City Of Sydney Formally Declares A Climate Emergency

Environmentalists have applauded the City of Sydney after it formally declared a "climate emergency".

Councillors on Monday night voted in favour of a motion put forward by Lord Mayor Clover Moore, saying that climate change poses a serious risk to Sydneysiders.

The mayoral minute called on the federal government to urgently respond to the emergency by reintroducing a price on carbon and establishing a body to help transition workers from fossil fuel industries to alternate employment.

"Successive federal governments have shamefully presided over a climate disaster, and now we are at a critical juncture - we face a climate emergency," Ms Moore said.

"Australia's greenhouse gas emissions have increased for four consecutive years. It is clear that the current federal government's policies are simply not working and I call on council to declare a climate emergency."

Sydney is the latest council to declare a climate emergency, following global cities London, Auckland, Vancouver, and hundreds of others.

Greenpeace Australia on Tuesday said welcomed the move, labelling it a bold demonstration of leadership.

"The global movement of climate emergency declarations coming from a local level proves that change is coming, and it's coming from the ground up," deputy director Nic Seton said in a statement.