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Sustainability and Climate Change

Richmond Valley Council became a member of the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Australia Program in 2009 as part of its ongoing commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy resilience within Richmond Valley Council and the community.

Milestone One of the Cities for Climate Protection™ Program involves the inventory, analysis and forecast of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Richmond Valley Council and community activities. Milestone one highlights that the Richmond Valley Council and community are highly dependent upon carbon based fossil fuels and in particular electricity and liquid transport fuels.

The Richmond Valley Council and the community will face future increases in the cost of energy due to the normal increases associated with supplying and distributing energy (e.g. consumer price index – CPI), and are particularly vulnerable to any future price on carbon (e.g. carbon tax, tradable carbon certificates) and any increases in the cost of energy outside of the CPI (e.g. oil shocks, abnormal cost of electricity an oil supply costs) due to the heavy reliance on carbon based fossil fuels.

Key findings include:

  • Richmond Valley Council greenhouse gas emissions were 6,878 tonnes CO2e (2007/08);
  • Richmond Valley Council’s primary greenhouse gas emissions were from building (36%), street lighting (19%), and water/sewer (27%), and vehicle fleet (12%);
  • Community greenhouse gas emissions were 322,448 tonne CO2e (2005/06);
  • Richmond Valley community’s primary greenhouse gas emissions were from industrial (38%), residential (23%), and transport (23%)