Community Emission Targets

The Clarence Valley Community Energy and Emissions Reduction Strategy was completed in 2021.  A key element of its development was engagement with key community stakeholders which indicated;

• Climate change is an important issue and impacts are being felt by the community now, and
• The community should aim to decarbonise in line with science, and ahead of NSW Government’s plans

Given this, the Clarence Valley Community Energy and Emissions Reduction Strategy recommended the following community emissions reduction targets:

• Net zero emissions by 2040, with 2030 emissions being reduced by at least 35% compared with 2019 emission levels

This target was modelled with an indicative pathway shown below, based on implementation of emissions reduction across key sources of emissions in the community.

Modelling of abatement scenarios highlights that the decarbonisation of the electricity grid is the most significant and largest change that will occur in the context of achieving net zero emissions by 2040, and that the impact of a transition to electric and potentially hydrogen vehicles will also be important.

However even if the grid decarbonises rapidly, there is still a significant role for households and businesses to act early to significantly reduce their own emissions to align with a science-based pathway towards net zero emissions.