NEWCASTLE has won two national awards for its work on climate change.
The council was named a dual winner at the Cities Power Partnership awards in Sydney on Thursday night, which recognise efforts in local government to transform Australia's energy landscape.
City of Newcastle took home trophies in the sustainable transport category for its Smart Moves program, which uses leading edge technology to support integrated transport networks.
Adam Clark, the council's program coordinator for city innovation and sustainability, won the climate champion award.
"City of Newcastle has a proud history of embedding sustainability into the way we do business," he said.
"Investing in energy efficiency, our solar farm, waste reduction and now leading the charge on sustainable transport, the city is focused on reducing our emissions, supporting new industries and doing our bit to tackle climate change."
The awards come the same week that Newcastle councillors voted to explore going 100 per cent renewable on the city's next electricity contract.
The council won the energy efficiency achiement award in 2018 for its upgrade of Newcastle Museum.
Cities Power Partnership director David Craven congratulated the council for two entries that stood out.
"Newcastle's Smart Moves program shows how local governments can create far-reaching and practical sustainable transport solutions," he said.
"I'd also like to congratulate Adam Clarke for taking out the Climate Champion Award. Adam has made a significant contribution to the City of Newcastle, leading a range of projects across megawatt-scale solar, street lighting upgrades, rooftop solar, electric vehicle and battery storage."
"Through sharing technical knowledge and lessons learnt with a range of stakeholders including other councils in the Cities Power Partnership, Adam has demonstrated impressive abilities as a climate champion."
