Climate.

Change.
Canberra.

Climate Change
in Canberra
Climate change is a global
problem which will require
global action, But how is
climate change affecting
Canberra, and what can
we do to contribute?

A guide to public awareness

This is a rough guide on

how climate change can
affect Canberra and your
local community.
What is the ACT
Government doing to
counteract climate
change? And learn how
you can be a part of
addressing climate change
by making small, but
conscious decisions.

< Learn more inside

Contact Us
Canberra Environment Centre
Corner of Lawson Crescent and Lennox Crossing, Acton
Peninsula ACT 2601
GPO Box 1875
Canberra
ACT 2601
Telephone: 02 6248 0885
Email Address: info@ecoaction.com.au
Website: www.ecoaction.com.au

Main Climate Goals

The ACT Government
strives towards turning
Canberra in to a sustainable
and carbon neutral city by

2050
-

ACT CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY

The ACT Government's main climate goals:

40% GHG emission reduction by 2020,

based on 1990 levels.
Turn Canberra in to a carbon neutral city by
2050.
Peaking per capita emissions by 2013.
50% renewable energy by 2017 and 100%
renewable energy by 2020.

Learn more about the climate goals by visiting:

www.actsmart.act.gov.au

What you can do

How climate change impacts ACT

We are all living in a changing climate, but subtle
changes could be hard to detect in the short term.
We therefore turn to long term observations and
measurements to understand what the climate is
doing. Understanding the current trends also helps
us to better predict the future. By analyzing these
trends we can make accurate predictions on how
climate change will affect the Canberra region.
Predicted effects to the Canberra region:

Increase in average temperatures, 2015

was globally the warmest year ever
recorded.

Heat waves are expected to become more

frequent, which can result in more
bushfires.

Rainfall is expected to gradually decrease

towards the end of the century, which will
affect both ecosystems and agriculture.

Stronger and more frequently accruing

storm events, which could cause damage
to the region.

What the ACT Government is doing

One of the most ambitious climate strategy in the
world, and a country leader, the ACT Government has
acknowledged the threats that climate change pose on
the region and have therefore established strategies
and climate goals that aims to limit the impacts.
Some of these are The ACTs Climate Change and GHG
Reduction Act, which was adopted in 2010 and focuses
on reduction in GHG emissions. AP2 (Action Plan 2)
was implemented in 2012 and succeeded AP1. AP2 is
an ongoing climate plan aimed to turn Canberra in to a
sustainable and carbon neutral city by 2050.
The ACT Government is also focusing on education and
services such as The Actsmart program. The Actsmart
program assists household, schools and business in
terms of education and advice on how to adapt to a
changing climate, and how to implement sustainable
thinking. Visit www.actsmart.act.gov.au to see how the
program might help you.
The strive towards renewable energy is also under
way. In 2012 the ACT Government arranged the
countrys first Solar Auction. ACT currently have one
running solar farm, with two more under construction.
When completed they will together support 10,000
households.

Solving the problem of climate change is a great

undertaking and cannot be done by any one
government. It is a shared responsibility and requires
collective action both by governments and the
community.
Here's some things that you can do to contribute:

Use public transport, carpool or take the bike

- Transport is responsible for about 25% of
household GHG emissions.

Do an energy efficiency assessment of your

home, this can reduce both you carbon
footprint and you electricity bill.

Invest in solar The price of solar has been

coming down for 30 years and is now
cheaper than ever.

Recycle recycling everything from a plastic

bottle to a TV will lower your environmental
impact by enabling the recycled materials to
be reused. The energy saved by recycling 1
aluminum can could be equated to having
your TV run for 3 hours.

Replace you old lightbulbs with energy

efficient ones. Use more natural lighting and
turn of electronics when you dont use them.
Look for energy efficient household
appliances if you replace old ones,
it all adds up.

Visit: www.actsmart.act.gov.au to learn more.