Auckland Council has set the groundwork for climate action, but there’s much more to do

Jim Stabback, Tumu Whakarae I Chief Executive, Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland Council

Ki te kore te tangata e manaaki i tōna taiao, ka kore te tangata e whai oranga. / If people do not take care of the environment, we are not taking care of our own health and wellbeing.

Three years ago, Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland Council responded to calls from Aucklanders for us to take action against climate change by unanimously voting to declare a climate emergency.

The declaration formally and publicly recognised the urgent need for climate action, and we committed to putting climate change considerations at the heart of our decision-making.

This was swiftly followed by the development and adoption of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri Auckland’s Climate Plan. This is the blueprint for how we will fulfil our commitments, halving the region’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, reaching net zero by 2050 and preparing for the inevitable impacts of climate change.

This is what Aucklanders expect from us - they expect us to lead, to advocate and to act. And we are.  

As a Unitary Authority and the largest council in Oceania, we are in a privileged position; one that comes with great responsibility and an important obligation.

As Chief Executive, this sense of responsibility is not lost on me. In my two years here, I have come to realise the significant role we play in safeguarding the natural capital of Aotearoa for future generations, and that it touches everything that we do.

Tāmaki Makaurau is blessed with a diverse natural environment, enjoying unique coastlines and tens of thousands of hectares of parkland home to an abundance of native fauna and flora. It is our role, in partnership with mana whenua, to be guardians of this precious taonga.

As you would expect, this is no small feat. 

As our region continues to grow at a rapid pace (since 2007, Auckland’s population has increased by 300,000 and is expected to top 2 million by 2030), so too do the pressures on our environment.

Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri demonstrates how this growth has sometimes come at the detriment of our native species, waterways, air quality, green spaces and in many ways, our quality of life.

Over the past six years or so, we have acknowledged these challenges and have developed strategies and implemented work programmes to turn the tide on historic degradation.

To do so requires significant financial investment which we partially fund through a series of targeted rates. 

Our Natural Environment Targeted Rate is expected to raise $311 million over 10 years for projects that will help build climate change resilience for our native species and ecosystems. Since 2018, the ring-fenced funds have been used to plant more than 2.7 million native trees and shrubs, deliver 2230 hectares of pest plant control in our regional parks, undertake 24,000 hectares of ground-based possum control to help our native bird species thrive (the Hunua Ranges are now home to the second largest mainland kōkako population in Aotearoa, with 259 breeding pairs) and upgrade more than 100 kilometres of walking tracks to protect our iconic kauri.

We also introduced a Water Quality Targeted Rate, which is continuing to fund and accelerate the implementation of new water infrastructure to clean up our beaches, harbours and waterways. As a result, we’ve been able to remove long-term SafeSwim warnings from three of our beaches in the last year.

Building on these successes and with the support of Aucklanders, we have subsequently introduced a Climate Action Targeted Rate. The funds from the rate, along with partner funding from the government, will help us to provide much greater access to efficient and reliable low-carbon public transport and increases our programme of safe, convenient and well-connected walking and cycling options for more Aucklanders. We are also planting more large, native trees in parks and on streets to increase our urban Ngahere canopy as we prepare for a warmer future and reduce our vulnerability to extreme heat - all key outcomes in the Climate Action Plan.

Yet we know that this doesn’t go far enough.

While there are things we can do as an organisation, we understand it will take partnership and cooperation from many others to make the changes that are necessary for us to fulfil our commitments under the Paris Agreement and C40. Our role is not just operational, but also one of leadership, partnership and advocacy.

This was shown through the recently adopted Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway, which gives effect to Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri’s required 64 per cent reduction in transport emissions by 2030 – an ambitious yet achievable target.

The strategic document, which will be used in the development of future transport plans, is a comprehensive overview of what needs to happen in all areas of the transport sector if we are to meet our goals, including areas where we do not have overall authority.

The Pathway recognises that tackling climate change, and more specifically reducing transport emissions, requires transformational rather than incremental change, and that all sectors have a role to play.

Another notable example is our intentional drive towards a green financing approach. In 2018, we were the first organisation in New Zealand to successfully issue Green Bonds through our Sustainable Finance Framework.  We have since raised more than $2billion to support the delivery of our climate action work programmes.

Redirecting capital towards sustainability outcomes and improving how we value environmental impacts is civic leadership we can be proud of.

Despite the challenges we face, as I reflect upon what we have achieved over the past few years, I am proud of the mahi we do. Our people have worked with tenacity and passion to deliver programmes that have already made a tangible difference, and they continue to develop the strategies and frameworks that will get us where we need to go.

Looking ahead there is one thing I am sure of; now is not the time for us to take our foot off the metaphorical pedal. We must build on our current momentum, advocating for and driving progress and change. When we lose sight of our natural capital in our daily decisions and actions, we directly impact the quality of our natural world, with the potential to degrade the basis of our economy, our health, our wellbeing, and ultimately, our cultural identity.