In 1998 Council created a business unit to show local governments throughout Australia and internationally how to profitably reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The scope of the business unit has since expanded and is now focused on:

• Improving the energy and resource efficiency of Council's own facilities
• Working with the local community and business sector to show new efficient ways to use energy and resources
• Facilitating public and private partnerships to deliver community and business projects
• Transferring knowledge to other communities throughout Australia and internationally.

Council’s innovative approach to energy and resource management over the past decade have been acknowledged at a state, national and international level.

Together Today

After months of suspense and anticipation it was announced on 20 July 2007 that Newcastle has missed out on 15millon dollars from the Federal Governments Solar Cities Fund. Out of the eleven finalists, Central Victoria was announced as the fifth and final Solar City joining Adelaide, Townsville, Alice Springs and Blacktown. The Solar Newcastle consortium committed through partnership to Together Today, an initiative to transform the Hunter into Australia’s most energy and water efficient region.

Together Today is a Hunter business and community environment initiative launched on April 16 2007 along with Council’s ClimateCam^® Billboard in Wheeler Place.

Together Today is about showing people how to use energy and water more efficiently in schools, homes and businesses and the ClimateCam^® Billboard measures the combined efforts of our community.

Major partners committed to working Together Today include Newcastle City Council, NBN, SOUL Converged Communications, Coal & Allied managed by Rio Tinto Coal Australia, Macquarie Generation, EnergyAustralia, CSIRO, Hunter Water, Port Waratah Coal Services, University of Newcastle, NSW Department of Education and Training, TAFE NSW Hunter-Institute and the Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.