News Release

1 July 2014

Plan to cut Auckland greenhouse gas emissions by 40%

A plan that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Auckland by 40 per cent by 2040 has been launched by Mayor Len Brown.

The Low Carbon Auckland Action Plan sets out a thirty year pathway and a ten year plan of action and aligns with the nationally agreed target to reduce New Zealand emissions by 50 per cent by 2050.

Adopted by the Auckland Council’s Regional Strategy and Policy Committee, the plan focuses on five priority areas for transformation:

• the way we use and generate energy

• the way we travel

• the way we build and our urban infrastructure

• the way we think about and manage waste

• the way we manage our forests, agriculture and natural carbon assets

More than 150 business, community, non-governmental organisations and knowledge institutions have worked collaboratively with the council to develop the plan.

Len Brown says the plan is about future-proofing Auckland and all of Auckland needs to embrace and actively participate in the concept.

“We know that achieving this target will do more than just reduce some abstract amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It will give our children cleaner air and better quality houses. It will encourage and support new and existing industries and technologies emerging to meet this challenge. It also means more jobs for Aucklanders and another giant stride towards making Auckland the world’s most liveable city.

“Auckland Council’s role is critical, first and foremost in providing an enabling regulatory environment starting with the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan.

“We’ve already initiated an effective waste minimisation plan, we are actively working on public transport options for Aucklanders and we are working with developers to design and construct more resource efficient buildings. But we can do more. We are ready to work with central government, business and the community to ensure Auckland extracts the most benefit from this process.

“Huge opportunities are emerging from a new global understanding that the environment and the economy must be viewed as a whole, not in competition. Other international cities are already on this path. Auckland now has an opportunity to be part of the transition.

“The benefits of this plan are broad and far-reaching. The impacts of inaction would be far greater.”

Ends

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