The NSW Government is pursuing priority actions to minimise the impacts of climate change on our local communities and build resilience at a local level.  This includes understanding how climate change will not only affect local environments, but how changes to the environment and the climate will impact on services, such as public health and local infrastructure.

This presentation will outline why urban green cover provides a cost effective way to adapt the urban environment, and discuss the approaches that are being taken to build the capacity of NSW built environment and public space practitioners to apply urban green cover strategies, including downscaling climate information to a scale that can assist local decision making, assessing climate vulnerability at a regional scale, providing practical guidance, networking mechanisms and  funding programs that support the implementation of urban green cover projects. Urban green cover includes a range of strategies such as vegetated and reflective roofs, green walls, street plantings, permeable and reflective road surfaces, and cool open spaces and parks.