Moreland has always been ahead of the curve taking action on climate change. This goes all the way back to the 1980s, when the Brunswick Electricity Supply Department led the charge in energy efficiency and renewables. In the 1990s Victoria’s first solar panels were installed in Moreland.
Since Moreland City Council created Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd (MEFL) in 2000 the organisations have worked together supporting our community to take action on climate change through programs such as Zero Carbon Moreland.
Building on this strong history and proud reputation, in 2014 Moreland City Council and MEFL developed Moreland’s Zero Carbon Evolution strategy to get our city on track for a zero carbon future.
How did we do this?
We measured where Moreland’s emissions come from and who is responsible for the emissions
In the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change world leaders committed to limit carbon emissions in order to keep global warming below 2°C, and avoid catastrophic climate change. This means there is a finite amount of carbon the world can burn. Our strategy worked out Moreland’s fair share of this.
We then calculated where our emissions need to be at by 2020 in order to achieve our zero carbon future.
We need to work together to achieve this goal – so we analysed what we know about Moreland’s buildings, energy use and people, which measures are most cost-effective to implement and which deliver wider community benefits.
From this we established our five Zero Carbon Evolution key strategies:
- Generating local renewable energy
- Using energy efficiently
- Low-emissions transport
- Minimising urban heat island effects
- Activating the community to reduce emissions
You can read the full Zero Carbon Evolution Strategy here (3MB PDF).
Where do we want to get to?
It’s not just about invisible gases – climate change impacts our health, wellbeing and our economy. Shifting to a zero carbon community will create a prosperous and resilient future for Moreland.
How is the strategy being implemented?
Our goals will only be achieved if everyone plays their part – from households, businesses, schools and community groups to local, state and federal governments.
MEFL are leading delivery of the renewable energy, energy efficiency and activating the community elements of the strategy. Moreland City Council are leading delivery of the urban heat island and transport elements.
What else is Council doing?
When it comes to action on climate change, Moreland is leading the charge. Moreland City Council was the second Victorian local government and the third in Australia to be certified carbon neutral for its corporate operations, first achieving this in December 2012.
To achieve this Council has implemented significant energy efficiency and renewable energy projects as well as investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Moreland.
Click here to find out what Council is doing to reduce its corporate emissions.
Who is Moreland Energy Foundation?
Moreland Energy Foundation (also known as MEFL) is dedicated to tackling climate change. We’ve been working with communities, partners and governments to implement sustainable energy projects since 2000. Our social enterprise Positive Charge provides practical advice and great deals on sustainable energy for households, businesses and organisations.
Our people
Helen Eveleigh leads the implementation of the Zero Carbon Evolution strategy. She supports Moreland’s community – households, businesses, schools and community groups – to play their part in the shift to zero carbon. So if you need more information on how you can play your part get in touch with her by emailing helen@mefl.com.au
Prior to MEFL, Helen worked in the UK as a policy advisor with a number of innovative government agencies – English Partnerships, CABE and the Sustainable Development Commission – where she focused on delivering sustainable communities.
Mariela Mendoza is Project Coordinator for the Cooling Communities project. This research project will explore and implement measures to reduce the negative impact of the Urban Heat Island Effect on 10 social housing properties in Moreland.
Mariela has a strong passion for projects that link renewable energy and vulnerable communities. In her home country of Peru she lead a project to bring much needed heat to rural communities. To contact her email mariela@mefl.com.au
Manny Pasqualini is our Renewables Broker, supporting Moreland’s businesses and community groups install solar at no upfront cost through mechanisms such as community solar and Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs).
Manny specializes in community-owned renewable energy and is also Director of Community Power Agency. To contact Manny email manny@mefl.com.au
Elly Pattison provides key input to a range of ZCE projects – including the Lygon Street Green Mile and our social media communications.
She is also a keen cyclist and as such is developing a number of cycling journeys in sustainability across Moreland. To contact Elly email Elly@mefl.com.au