The motion, passed at a council meeting on Tuesday evening, March 21, saw the shire join 98 local governments to have issued the declaration and adopted targets — including Greater Shepparton.
Strathbogie Shire councillor Sally Hayes-Burke said declaring an emergency was "definitely a very scary thing".
“But I just don't know how we can describe what we're living through and what climate change is presenting,” she said.
“Australia has experienced an average temperature increase of 1.5 degrees and at the rate we're going, we'll experience an average increase of four degrees by the end of this century.
“For much of the globe, these temperatures will become the norm, and before you know it, humans will have to learn to live in an environment that is too hot for them.”
Cr Hayes-Burke said the alarming modelling pushed the sense of urgency to act.
“Now we have the benefit of science and data to help us comprehend this dire situation,” she said, moved to tears.
“That is why I argue it's imperative for us to declare a climate emergency — to act to reduce the impacts of climate change and the carbon footprint of this shire.
“We have the opportunity to work with the community to bring about change . . . our constituents deserve the best from us, and so do our children.”
Under its previous targets, the shire aimed to have 50 per cent of its energy derived from renewables, a 20 to 65 per cent increase in canopy cover and a 50 per cent reduction in emissions across Strathbogie by 2030.
Cr Reg Dickinson said the motion, deferred to the community on March 21, had "certainly created a lot of comment within the community".
“I believe that the time to act is now,” he said.
“The longer we delay it, the harder and more challenging it will become . . . delay is the new denial.”
Victoria now has the highest percentage of climate emergencies declared of any state, with 31 of 79 local government areas to have made the pledge since 2016.
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