2021-03-09 P&E Agenda - Item 8 - Attachment 1 - Climate Change Response Plan

        management and regenerative farming practices
       Advance a zero waste circular economy where products and materials are reused
        and repurposed.

Responding to climate change involves a multi-pronged approach:

       Reducing emissions by reducing the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in
        the atmosphere by eliminating the sources of these gases (such as the burning of
        fossil fuels for electricity, heat or transport), and enhancing the sinks that store these
        gases including vegetation and soils (referred to as carbon drawdown or
        sequestration)
       Adapting to climate change by building resilience in our local communities, built
        environment, economy and natural systems to reduce our vulnerability to the harmful
        effects of climate change.

This new future also means making the most of the potential opportunities that climate
change brings, such as fostering new clean tech industries. It means transitioning beyond
business as usual to making a systemic shift across a range of sectors.


Why do we need to act?
We are already beginning to experience the effects of a changing climate. We can expect to
see more extreme weather events, bushfires, changes in rainfall patterns, increased
temperatures and heatwaves. As the climate continues to change, the risks to people and
property, infrastructure, natural systems, agriculture and the economy are expected to alter.

We all have a responsibility to reduce our share of global emissions as a Council and as a
community to minimise further impacts and safeguard our future.

It is critical that Council continues to adopt a proactive approach regarding climate risk to
help build the adaptive capacity of our shire and reduce emissions. Council has a role in:

       Helping to inform and prepare our local community to ensure greater resilience in the
        face of climate change impacts and extreme weather events
       Helping to mobilise and strengthen community advocacy for greater action on climate
        change across all levels of government and business sectors by strengthening
        relationships, amplifying community voices and leveraging connections
       Improving decision making by embedding consideration of climate risks and
        emissions reduction into all areas of council operations
       Ensuring appropriate development requirements, infrastructure planning and asset
        management that take account of climate risks and emissions reduction
       Ensuring future-ready and effective disaster management and governance systems
       Improving its knowledge, capability and capacity to response to climate change to
        drive meaningful action and localised emissions reduction.
       Assessing climate impacts and coordinating an appropriate response and measuring
        progress.

The choices we make today are the pathway to our children's future - one that is safe and
well prepared for any unavoidable impacts of climate change. Effective and affordable
emissions reduction solutions are available, and we are confident that we can mitigate risks
and adapt to climate change impacts locally. We need a clear and collaborative process to
prepare and deliver solutions. This includes making the most of the new opportunities here
in Noosa. We also need to engage and empower everyone in our community and to protect


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Noosa Climate Change Response Plan - draft for council endorsement March 2021