The local councils of Melbourne and Sydney have taken another step towards phasing out gas stoves after joining a global movement pushing kitchens towards electrification.
The City of Sydney and City of Melbourne have both agreed to build no council facilities with fossil fuel connections by the end of the decade and phase out all building fossil fuel use by 2040 after becoming supporters of the Global Cooksafe Coalition (GCC) last week.
The two councils also committed to exploring planning controls that could see the use of gas stoves in new buildings outlawed, similar to legislation already in place in the ACT and Victoria.
“We are in a climate emergency and we need to do everything we can, urgently, to lower our emissions,” said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
“The City of Sydney is committed to net zero emissions in our area by 2035 and reducing fossil fuel use is critical if we are to reach that target.
“That’s why we’re investigating constructive ways we can continue our transition away from gas use, including changes to the city’s planning controls to ensure kitchens in new commercial and residential developments can run on renewable electricity.”
The commitment follows a motion in September when Sydney councillors voted in favour of staff investigating options to transition kitchens in new commercial and residential developments.
Meanwhile, The City of Melbourne also revealed their Retrofit Melbourne plan – a series of initiatives that will support all council buildings to become “zero carbon ready” by 2040.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said it was crucial to work alongside industry, government and academic partners to future-proof the city for generations to come.
“We need to get the balance right – protecting our older buildings, which give Melbourne its character, while accelerating our collective journey towards zero net emissions,” said Mayor Capp.
“Existing buildings contribute 66 per cent of our current carbon emissions. To become a zero-carbon city by 2040, more than 80 commercial buildings need to be decarbonised each year.
“Currently, we average seven.”
The GCC is an alliance of chefs, doctors, property developers, climate bodies and other groups aiming to completely phase out gas cooking by 2045 due to the health, energy efficiency, cost and climate benefits provided by electrification.
GCC’s Australia Program Manager Virginia Jones welcomed the support of the two councils and called on other governments to move quickly in a similar direction.
“We’re delighted that the City of Sydney and the City of Melbourne have joined with us and our property partners to work towards fossil fuel-free kitchens in our cities,” said Jones.
“It’s now time that our leaders, across all levels of government, recognise the urgency of these types of reforms.”
