Climate Change and Energy Transformation

The City of Canning is working towards a low carbon future through major renewable energy projects, energy and fuel efficiency measures, and staff and community engagement initiatives.

It is our goal to reduce our corporate carbon footprint to net zero, and to support the development of innovative projects that help our community to do the same.

Council Commitments

Cities Power Partnership

The City of Canning has joined the Cities Power Partnership, which celebrates and speeds up the emission reduction and clean energy successes of Australian towns and cities.

City of Canning is one of the founding members of the partnership. Participating councils make five pledges to limit their local climate impact, from reducing transport emissions through to getting behind renewable energy. To view the City’s pledges, please visit the Cities Power Partnership website.

Emissions and Energy Management

Snapshot Community Climate Tool

Developed by Beyond Zero Emissions and Ironbark Sustainability, the Snapshot Community Climate tool provides greenhouse gas emissions profiles for local government areas. View the City of Canning's emissions snapshot.

Climate Change and Energy Transformation Strategy

The City undertakes various projects to reduce our corporate carbon footprint and support our community to do the same. The City is developing a new and ambitious Climate Change and Energy Transformation Strategy to provide a roadmap towards a net zero carbon future for the Council and the community.

The City is currently engaging the community to help shape the strategy and create a shared vision for a thriving, sustainable and climate resilient future in Canning. Your input will help shape key priorities of the strategy so that, together, we can reduce our emissions to net zero and build resilience to our changing climate. To find out more, visit the Your Say Canning website.

Renewable Energy Projects

Solar Panels

Thirteen City facilities now have solar PV systems. The PV systems have a collective capacity of 400 kW, and the City generated over 590MWh of electricity in 2018. This equated to approximately 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions avoided for 2017.

*part funded through a City of Canning Sustainability grant, and part funded by the Rostrata Family Centre.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal bores are installed at Cannington and Riverton Leisureplexes, to warm the pool water and the air in the pool areas. Heated water is extracted from an aquifer 1km below the ground, and pumped into a plant room. A heat exchange system then uses the heat to warm the pool water and the pool area’s air. The pool water and the bore water do not mix, and there is hardly any water lost from the aquifer. When the heated water from the aquifer has passed through the heat exchange system, it is returned underground to recharge the aquifer.

The geothermal systems deliver:

• significant cost savings
• reduced consumption of gas
• associated reduction in carbon emissions.

Power Purchase Agreement

The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is an aggregated contract for renewable energy supply open to all local governments on the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). WALGA has negotiated a highly competitive Contract Offer for participating local governments. There are currently 43 local governments that have committed to 100% renewables by the end of the 3 year contract.

The City of Canning has committed to a phased-in renewables uptake for all its contestable sites, starting from 50% at year one, increasing to 75% in year two, and closing out at 100% in year three of the Contract.

Energy Efficiency

Opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of City facilities and assets are continually assessed. Improvements have included:

• LED lighting conversions within City facilities
• LED conversions of carpark lighting for most City owned car parks
• ​LED conversion of sports floodlighting at Wyong Reserve, Shelley Park, Coker Park, Clifton Park and Burrendah Park
• operational changes at the Civic and Administration Centre, including:
  • reduced operation and set-point changes of the air-conditioning system
  • reduction from double to single globe light fittings
  • motion sensors
  • daylight sensors
• ​energy audits of high energy consuming sites
• staged LED conversion of City-owned streetlights
• LED Street Lighting Super Trial Consortium Participation (full Western Power street lighting changeover advocacy)
• assessing smart metering options to more closely assess energy consumption at high energy consuming sites
• developing a Roadmap to Net Zero, focusing on further options for energy efficiency and renewable energy

Emissions and Fuel Reductions

In order to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the City is implementing fuel efficiency initiatives, including:

• investigating the purchase of electric garbage trucks
• utilisation of two Electric Vehicles, eight petrol/electric hybrid vehicles and two electric bikes within the corporate fleet
• investigating opportunities to downsize its light fleet
• implementation of electric small plant items over 2-stroke machines.

For further information, visit our Sustainable and Accessible Transport page.

Staff Engagement

#carbonoff – Opt-in to Offset

The City is working with Carbon Positive Australia to encourage staff to offset personal vehicle or household greenhouse gas emissions with the #carbonoff Program.

For less than the cost of a coffee per fortnight, staff can contribute to our state’s sustainability. A simple, fortnightly payroll deduction facilitates the program. Like a social club, #carbonoff is a completely voluntary ‘opt-in’ scheme. This program has tangible environmental benefits, and collective contributions will continue to grow.

Resources

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