Climate Resilience and Sustainability Strategy

The Gold Coast has a long history of managing weather emergencies and natural hazards. Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of major storms, heatwaves, flooding, bushfire and drought, placing our enviable lifestyle at risk. 

Following consultation with our local community and technical experts, we have developed the Climate Resilience and Sustainability Strategy 2022-2033. The strategy will help protect the Gold Coast's natural beauty, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve our city's ability to withstand extreme weather events. It guides our climate actions over the next decade and will help us deliver a range of sustainable and resilience initiatives including: 

• setting a net zero greenhouse gas emissions target (Scope 1, 2 and 3) by 2050 for the City through the use of renewable energy, smarter and better management of waste, and zero emission vehicles
• strengthening our community’s resilience and awareness of climate impacts
• protecting and enhancing our natural and built environments
• improving wider sustainability outcomes for our city.

Community input into the strategy included focus groups with environmental and subject matter experts, meetings with First Nations people and a survey of local residents. The survey received more than 4000 responses – one of our most successful public surveys. Of these, 89.4% of survey participants acknowledge human activities are influencing the world’s climate.

Council Plan alignment and outcomes

The strategy is an outcome of the Council Plan. Our strategies are fundamental in delivering transformational change and responding to current and emerging challenges and opportunities. Our Climate Resilience and Sustainability Strategy aims to deliver outcomes in the Council Plan 2022-2027 directly related to the 'One City' and 'Liveable Places' themes.

LIVEABLE PLACES

Our City is well-planned and designed, growing with future generations in mind.

ONE CITY

Our city has strong partnerships and advocates to maximise emerging opportunities.

Our Climate Resilience and Sustainability Strategy will be implemented alongside other strategies through good governance, collaborative decision-making and performance evaluation. The strategy works hand-in-hand with the following environmental actions that we have already undertaken such as:

• Our Natural City Strategy
• our ongoing resource recovery efforts
• Coastal Adaptation Plan
• Ocean Beaches Strategy
• koala conservation.

The following table outlines the strategy focus areas of ‘Resilient Gold Coast', 'Lower carbon future' and 'Net zero City operations', that will guide the outcomes, measures and actions over the next decade and beyond. Our strategic intent is to address the challenge of climate change through practical and sensible solutions that deliver climate resilience. Acting now will ensure we can continue to enjoy our enviable lifestyle into the future.

* Council Plan 2022-2027 outcomes and measures of success

The Climate Resilience and Sustainability Strategy 2023-2033 Implementation Plan is currently under development and is due to be released in 2024.

Published: 13 November 2023