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Sydney

2018/19 municipal emissions snapshot

Electricity64%Source %

  • Residential 8%
  • Commercial 46%
  • Industrial 10%
  • Residential 13%
  • Commercial 71%
    • Public Administration 17%
    • Retail Trade 14%
    • Education & Training 8%
    • Arts and Recreation 6%
    • Other Services 6%
    • Healthcare 6%
    • Wholesale Trade 5%
    • Professional 3%
    • Financial & Insurance 2%
    • Accommodation & Food 1%
    • Administrative & Support 1%
    • Information Media 1%
    • Real Estate 1%
  • Industrial 16%
    • Transport 7%
    • Manufacturing 5%
    • Construction 1%
    • Utilities 1%
    • Mining 1%
    • Agriculture 1%

Gas8%Source %

  • Residential 26%
  • Commercial 50%
    • Professional 14%
    • Financial & Insurance 11%
    • Public Administration 4%
    • Healthcare 4%
    • Accommodation & Food 3%
    • Education & Training 3%
    • Retail Trade 3%
    • Administrative & Support 2%
    • Information Media 2%
    • Real Estate 1%
    • Other Services 1%
    • Arts and Recreation 1%
    • Wholesale Trade 1%
  • Industrial 24%
    • Manufacturing 21%
    • Utilities 2%
    • Transport 1%

Transport14%Source %

  • On road 9%
  • Rail 5%
  • On road 69%
    • Automotive 45%
    • Bus 23%
    • Motorcycle 1%
  • Rail 31%
    • Train 30%
    • Tram 1%

Waste9%Source %

  • Landfill 90%
  • Water 10%
Total municipal emissions
4 266 000
t CO2e
1m t CO₂e2m t CO₂e3m t CO₂e4m t CO₂e5m t CO₂e6m t CO₂e7m t CO₂e8m t CO₂e9m t CO₂e10m t CO₂e

Sydney is a city that is geographically very small relative to the state average and has a very high urban density. Its major emissions source is electricity consumption with the majority of this coming from commercial electricity consumption.

There are many reasons why a profile can change over time including changes in emissions sources, updates to methodology and more accurate data sources. Read our FAQs for more information.

Sub-sector data gives a better understanding of the key stakeholders contributing to emissions within your profile.

Sub-sector breakdowns can be used to identify opportunities for engagement and collaboration with key emitters. There are also opportunities for inspiration and learning with regions which have the same high emitting sectors. For more information on what is included within each emissions source and sector, please see the FAQs.

The Snapshot time-series gives an overview of high-level emissions trends. Visible trends might include the impact of continual decarbonisation of the electricity grid, or the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on transport emissions.

Because the data is partially modelled, the Snapshot time series is not suitable for detailed tracking of emissions reductions or for tracking the impacts of specific programs. As the quality of available data continues to improve, so will the tracking capabilities of Snapshot in the future.

The Snapshot sub-sector breakdown time-series gives an overview of high-level emissions trends. Visible trends might include the impact of continual decarbonisation of the electricity grid, or the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on transport emissions.

Because the data is partially modelled, the Snapshot time series is not suitable for detailed tracking of emissions reductions or for tracking the impacts of specific programs. As the quality of available data continues to improve, so will the tracking capabilities of Snapshot in the future.

SourceSectorEmissions (t CO2e)
Electricity Residential361 000
Commercial1 965 000
Industrial429 000
Gas Residential88 000
Commercial167 000
Industrial82 000
Transport On road440 000
Rail194 000
Waste381 000
IPPU155 000
Fugitive4 000
Agriculture0
Land Use0

Land Use data is not used in the chart nor the displayed total municipal emissions.

Transport activity data from
Google Environmental Insights Explorer

Characteristics
Land area27 km2
Population243 223
Gross regional product$ 123 351 135 400
Climate zone5

About this report

This report outlines the major sources of carbon emissions for the entire region (municipality, electorate, or state). Due to the approximate nature of the profile, the emission values are represented as rounded numbers. This report includes the following sources:

  • Stationary energy (grid supplied electricity/gas)
  • Transport (on-road use and domestic passenger air travel)
  • Waste (landfill and wastewater)
  • Agriculture (enteric fermentation, manure management and synthetic fertilizer use)
  • Land Use Change (land clearance and reforestation)
  • Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU) (industrial processes, refrigerant use)

It has been developed to be consistent with the Global Protocol of Carbon Emissions reporting (GPC Protocol) BASIC+, the international standard for cities and local government areas.

Snapshot provides you with a profile of your region’s emissions for the inventory year noted and gives a breakdown of emissions by sector. This Snapshot of your greenhouse gas emissions profile is based on a combination of local (Tier 2) and state level (Tier 1) data sets. Snapshot can be used alongside other local data sets where more detail is needed.

There are a number of minor emissions sources that are included as part of a larger total or excluded. The full list of inclusions and exclusions can be found in the Methodology document.

For help using this report to plan CO2 reductions strategies, please see our user guide.

Note that the percentages presented might not add up to 100% because of rounding.

This report uses emissions data provided by Google.

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