City of Sydney

Why we sponsor Earth Hour, Every Hour

Addressing climate change is the biggest challenge we face locally and globally. The City of Sydney helped launch Earth Hour in 2007 and in the years that followed we were delighted to see Earth Hour become a global phenomenon. Last year, almost a billion people around the world turned off their lights for one hour as a sign that they wanted to bring about real changes to help ensure our future.

Sustainability is the issue and we need to take action now. This was the message our Lord Mayor took to Copenhagen and with other world cities we have pledged to make real reductions in carbon pollution to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius.

Building on our Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision, the City of Sydney is developing a coordinated, national response to climate change which recognises the role of cities in implementing local action and delivering carbon reduction targets.  

The real work is just beginning. Earth Hour plays a vital role in rallying people together to achieve real change.

Why not try walking or riding to work once a week, switch off appliances at the power point, recycle paper, plastic bottles, glass and electronics or take your own reusable coffee cup to your local café; Make Earth Hour, Every Hour.

A word from the Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore

I am proud to announce that the City of Sydney will once again partner with WWF to take action on climate change by sponsoring and participating in Earth Hour 2010. 

We’ve seen how Earth Hour has grown from being a Sydney event in 2007 to becoming a global phenomenon that has inspired more than a billion people to switch off their lights for an hour. This year, we ask that the global community not only switch off their lights but make a few simple changes to their everyday life to make lasting differences that will help our planet every hour.

City of Sydney’s Sustainability Initiatives

The City of Sydney is committed to achieving the exciting and ambitious goals set by Sustainable Sydney 2030.

Sustainable Sydney 2030 is a vision for the sustainable development of the City for the next 20 years and beyond.  Sustainable development is not just about the physical environment, but about the economy, society and cultures as well, and how addressing each, with bold ideas and good governance, will result in better outcomes now and for future communities.

The Sustainable Sydney 2030 Vision is for a Green, Global and Connected City.

Based on scientific evidence, urgent action is needed to avert dangerous climate change. Sustainable Sydney 2030 commits us to a 70 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, based on 2006 levels.

The City became carbon neutral in 2008. Since then our programs look to reduce the environmental impact of activities in the city including encouraging sustainable transport, improving energy-efficiency and identifying opportunities for saving water.

The King Street cycleway was the first step in our planned 200-kilometre safe cycling network. Since then work is proceeding on separated cycleways on Bourke Street, Union Street and College Street, and will soon begin on Kent Street. It is hoped that our comprehensive cycle network will encourage people to choose cycling as a safe, sustainable and healthy transport option.

As part of our Green Infrastructure Masterplan to retrofit the City with sustainable infrastructure we are investigating alternative waste treatment, developing a Water Cycle plan and developing decentralised low-carbon energy generation such as trigeneration and renewable energy.

Our Surry Hills Library and Community Centre is a leading example of the new generation of sustainable public buildings. New photovoltaic cells on the roof of the Town Hall demonstrate that even our heritage buildings can be green.

We continue to work closely with residents and businesses to create a green, global and connected City. Sustainable Sydney 2030 details how this is happening.