Accelerating change the aim for Greater Wellington’s Climate Committee
The Greater Wellington’s climate committee will focus on how regional government can help lead the response to our fast-changing climate, the greatest challenge facing Aotearoa New Zealand.“We will be an activist committee,” says committee chair Cr Thomas Nash. “We will scale up our work to achieve real, lasting changes on transport, land, water and the economy so that our region can realise the equitable climate-safe future that we know is possible.“This means working ever closer with mana whenua to co-design initiatives and ensure mātauranga Māori and Māori perspectives are at the centre of future programmes of work. This is a priority for the climate committee.“The climate committee is committed to innovating, monitoring and encouraging the broad range of climate action already underway at Greater Wellington.”This includes:
- accelerating the decarbonisation of public transport by electrifying buses, trains and harbour ferries;
- making all corporate activities carbon neutral by 2030 by managing corporate emissions;
- developing climate resilient public infrastructure such as flood protection and other adaptation work;
- regenerating native forests, wetlands and biodiversity, including phasing out grazing on regional park land;
- encouraging sustainable farming and land use;
- restoring the quality of coastal and freshwater and coastal restoration; and
- coordinating the region’s economic strategy to transition towards a low emissions economy.