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Learn more about climate risk and local responses
Building climate resilience can be complex.
View answers to common questions about climate risk and impacts, and how we can respond locally to ensure a safe and fair future.
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Engagement outcomes
See the results of our community consultation and a summary of how we engaged on the strategy.
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Read our Climate Risk strategy
Download the final Climate Risk Strategy (PDF) that was adopted by Council in November 2022.
Our climate is changing
Hotter and more extreme weather is already hurting the people, places, plants and animals we love. This will worsen in coming decades.
Heatwaves are causing loss of life and other health impacts. Drier conditions, with more severe storms and rainfall events, put our buildings and green spaces at risk. The Urban Heat Island Effect as well as bushfires and air pollution can make summer in our city hotter and less comfortable to live in.
Building our climate resilience
Our local response to the climate crisis requires working together to:
1. Cut the pollution (from fossil-fuels and waste) that are causing global warming.
AND
2. Prepare now for even hotter and more extreme weather to come.
Some actions (like building insulation and draughtproofing) can help us reduce emissions as well as adapt to more extreme weather. The diagram below shows some actions we are already taking.
Taking action to reduce climate pollution and prepare ahead for a hotter climate, we can improve our climate resilience.
What we are doing now
We are developing a Climate Risk Strategy to prepare Council and the community for climate impacts that are now unavoidable. It will guide our work to:
Council needs to prioritise the risks and build climate resilience into:
And while we plan for local climate risks and impacts, we will continue our leadership with the community towards a Zero Carbon Merri-bek by 2035.
