A sustainable environment resilient to climate change

The Melbourne of 2050 needs to have become a low-carbon city designed to cope with the effects of climate change. 

To become more sustainable and resilient Melbourne will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero emissions by 2050 while creating new jobs, driving innovation within new and traditional industries and reducing household energy bills. In addition, areas at risk from natural hazards will be identified and planned for. 

Urban areas will be designed to encourage more active modes of transport and be less car dependent. Buildings will be designed to improve energy efficiency, collect and reuse water and to generate energy from local renewable sources and distributed energy technologies. 

The city will generate less waste, with resource recovery technologies extracting economic value from recycling of waste streams. 

Melbourne will be cooler, greener and more liveable. The community's access to open space and nature will be enhanced and biodiversity and ecological processes will be safeguarded for future generations. 

An integrated approach to managing the urban water cycle will make the best use of all water sources and transform Melbourne into a water sensitive city - protecting the health of the city's waterways and bays, reducing the risk of flooding and keeping parks, gardens and street trees thriving.