Council pledges

The Victorian Government recognises that acting on climate change is fundamental for a thriving and resilient future for Victoria. It is more important than ever for us to work together to address these significant challenges.

The Climate Action Act 2017 sets a target of net zero emissions by 2045. It gives a clear signal to all sectors of the Victorian economy to reduce emissions. The Act requires interim emissions reduction targets to be set every 5 years from 2025.

The Act also requires pledges to reduce emissions to meet those targets. The first pledge were released in May 2021.

Council pledges

Voluntary council pledges under the Climate Action Act 2017 acknowledge the efforts of Victorian local governments to act on climate change. A council pledge should include:

• council actions over the pledge period that are reasonably expected to reduce emissions caused or otherwise influenced by the council
• a reasonable estimate of emissions reductions that are expected to result from those actions.

In June 2021, the Victorian Government made council pledges more flexible by encouraging councils to submit:

• council pledges that can include actions without identified emissions reductions
• collective pledges that reflect actions being taken by multiple councils, such as those working together on cooperative projects and through partnership organisations
• council pledges at any time.

As Victoria embarks on its second 5-year cycle of climate action under the Climate Action Act 2017, the government is continuing this flexible approach that reflects the breadth of climate activity being led by local government while making it easier for councils to make a pledge.

Every action taken by councils is important and helps us to get closer to our goals for net zero emissions.