Innovation Case Study: Zero Emissions Initiative with Kingston's Local Business
Kingston City Council
Future-proofing Kingston businesses through practical climate action
Kingston’s Zero Emissions Business initiative helps industry transition from gas to efficient, electrified technologies powered by renewable energy. Through tailored assessments, business cases and strategic partnerships, the program supports businesses to reduce costs and emissions while strengthening resilience. Since 2022, it has engaged 113 businesses across 150 sites and identified more than 21,600 tCO₂-e in future emissions reductions.
2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards Finalist:
The Horizon Award for Future Climate Leadership and Action, supported by Infrastructure Sustainability Council.
Project goals:
- Accelerate the transition of Kingston businesses towards electrification and renewable energy.
- Reduce emissions across Kingston’s largest emitting sector.
- Improve business competitiveness through lower operating costs and increased resilience.
- Provide accessible, evidence-based pathways to decarbonisation.
- Remove technical and financial barriers through partnerships and incentive programs.
- Establish a repeatable and scalable model for industrial decarbonisation.
- Strengthen Council’s role as a trusted advisor and climate leader.
- Support achievement of Kingston’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Response Plan.
Project team:
5-8 people.
Project duration:
Commencing in February 2022 and continuing until 2028, the project leverages Council’s influence, partnerships and technical capability to accelerate community-wide transition in line with Kingston’s declared Climate Emergency.
Challenge and context:
Industrial and commercial businesses are Kingston’s largest source of community emissions. Following Council’s declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency and advocacy through the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance, emissions modelling identified that meaningful progress towards net zero would require action beyond Council operations and into the business sector.
However, decarbonising industry is complex. Businesses face competing priorities, limited technical expertise, uncertainty around emerging technologies and concerns regarding cost and return on investment. Unlike residential programs, few local government models existed to support large energy users in transitioning away from gas.
The challenge was further complicated by the diversity of industries, site configurations and energy profiles across Kingston. Traditional one-size-fits-all approaches were insufficient. Businesses required trusted advice, practical pathways and access to incentives to confidently invest in new technologies.
Recognising that emissions reduction and economic resilience are interconnected, Kingston developed an innovative, partnership-based model that supports businesses to future-proof operations while contributing to community-wide climate goals.
Solution and innovation:
Kingston developed a structured and highly replicable model that combines technical expertise, trusted relationships and evidence-based decision-making.
Unlike traditional awareness campaigns, the initiative provides tailored support to businesses through a staged process encompassing desktop analysis, site assessments and investment-ready business cases. Standardised templates, confidentiality agreements, assessment tools and reporting frameworks ensure consistency and scalability.
Businesses are connected with industry experts, incentive programs and emerging technologies including industrial heat pumps, waste-heat recovery, renewable energy procurement and AI-enabled energy optimisation.
Innovation is embedded through strategic collaborations with organisations including Ironbark Sustainability, the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP), CSIRO and Engineers Australia. These partnerships enable businesses to access knowledge and solutions that would otherwise be difficult to navigate independently.
Six-monthly reporting links verified and projected savings directly to community-wide emissions trends, providing an adaptive framework that allows priorities to evolve over time.
Ironbark Sustainability has recognised Kingston as one of the most advanced councils in Australia in its ability to connect project outcomes with broader municipal emissions reduction pathways, setting a benchmark for local government innovation.
- Phase 1 – Desktop Assessment: After NDAs and data collection, Council conducted desktop reviews to identify potential energy, cost and emissions savings.
- Phase 2 – Site Assessment & Business Case: Site visits and structured consultations were undertaken with business leaders and the Zero Emissions Business Lead. Detailed business cases were developed outlining savings, capital costs, incentives and simple payback periods for agreed Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs).
The initiative has also enabled Council to become more adaptive and responsive to emerging technologies and market opportunities.
Project impacts and short-term outcomes:
Since commencing in 2022, the Zero Emissions Business initiative has delivered significant and measurable environmental and economic outcomes across Kingston’s industrial and commercial sectors.
The program deliberately prioritised large energy users, focusing resources where the greatest emissions reductions could be achieved. Businesses were provided with free desktop assessments, onsite consultations and investment-ready business cases identifying practical opportunities to reduce emissions and operating costs.
To date, the initiative has:
- Engaged 113 businesses across 150 sites.
- Delivered verified annual savings of approximately $595,000.
- Achieved verified emissions reductions of 1,740 tCO₂-e.
- Identified an additional 21,600 tCO₂-e in future emissions abatement opportunities.
- Supported participation in renewable energy procurement initiatives and electrification projects.
- Contributed to declining local electricity demand despite continued customer growth.
- Demonstrated reductions across AEMO gas transfer meters, indicating genuine progress in decarbonising industry.
The project has also strengthened business confidence in emerging technologies by providing trusted, independent advice and connecting businesses with external expertise and funding opportunities.
These outcomes have been measured through six-monthly reporting, energy analysis and project tracking, enabling Council to monitor both realised and projected benefits.
Importantly, the initiative has demonstrated that emissions reduction and economic resilience are complementary objectives. Businesses have benefited from reduced operating costs and increased resilience to energy price volatility, while the community benefits from lower emissions and improved environmental outcomes.
The initiative's success has been recognised nationally, with Kingston receiving the 2026 LGPRO Awards of Excellence in the Environmental Sustainability category, providing independent recognition of the program's innovation and impact.
Capability and long-term impacts:
The initiative has fundamentally strengthened Kingston's approach to community emissions reduction and established new capabilities that extend well beyond the life of individual projects.
Recognising that Council operations represent only a small proportion of municipal emissions, Kingston invested in a dedicated Zero Emissions Business capability within the Business Team, creating a new model for integrating climate action and economic development.
This investment has fostered stronger collaboration across economic development, sustainability and asset management functions and established trusted relationships with businesses, researchers and industry experts. Standardised documentation, assessment methodologies and reporting systems have created enduring organisational capability and reduced reliance on bespoke approaches.
The initiative has also enabled Council to become more adaptive and responsive to emerging technologies and market opportunities. Partnerships with organisations including Ironbark Sustainability, A2EP, CSIRO and Engineers Australia have expanded technical capability and strengthened Council's ability to support businesses navigating complex decarbonisation challenges.
Beyond business outcomes, the program has delivered measurable benefits across Council facilities, with energy-efficiency upgrades generating annual savings of approximately $70,000 and reducing emissions by around 430 tCO₂-e.
The initiative has strengthened trust in Council's climate leadership and demonstrated that meaningful emissions reductions require long-term investment, collaboration and continuous learning.
Independent recognition from Ironbark Sustainability identified Kingston as one of Australia's most advanced councils in linking program outcomes to municipal emissions trends, reinforcing the sophistication and long-term value of the approach.
By embedding climate action within economic development, Kingston has created a durable capability that will continue to support community resilience and net zero outcomes well into the future.
Scalability and transferability:
The Zero Emissions Business initiative has been intentionally designed as a scalable and transferable model that can be adapted by councils seeking to accelerate community emissions reduction while supporting local economic resilience.
The program is underpinned by standardised tools and processes, including confidentiality agreements, energy assessment templates, business-case methodologies and reporting frameworks. These resources provide a practical foundation that can be readily customised to suit different municipalities and industry profiles.
Knowledge sharing is embedded within the approach. Through the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance (SECCCA), industry networks and external partnerships, Kingston actively contributes lessons learned, performance insights and emerging best practice to strengthen capability across the sector.
The initiative demonstrates how councils can play a trusted intermediary role, connecting businesses with expertise, funding opportunities and practical pathways to decarbonisation. Its structured methodology and six-monthly reporting framework provide a robust evidence base that supports continuous improvement and informed decision-making.
The program also contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Climate Action (SDG 13).