NEWS RELEASE
1 June 2007

Wellington City proposes carbon neutral vision

A proposed vision to reduce carbon emissions could see Wellington becoming the first New Zealand city to become carbon neutral.

A report to the Strategy and Policy Committee next Thursday (7 June) asks Councillors to agree to an aspirational vision of carbon neutrality for Wellington City Council and the city. Mayor Kerry Prendergast will present the paper.

“The overwhelming global scientific view is that climate change is real and that human activity is the cause,” Mayor Prendergast says.

“Dangerous levels of global warming and sea level rise are expected within this century unless global greenhouse gas emissions are stabilised within the next decade and reduced 50 to 85 percent by 2050. We need to future-proof the city against the environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change.

“We have an opportunity to do something about that, to take a stand and position Wellington as a catalyst for climate change action and if this proposal is agreed to by Councillors on Thursday, that is exactly what we will do,” she says.

If the vision of carbon neutrality is adopted by Wellington City Council, a working group will be set up to report back to the Committee in September on a set of options for reducing carbon emissions, timeframes and the costs associated with that.

The Council would also seek a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) to establish Wellington as its base location and Wellington City Council as its key council partner for New Zealand.

The Council’s Environment Portfolio Leader, Councillor Celia Wade Brown, says it is essential that Wellingtonians start reducing emissions.

“Most Wellington residents and businesses know we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The Council can create infrastructure and influence urban form to enable a carbon neutral capital. Wellington City Council is already committed to the Communities for Climate Protection (CCP-NZ) programme but while we have a commitment to that programme, our carbon reduction targets are too modest,” she says.

“Wellington’s considerable rejuvenating forest area offers a unique opportunity for a capital city to have its own carbon sink where carbon dioxide can be absorbed.”

Mayor Prendergast says Wellington City Council has to lead by example by reducing its own emissions.

“In 2003 the Council’s corporate emissions were approximately 12,000 tonnes of C02 equivalent. By 2006 these had increased to approximately 13,000 tonnes. Electricity use is the main source of the Council’s emissions – 54 percent, followed by natural gas at 25 percent and diesel use, 17 percent. We need to reduce those. Doing nothing is not an option,” she says.

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