Climate Change
Climate change poses a significant risk to Council’s services, infrastructure, the community and the environment.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading global body for assessing climate science. In 2023, it released the Synthesis Report for its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) cycle.
Integrating the main findings of the IPCC’s earlier assessments released between 2018 and 2022, the report summarises the state of knowledge on climate change, its impacts and risks, and adaptation and mitigation options.
The Synthesis Report confirms that human impact has caused climate change, and emissions must be reduced to prevent further temperature rise. It also reaffirms the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Read the IPCC synthesis report here: IPCC synthesis report
What does Climate change mean for Australia?
The CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology State of the Climate 2024 report details current climate in Australia and highlights how much the climate has already changed due to historical carbon emissions.
These include:
- Increased and longer fire seasons
- More extreme fire warning days
- Higher than average temperatures
- Less rainfall, drier conditions
- More intense and unpredictable weather events
Read the report here: CSIRO: State of the Climate 2024
Climate Emergency Plan 2022-2032
In July 2021, Golden Plains Shire Council (Council) declared a Climate Emergency, a resolution for immediate and urgent action to reverse global warming and adapt to changes that society cannot avoid. As part of this resolution, Council committed to preparing its 10-year Climate Emergency Plan to put the declaration’s words into actions.