Break O'Day councillors will today debate whether or not to declare a climate emergency in the East Coast local government area.
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This is the second time councillor Janet Drummond has put forward the notice of motion - it was initially discussed at a council workshop in April.
Earlier this month City of Hobart became the first Tasmanian council to make such a declaration, following a number of similar motions in NSW, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Western Australia.
These Australian motions join an environmental groundswell building around the world, with the United Kingdom becoming the first federal authority to declare a climate emergency in May and Canada following a few weeks later.
Cr Drummond's motion asks Break O'Day council to recognise "we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action by all levels of government, including by local councils".
Instead of being a mere nice-to-have resolution, Cr Drummond's motion calls for an Energy and Environment Working Group to be established, as well as community education and engagement and added pressure on the community and state and federal governments to follow that lead.
Last month Greens leader Cassy O'Connor called on the State Parliament to do the same thing, but was frustrated when her motion was amended "beyond recognition".
The amended motion had lost the word "emergency" because it was considered too emotive.
A frustrated Ms O'Connor said "the government didn't want to declare a climate emergency... What the Greens are asking Parliament to do is simply acknowledge the truth, and the truth is the world is in a state of climate emergency" afterwards.
Hundreds of jurisdictions, representing millions of people, have taken this line, however not all have committed to binding orders relating to a climate emergency.
Typical resolutions include setting up processes around action plans and reporting back to council within a specific time frame.
This is an opportunity to set the standard around our approach to climate change.