Waitakere gears up for climate-friendly programme

Waitakere Council is gearing up to reduce the effects of climate change through a new greenhouse gas reduction programme funded by the Environment Ministry’s Climate Change office.

Waitakere is one of the first four councils in New Zealand to join Communities for Climate Protection (CCP-NZ), an internationally recognised programme that empowers 500 councils throughout the world to cut greenhouse gas emissions in their own activities and in their communities.

The New Zealand programme was officially launched last week by Pete Hodgson, convenor of the Ministerial Group of Climate Change, at the LGNZ National Conference in Auckland.

“This programme highlights the enormous potential for business opportunities, financial savings and local gains from climate change action,” said Mr Hodgson.

Members of the CCP-NZ programme will work through a series of ‘milestones’ to assess their local greenhouse gas impact, set goals and put an action plan in place to reduce emissions, implement climate-friendly projects and monitor the results.

Wayne Wescott, CEO of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, the international organisation that delivers CCP in Australia and now New Zealand, says that simple actions such as reducing waste and increasing energy efficiency, through to improving air quality and reducing traffic congestion make a significant contribution towards greenhouse gas reductions.

“These councils …are demonstrating that action of climate change makes good economic, environmental and political sense,” says Mr Wescott.

Mayor Bob Harvey says that Waitakere looks forward to working with the CCP-NZ programme to implement a greenhouse action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage the City’s energy use over the next decade.

“We are particularly interested in how this programme will assist us to make significant cost savings to Council and the community as demonstrated by the many Australian CCP council examples,” says Mayor Harvey.

Wayne Wescott, CEO of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, Mayor Bob Harvey, Penny Hulse, Chair, Environmental Management Committee, Pete Hodgson, Convenor, Ministerial Group on Climate Change.

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