A night in the city - Take 2

‘Melbourne Conversations’ is a City of Melbourne initiative that is in its 10^th year and last night the topic ‘Cool it! Tackling Climate Change’.  I remember year one when as a councillor the Council supported Cr David Risstrom’s resolution to hold a monthly Town Hall Meeting in the Council Chamber. It was a small but significant start recognised by Cathy Alexander CEO who stated in her opening remarks, ‘Melbourne is a city of arts, sport and thinking…and the latter is the rationale behind Conversations”. 

Peter Mares, Journalist and Presenter ABC Radio National moderated a panel comprising John Daley – Chief Executive Officer, Grattan Institute, Melbourne, Don Henry – Executive Director, Australian Conservation Foundation, Melbourne, Cathy Oke – Councillor, City of Melbourne, Izabela Ratajczak-Juszko – Research Fellow, Climate Change Adaptation, RMIT University. 

Cathy Oke provided a detailed account of why cities and described the outcomes of the COP16 in Cancun for cities and local governments. A timely plug for ICLEI Oceania and the role played through the Cities for Climate Protection  program that delivered real and quantifiable cuts to GHG, savings and investments and importantly reduction goals that as Cathy pointed out were far in excess of what it being proposed by the Federal Government.

John Daley asked and responded to 3 questions – Why a carbon price? Can we afford it? What do we need to do ensure its effectiveness? His emphasis on the importance of price and the market did strike me as again ignoring other complementary and I would argue fundamental drivers in our quest to be a low or zero carbon economy. 

Just as the Wilkins Review in 2008 knocked off programs not ‘complementary to the CPRS including CCP, Daley would seem to be arguing the same rationale. One has only to think of the market failure the glocal community recently experienced and the need to build political and social capital to effect transformative change that price, yes will a part of the solution, but a part only!