Middle Harbour Public School hosted the first Zero Emissions Schools Network meeting of 2023. It was great to hear about all the great things they are doing and see first hand their recycling station that won them third prize at the Taronga Zoo event last November. They also shared their 2023 plans and heard about their Power Off, Earth On initiative. This initiative tries to include a 40 minute learning session outside every week and try not to use any electricity. School wide that equals 800 minutes! Well done Middle Harbour Public School!
We also had guest speaker Dennis Hensman present to us from Optimum Control Technologies. We learned how live energy data can help you see problems in your schools energy consumption and pinpoint ways you can save money and energy.
It was great to see participation from all the area schools including: Queenwood School for Girls, Redlands, Mosman Prep, Beauty Point PS, Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart, Mosman PS and Middle Harbour PS!
Zero Emissions Solutions teamed up with Take 3 for the Sea, Mosman Council and environment conservation community groups for the Balmoral Seaside Scavenge in September. Take 3 is known all over Australia for its educational programs that teach people about the problem of plastic pollution and inspire them to take action to protect the ocean.
The event showcased local waste-wise and environmentally conscious initiatives while entertaining with music, face painting and art, and nourishing us with pedal-powered smoothies! We were delighted to participate in this fun, family-friendly day to share information about how to reduce emissions and protect our beautiful local environment.
We had a great lineup of Electric Vehicles – Tesla and Hyundai – along with their enthusiastic owners who could talk till the cows come home to anyone who wanted to know about EVs. There was a lot of interest from young and old, the curious and the skeptical.
If bicycles are more your thing Lug+Carrie had a selection of eBikes available to try out. Whether it’s for your daily commute or getting the kids to school, these eBikes make cycling a breeze and are designed to carry your kids or your shopping or your laptop.
With sunshine and blue skies, Balmoral Beach was at its beautiful best. A great day made possible with our brilliant team of volunteers.
Thank you to our largest volunteer crew ever: Louise, Michael, Fay, Tony, Narween, Jenni Chris, Gill, Alan, Adrienne, Milo, Leesa, Leon, Kate, Ann-Charlott, Ursula, Daryl, with Marieken organising us, plus Neroli from Lug+Carrie doing Tern e-cargo bike test rides!
Zero Emissions Schools Network had the honour of being the recipient of a Mosman Community Grant for 22/23 for the second year in a row! This funding means the Zero Emissions Schools Network will be able to continue providing all the schools in the Mosman LGA with quarterly meetings, newsletters and one on one consulting.
The Network is a great space to have schools collaborate, share and learn more ways they can become more sustainable. Thank you to Mosman Council and Mayor Corrigan for your ongoing support of the program.
The ZESN Schools Network has been awarded the Mosman Community Grant for the second year in a row.
The energy and passion to become more environmentally sustainable is a delight to behold and the program highlights the value of networking together for a positive outcome.
Mayor Carolyn Corrigan, Mosman Municipal Council
About the ZESN Schools Program
The Zero Emissions Schools Program was designed and developed by Jenni Hagland (Program Leader), with Ursula Hogben (Co-Founder), in consultation with Loani Tierney, Environment Education Officer, Mosman Council.
Did you know that most pool pumps run at more than twice the speed they need to for 99% of the time?
Chris Lee does. Chris, a key member of our Solar My House and Solar My Business programs, has made a short video about how to dramatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your pool pump with a pool pump controller. It’s an easy fix which has an immediate impact on carbon emissions (and your electricity bill). If you’ve got a pool, it’s a no-brainer!
Check out Chris’s video here, and find further information below.
If you’ve got a home energy efficiency idea, let us know or, better still, join us!
We’ve helped over 100 households switch and save money so far, and in 2022 we’re helping 100 more local homes, schools and businesses make big switches for a low carbon future.
We’d love you to join us. Switching to low carbon solutions and talking about climate solutions are things we can all do for a safer climate.
1. What difference will my switches make?
100 local homes, businesses and schools, making a few key switches could save money, and reduce 2000+ tonnes of CO2 per year – that’s the equivalent of planting 30,000 trees!
2. Award partners
We would like to encourage and reward “local heroes” to join Our Big Switch for a low carbon future. The first 100 households, businesses or schools will receive a signed copy of Saul Griffith’s newly released book The Big Switch, and early entries will also receive a signed copy of Dr Rebecca Huntley’s How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way That Makes a Difference. These will power your switches and climate conversations!
Research shows climate conversations with friends and family make a difference, and that people are considerably more likely to make low carbon switches if they know other people who are taking action.
3. How do I participate in Our Big Switch?
1. Check out our website for switches to support renewable energy and significantly reduce your emissions 2. Enter to let us know what you’ve done and are doing next, including switching to a renewable energy company (required to win an award) ENTER TO WIN 3. Share this page and the entry form with your friends and family. Share your switches on social media.
Once you’ve entered we’ll contact you about your award and share your story online.
4. Acknowledgements
Our Big Switch program is made possible by the 2022 Federal Volunteers Grant program, with thanks to our local Federal MP Zali Steggall OAM.
5. About Us
Zero Emissions Solution Inc is a local community group united by a common goal: taking swift, practical action on climate change. We’re a not-for-profit association of volunteers working across the Northern Beaches and the North Shore, operating as part of the national Beyond Zero Emissions zero carbon community network. We focus on practical projects that will accelerate our transition to net zero emissions solutions.
Hello sunshine! Come join like minded people taking swift, practical action on climate change. Join Our Big Switch here.
We’re glad you asked.
Subscribing to our newsletter is a great way to be involved. Sharing it with your friends and joining us on social media helps even more as we’re build a community of like-minded locals passionate about sustainability and low carbon living.
Looking for something more, something meaningful and fun? We would love you join our volunteer team! ZESN Volunteers working group has grant funding to expand our impact and we’ve launched Our Big Switch to help 100 local homes, businesses and schools make low carbon switches. Anyone interested can contact Ursula, Fay or Narween.
Electric car and Electric bike owners and displays
If you are delighted by your EV, or you are enjoying your electric bike, come and show it off at one of our regular EV show-and-tells. We hold these at least once a quarter at the Mosman Markets, and are looking at larger events. Contact Ursula, Alan or Chris and we can tell you all about it.
Zero Emissions Transport team at the Mosman MarketZero Emissions Transport: Kona, E-Bike, Tesla
Zero Emissions Info Stall market team
Our friendly volunteer team is at Mosman Markets four times this year, and plans to new areas. Would you be interested in doing a stall on the Northern Beaches or North Shore? We provide equipment, signs, training and back-up. Contact Louise or Marieken for more details.
Social media – Facebook, Twitter, Insta & LinkedIn!
Between them, Ursula and Marieken do most of Zero’s social media. It’s a great way to build community, but it takes time! If you love twitter, are nifty on instagram, or want to launch the Zero Emissions Solutions Tiktok account, we want to hear from you. Contact Marieken to find out more.
Council Reps
Working with our local councils can be a rewarding and have real impact. We have representatives working with Mosman, Northern Beaches and North Sydney but would welcome people who want to get involved with councils including Willoughby and Lane Cove. Contact Ursula to find out more.
Presentations and Events
We’ve presented over 70 free information sessions on rooftop solar, renewable energy, EVs and more. Over the last three years, thousands of households have come to our presentations. We welcome people getting involved, either in organising presentations and events, or on centre stage! Contact Ann-Charlott or Ursula to find out more.
Schools Network
Last year Jenni Hagland, working with ZESN and Mosman Council. brought all eight schools in Mosman together to form the Zero Emissions Schools Network! The program continues this year, with plans to hold an Expo and awards ceremony later in the year. There’s lots to do, and huge amounts of enthusiasm. Join the team or find out more by contacting Jenni.
Zero Emissions Schools Network Mosman: Mosman Public
Collaborations and new ZESN programs are welcome!
We have successful co-branded collaborations with SolarPro, Diamond Energy, The Good Car Company and Mosman Council. We’re happy to discuss further collaborations!
Do you have big ideas? Are you wanting to make a difference? We’d love to help YOU. If you have an idea for an action or an initiative in the Northern Beaches or North Shore, we can help, whether it’s sharing information or contacts, acting as a sounding board, or even supporting you to develop a new program under the Zero Emissions Solutions brand umbrella. Let’s talk!
It’s been back to school for students, and back to school for Zero Emissions Solutions at our final network meeting for the year, hosted by Sacred Heart Mosman.
Staff and students from Sacred Heart Mosman gave an inspiring presentation on their sustainability journey. We love how the whole school community is involved — including staff, students, parents and the broader community. And we love how sustainability measures are integrated into the curriculum and into everyday life.
Just a few highlights:
BINS bins bins
All the colours, and with great signage. Congratulations to the student representative council (SRC) for running Waste-free Wednesdays and reducing waste by 75% –from 8 red bins down to just 2 a day.
The Sustainable Garden
A learning centre for all grades, from watching how things grow in K-1 to, in years 5 and 6, an integrated STEM project on garden bed design, including researching plants, mulch and irrigation options. Everyone is a gardener!
Indigenous Perspectives
Regular visits from David Harrington of Stones and Bones, a learning partner who combines indigenous perspectives and sustainable gardening skills. Bushcraft, story telling, science and first nations wisdom and lots of fun!
A message from Jenni and the schools team:
This was the last meeting of the year. Reflecting back on our first meeting in Feb, it is amazing to think how each and every school was at a different place on their sustainable journey when we started. With some schools, progress was well under way and we want to thank you for sharing your initiatives with us over the past year. For some other schools just starting this journey, we just want to say how inspired we are by your efforts and enthusiasm. We know all too well what a huge challenge it is to address sustainability at the school when you are working at it alone on top of your normal role. You are all doing an amazing job and we thank you for attending these meetings and sharing in your journey and progress.
While the world’s political leaders gathered in Glasgow for COP 24, we joined leaders of another ilk who gathered digitally and physically in Sydney for the Impact X Tech Conference.
Over 1000 participants, 98 speakers and panelists including international leaders, Government leaders, industry leaders, venture capital firms, entrepreneurs and environmental groups, came together to discuss what they are doing, what they plan, and what else is needed. The focus was on hope and practical action.
The key themes were the need for:
urgent pre-2030 climate action, action to reduce emissions and build resilience this decade
laws and policy to create a level playing field and accelerate the changes needed. This includes the need for a net zero Carbon building code and national emissions standards for vehicles
more sharing of information and solutions locally, nationally and internationally. One example of a sharing system working well is the Global Covenant of Mayors helping to share information and elevate local issues and voices to national and international level.
a fit-for-purpose electricity grid
more funding and support for early stage innovations
more public sector/private sector collaboration on climate solutions and implementation
This is where it all began: Zero Emissions Info Days at the monthly Mosman Market on the Village Green. Back in October 2020 we put up our marquee, signs and posters and gave out free zero emissions information. We had a wonderful day talking to people about saving money and sustainability and made lots of new friends.
Since then, we’ve held ten info days at markets, learning as we go, introducing new ways to interact including our Sun Pledge board, and our transport group volunteers bringing E-cars and E-bikes. We’ve had help along the way from Mosman Council, Energy Electric Bikes, Eat My Dust E-scooters and our wonderful volunteer community.
We’ve had great feedback and we’d like to help provide our free info to more areas. Would you like to help us expand to other markets on the North Shore and Northern Beaches? We’d love to hear from you!
We have opportunities for a team leader in each local LGA, and volunteers to come along wherever it suits them best. We provide the marquee, Tshirts, signs and information guides. No experience required: we can bring you up to speed with what has become well-oiled machine. You just need a passion for sustainability and a willingness to engage with like-minded people.
If you’re interested in joining in with one of our most rewarding volunteer activities we’d love to have you. Please contact Marieken, Louise or Ursula or fill out our volunteer form.
Zero Emissions Transport team at the Mosman Market
Our youngest volunteer, Theo, demonstrates how to measure household energy consumption.
Zero Emissions Transport: E-Scooter
Zero Emissions Transport: Kona, E-Bike, Tesla
Jenni Hagland
Chris and Graeme all kitted out
Kate shows off the variable speed pool pump
After a nutty first six months of the year for Zero Emissions Solutions the idea was to slow things down a little in July and August.
Hmm. About that… Here’s how the diary ended up looking.
July 20: Solar My House Webinar, with David Veal of Solarpro (recording here)
July 19: Mosman Council delivers our Sustainable Living Guide to 30,000 households
August 3: Mosman Council Climate Action Community Committee
August 4: Zero Emissions Schools Network – Mosman, hosted by Beauty Point Public School
August 5: Solar My House Webinar, with Ruth Irwin of Mosman Council (recording here)
August 17: Ann-Charlott spoke with Nigel Howard and Joeline Hackman of War on Waste Northern Beaches, discussing what local residents can do to reduce emissions (recording here)
Representatives from Zero Emissions Solutions also attended seminars and meetings with (in no particular order) Vote Earth Now, Infinite Australia, AEVA, Groundswell, BZE Renewable Industrial Precincts, the Climate Council, 350.org, 1millionwomen and C4C. In particular, we recommend Professor Lesley Hughes briefing on the IPCC report, in conjunction with Australian Parents For Climate.
We worked with Arnies Recon to launch free EWaste Community Collection days for the Northern Beaches including Avalon 2 Sept, Dee Why 9 Sept, Manly 13 Sept, Mosman 16 Sept.
Finally, we continue to work with Clean Energy for Eternity on a major project to create an urban renewable energy zone – watch this space!
BINS bins bins
The Sustainable Garden
Indigenous Perspectives
