23 March 2007

Commonwealth conference takes lead on carbon neutrality

The largest carbon neutral international conference to be staged in New Zealand to date kicks off in Auckland on Monday, Minister of Local Government Mark Burton said.

The Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2007 will run from 26 – 29 March and is expected to involve delegates from some 40 Commonwealth countries, including a number of heads of government and ministers.

"The conference will be looking at the role of local leadership in tackling global issues such as climate change, and will lead by example by being completely carbon neutral," Mark Burton said.

"This is a concrete way of encouraging discussion on important issues such as climate change and demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to sustainability," he said.

"We are participating in Landcare Research's carboNZerocert TM certification programme. This will enable us to obtain carbon credits to nullify the carbon emissions resulting from international and domestic air travel and other activities associated with the conference.

The conference theme is Delivering development through local leadership with a focus on promoting sustainable economic, social and environmental development.

Some of the key events planned for the conference include:

- Prime Minister Helen Clark will deliver the opening keynote address to the conference on Monday;
- Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon and Tanzanian Prime Minister Edward Lowassa will be addressing the conference on Tuesday;
- Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General and Director of the Millennium Development Project, will discuss the UN millennium goals via a live video-link to New York on Thursday;
- Also on Thursday Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is also Chairperson designate of CHOGM 2007, will address the conference.

The conference is being hosted by the New Zealand Government, Local Government New Zealand and the Auckland City Council, on behalf of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum.

ENDS

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