The majority of council's greenhouse gas emissions - 87 per cent - come from electricity use. Another 12 per cent was from fuel used in council's fleet of cars.

To get to a 50 per cent renewable target, council will look at establishing energy efficient practices, installing more solar panels and purchasing renewable energy.

Changes will also be made to the council fleet. By 2025 council will start transitioning to have its vehicles zero emission.

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Council is already in the process of changing more than 6200 streetlights to energy efficient LED technology.

The $2.4 million upgrade is expected to not only reduce energy consumption - lighting accounts for 17 per cent of council's electricity usage - but save about $570,000 per year in energy and maintenance costs.

The councillors were divided about the Energy Strategy and Implementation Strategy.

Councillors Jane Diffey, Anne Jones, David Grant, Stephen Lawrence and Vicki Etheridge were in favour of the plan, while mayor Ben Shields and councillors Greg Mohr, Dayne Gumley and Kevin Parker were against it.

John Ryan was absent from the meeting.

Of particular criticism was a suggestion made by deputy mayor Stephen Lawrence that council look at a 100 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.

Cr Shields said a 50 per cent renewable energy target was achievable, but the public was never going to support a 100 per cent renewable energy target.

"There's no doubt that there is some sort of truth to climate change," he said.

"Whether it's an emergency of such an extent that Councillor Lawrence talks about where we've all got to be running around like headless chooks, I don't necessarily buy that. I buy that it's prudent that organisations work methodically, calmly without a sense of alarmism to fix the problem."

Cr Shields said he was keen to make sure the renewable energy target didn't become a "monstrosity of expense" that would hit ratepayers' bottom dollar.