Auckland Council’s Low Carbon Auckland action plan in 2014 set out a vision for the region’s transformation toward a better, brighter, low-carbon future.
Auckland aims to reduce overall emissions by 40 per cent by 2040, and the third annual update on the region’s progress is available now.
The report for 2017
By focusing on transport, energy, waste, the built environment and forestry, the 2017 Low Carbon Auckland Annual update shows that we are heading in the right direction, but we need to pick up the pace.
The need to accelerate our emissions reduction effort is clear, as between 2009 and 2015 Auckland’s net emissions rose by 2.1 per cent. However, it is promising to see Auckland has made progress with emissions decoupling from our population and economic growth.
Auckland Council’s Chief Sustainability Officer, John Mauro, says Auckland is committed to reducing emissions and ensuring our region is resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“The decline in per capita emissions is a sign that better transport choices, waste management and energy efficiency are starting to propel us in the right direction. However the economic, social and environmental success of our city requires an ambitious and accelerated reduction in emissions as we also prepare for the impacts of a changing climate.
“That means far faster and greater progress in coming years, especially as Auckland's population continues to grow. And that means deeper engagement with our communities, with businesses and with central government, all of which have recently demonstrated a notable increase in aspiration and action.”
Highlights within the report include:
- a record number of passengers used Auckland’s public transport network last year: 20 million train trips and 90 million public transport trips in total
- construction of 14.2km of cycleways has improved the safety and appeal of cycling as a transport choice
- Auckland Transport has purchased 15 new electric trains to meet the growing demand and to prepare for the electrification of the railway line between Papakura and Pukekohe
- five community recycling centres have been established since 2014, each diverting around 70 per cent of the waste they receive from landfill. These, and other initiatives, have helped to reduce per capita waste from 160kg (2010) to 144kg (2017)
- the refit of the council’s head office at 135 Albert Street achieved a world-leading six Green Star rating for the office interior’s sustainability
- the Mayor’s Million Trees programme has already planted 170,000 primarily native trees this year
- this year the council launched the ‘Live Lightly’ initiative, making it easier it easier for Aucklanders to live low carbon lifestyles by highlighting the everyday lifestyle choices we can all make to save money, have a healthier life, and care for Papatūānuku
- Panuku Development Auckland announced that it will require new homes in its ‘Transform and Unlock’ locations to achieve at least a 6 Homestar rating.
“The pace of climate action around the world continues to gather momentum,” says Mauro.
“As an Innovator city in the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Auckland has drawn from global best practice and added our own to the mix as we collaborate with the best and brightest cities taking climate action.
“The report shows that we’re getting some real work done on the ground, yet it’s clearly time to pick up the pace, scale, and ambition, both to avoid costly impacts and lost opportunities and to deliver greater gains to public health, wellbeing, and economic prosperity.”
