Councillor Jess Miller is one of the youngest people to hold elected office at the City of Sydney, Jess’ passions lie in the environment and building liveable, breathable cities. The City of Sydney also announced that they will reach net-zero emissions by 2035, 5 years earlier than anticipated. In this episode, we also speak about The City of Sydney’s climate emergency response.
Jess also goes into detail about what motivated council to undertake such an ambitious goal of reaching net-zero emissions ahead of time. She stresses the importance of council collaborating with businesses to tackle the massively complex problems of water recycling and reducing carbon emissions. especially in a city the size of Sydney.
Launched just five weeks ago, the City of Sydney's plan will catapult urban greening to a new level in Sydney. Jess discusses the challenges during the projects creation and highlights how traditional infrastructure projects can differ from "green" infrastructure which often have benefits that are far easier to grasp. Whereas, investing in the environment and green space can leave people struggling to understand the economic and social benefits.
Jess is confident that community views are changing as both the importance of green space and the health risks associated with the absence becomes more apparent.
Want to find out more? Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcast.