Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Wellington declares ecological and climate emergency

NEWS RELEASE

20 June 2019

Wellington declares ecological and climate emergency

Wellington City Council has declared an ecological and climate emergency as it adopts a blueprint for becoming a zero carbon city.

The climate emergency declaration was made at the City Strategy Committee meeting today (Thursday 20 June).

It means the Council will put protection of our environment and climate change at the front and centre of its decision-making.

“Wellington City Council accepts the best scientific evidence that we must now step up and take further action as climate change bites,” says Mayor Justin Lester.

“A declaration confirms our ambition to place a climate change lens on everything we do. The Council has led on efforts to curb emissions since 2007 and today we commit to do more.”

Councillors were also adopting Te Atakura – First to Zero, a blueprint for Wellington becoming a Zero Carbon Capital by 2050. It went out for consultation earlier this year which means the Declaration will be supported by an action plan.

Te Atakura attracted more than 1250 submissions. There was very strong support for the Council to act on climate change with more than nine of 10 submitters agreeing the city must become net carbon zero by 2050.

Four out of five want the target reached earlier and there was a lot of support for better active and public transport; nature and green space; and a zero-emissions fleet.

“People are saying they want us to flip the transport system on its head – we need to change the fundamentals of the way we move,” the Mayor says.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Councillor Iona Pannett, who holds the infrastructure and sustainability portfolio, says “the Declaration should be seen as a symbol of hope and a response to the thousands of Wellingtonians who have called for action on climate change.

“There are many positive solutions to the problem of climate change which will have multiple benefits for the city.

“It's about us making greener, low-carbon options easy for people to use, such as better options for recycling and composting and transport, such as walking, cycling and mass transit and transport; planning for denser living and building strong, resilient buildings.”

The Council will also look at investing in a fund to protect infrastructure from sea level rise, planting more trees to absorb increased rainfall and better buying policies to buy more green goods such as electric vehicles,” she said.

Details of Te Atakura and the Declaration are available here: https://wellington.govt.nz/your-council/meetings/committees/city-strategy-committee/2019/06/20

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.