Moved by Councillor Belinda Coates, the motion builds on council's previous commitment for its organisation for net zero emissions by 2025 and its acknowledgement of a climate emergency in 2018.

Carbon emissions across the city will be measured and tracked by software, and efforts will be supported by working with the Regional Sustainability Alliance of Ballarat, made up of stakeholders from across the community and the state government.

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Residents will be encouraged to think about their own carbon emissions, and council will assist them to find opportunities to improve their footprint, Cr Coates said.

"It's just so incredibly important that council and councillors provide that leadership, and the support for being ambitious - not only do we need to take action, but we also need to bring the community and business sector and not-for-profit organisations, the whole of community," she said.

"What council's done is said we support an ambitious target, and we want to work wit you to consolidate that."

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The motion was seconded by Cr Amy Johnson.

"It's one of the most important things we'll do as councillors, I think, in regard to taking action on climate change and reducing our carbon emissions," she said on Wednesday night.

"It's an ambitious and aspirational target but with the changes in technology and innovation we've seen, that people are capable of in the past 12 months, I think we'll be able to motivate and work with our community to adopt the necessary changes we need to make, and hopefully become a lead council."

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That was echoed by BREAZE board member Tony Goodfellow, who has been helping lead the charge to introduce net zero emissions policies.

He said he was encouraged by major Ballarat manufacturers Mars and McCain investing heavily in renewable energy, and this week's announcement the Lal Lal Wind Farm will sell power to Coles for its supermarkets.

"For the next step, it'll be great to see the City of Ballarat do something like Hepburn Shire, where they created a plan for the whole of the shire region, in every sector, and they've mapped out how to get to zero emissions," he said.

"It'll be really good to see council do something like that and start the discussions on how to reach it."

A number of submissions were read out at the meeting, including from 19-year-old Hazel Lanyon and her brother Harvey.

"The motion passed by council last night was important because a target of net zero emissions by 2030 is a solid goal that will help limit the impacts of global warming. It's a huge step in the right direction," she said in a statement.

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"I felt like councillors were listening and taking into consideration my views when other leaders in this country so readily dismiss the voices of young people.

"There's been a huge lack of leadership when it comes to action on climate change, particularly at the federal level, and so it's inspiring to see the leaders of Ballarat taking responsibility for the emissions of the city.

"The council has the power to shape the future that I inherit, and when the council voted unanimously to support the motion, I felt that councillors were listening and taking into consideration the future of my generation."

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