What is sustainability?

    Sustainability is about meeting our current needs without having a negative impact on future generations. Sustainability aims to provide a balance between the natural environment, our society, and the economy.

    What is climate resilience?

    Climate resilience is about being prepared to readily respond and adapt to future uncertainties (e.g. sea level rise, increased frequency and intensity of bushfires, heatwaves, etc).

    What is climate change adaptation?

    Climate change adaptation involves taking practical action to reduce risks from climate impacts and respond to those that cannot be avoided (e.g. Coastal erosion, longer heatwaves, more extreme storms and flooding, etc).

    What is Carbon emissions reduction?

    Climate change mitigation includes actions to reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere to keep the average global temperature increase to well below pre-industrial levels. If global warming is not kept below 2°C there is a substantial risk that the climate system will pass an irreversible tipping point.

    What is the role of Local Government in climate change action?

    The City of Cockburn has a crucial role in responding to climate change through its responsibility for land use planning, management of community infrastructure, emergency management and operation of a landfill.

    What is carbon neutral?

    Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions. This can achieved by first reducing emissions (to as-close-to zero as possible) and then balancing the remaining emissions with carbon removal (e.g. by purchasing accredited carbon offsets).

    What is heat island effect?

    Pockets of urban areas that have a significantly warmer temperature than  surrounding rural and bushland areas due to higher amounts of buliding materials (e.g. concrete, asphalt, bricks, etc) that trap heat.


    What is managed coastal retreat?

    A coastal management strategy that allows the shoreline to move inland, instead of attempting to maintain the original coastline with structural engineering. Managed coastal retreat includes actions to enhance the natural coastal habitat,  and strategies to move existing and planned infrastructure and development out of the path of coastal hazards including sea level rise, storm surge, erosion, flooding, etc).