Auckland Council has joined a growing community of cities around the world who have formally and publicly recognised the urgency for action on climate change by declaring a climate emergency.
“Our declaration further elevates the importance of an immediate national and global response to address our changing climate,” said Councillor Penny Hulse, chair of the committee.
Mayor Goff says, “Our obligation is to avoid our children and grandchildren inheriting a world devastated by global heating. Scientists tell us that if we don’t take action, the effects of heating will be catastrophic, both environmentally and economically.
“In declaring an emergency, we are signalling the urgency of action needed to mitigate and adapt to the impact of rising world temperatures and extreme weather events.”
Recent research commissioned by the council to better understand regional climate impacts for the Auckland region shows Auckland’s mean annual temperature is rising, rainfall patterns are changing, and our coastlines are being increasingly impacted by ongoing sea level rise.
Aucklanders are already feeling the effects of climate change, including sea level rise and flooding impacts. These impacts are expected to get more serious over time and will persist for the next several decades and beyond.
From a destination perspective the sector has taken a number of steps towards a more sustainable future as it works together to deliver the aspiration of the Destination AKL 2025 strategy.
This has seen good signups to the New Zealand Sustainability Commitment, businesses moving towards becoming zero waste and carbon neutral, but there’s always more that can be done. The vision for Destination AKL is for Auckland to be sustainable – economically, socially and environmentally – as a place to live, work and visit.
We are keen to make examples of these sustainable trailblazers and encourage other businesses to follow suit.
For more information on how Auckland will tackle its climate emergency, please visit the OurAuckland site.