as climate adaptation).

Victoria is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, becoming hotter and drier in recent years (Source: Victoria’s Climate Science Report 2019).

The major climate change impacts projected for the greater Melbourne region include:

• rising sea levels
• increased maximum and minimum temperatures
• more hot days and heatwaves
• more intense rainfall events
• less rainfall in winter and spring
• harsher and longer fire seasons

(Source: Greater Melbourne Climate Change Predictions, 2019)

On 18 November 2019, we declared a climate emergency (view the Council Meeting Minutes  and media release), calling for urgent action to reverse global warming.

This follows on from our work over the past two decades to avoid and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (see Council’s Towards Zero Emissions Plan(PDF, 3MB) ), and adapt to a changing climate (see Council’s Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Plan(PDF, 5MB) ).

As part of Council’s resolution in declaring a climate emergency and the findings of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we decided to investigate the vulnerability and various climate emergency responses across our municipality.

This investigation will help us determine the emissions reduction and adaptation options to help our organisation and our community to transition to a more sustainable and climate smart future.

Yes, we are. Some of our other stakeholders that we are engaging with include:

• Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
• Local businesses
• Community and environment networks and groups

• Emergency services
• Frankston Youth & Schools

• Victorian Government agencies like Department of Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Melbourne Water and South East Water.

We’ll pull together everyone’s ideas and feedback through this engagement period (July to August) to inform the draft Strategy.

Once drafted, it will be open for public review and feedback in November and December. We’ll then review the additional comments from our community and use them to inform the final Strategy and the planning of new climate change projects and initiatives.

Climate change action is a shared responsibility between all levels of the government, businesses, and our community. Apart from actions to be delivered by the Council itself, we will also support our community and local businesses in taking climate action.

We’re committed to delivering projects and planning for a future with reduced emissions and a thriving environment in Frankston City.

Some of our recent actions include

• Reduced Council’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020–21 by 34 per cent compared to 2019–2020.
• Reduced operational emissions by investing in energy efficiency and solar power, upgrading street lights to LEDs, as well as purchasing 100% renewable energy through GreenPower® for residential street lights and 5 major community buildings.
• Planting commitment of 80,000 trees by 2024.

• Adopted a Biodiversity Action Plan 2021–2036 supporting ecosystems, bio-links and healthy waterways.
• Innovative trial of pedal-assisted e-bikes across Frankston City with Neuron Mobility.
• Working with South East Councils Climate Change Alliance (SECCCA) identifying optimal sites for public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the region and supporting businesses to implement energy efficiency upgrades.
• Partnership led by Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation with SECCCA member councils and Deakin University’s Blue Carbon Lab examining the potential of marine ecosystem protection and restoration to contribute to local and national achievement of net zero carbon emissions.
• Introduced Environmental Upgrade Finance in June 2021 enabling local businesses to access low interest loans to implement environmentally efficient upgrades addressing climate change and reducing energy and water costs.

• Supporting green literacy among younger residents with 239 local primary and secondary school students participating in Council-funded environmental education sessions in 2020–2021.
• Joined a national Cities Power Partnership program in 2020 which has more than 165 councils working together to network and share resources to address climate change.