Climate change and sustainability

Photo of a man planting shrubs.

Our climate change and sustainability work includes how we adapt to a changing climate as well as what we can do to reduce our environmental footprint.

Draft Climate Action Plan

We declared a climate emergency in 2019. In response to this, we have developed a Draft Climate Action Plan.

The Draft Climate Action Plan has outcomes focused on both climate change mitigation and adaptation. This draft plan covers our whole District, outlining ways we can manage and act on the effects of climate change.

Draft Climate Action Plan Summary(PDF, 119KB)

Draft Climate Action Plan - Full Suite(PDF, 459KB)

Northland-wide Climate Adaptation Strategy

Since 2019, we have been working together to develop an adaptation plan that will protect our people, places and cultural identity. The Te Tai Tokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy was adopted by councils and tangata whenua representatives in April 2022. 

Climate Adaptation Te Tai Tokerau (CATT)

Climate Change Work Programme overview

Climate change represents one of the greatest risks to our communities, biodiversity, economy and the life-supporting capacity of our planet. The effects of climate change are being felt across the world, and in our district communities are already experiencing real changes.

The future physical impacts of climate change are likely to be significant and wide-ranging, and will affect our diverse communities, industries, natural environments and key infrastructure differently.

We recognise the need for action to reduce further harm. Through our Climate Change and Sustainability work programme, we have committed to reducing emissions that cause climate change (known as climate change mitigation) and to helping our communities adapt to the effects of climate change (known as climate change adaptation).

We will work alongside our hapū partners and our communities to help build a more resilient and sustainable District.

Sustainability Strategy overview

This strategy is about Council getting our own house in order.

Actions in the strategy focus on building our understanding of how we use and consume resources and then setting targets to reduce emissions and waste and to increase efficiency.

We look at operating in a cleaner, safer, healthier way. Acknowledging climate change is a serious environmental issue, mitigation is a key component of this strategy.

Sustainability Strategy

Climate Adaptation Te Taitokerau (CATT) overview

Councils have an important role to play in climate change adaptation, with education and advice, as well as with planning and managing adaptation responses at a local and regional level.

We need to be flexible and dynamic with our response to climate change, because the timing and scale of impacts are uncertain.

This is a new, challenging space for councils and communities. We’re working with all four Northland councils, hapū and iwi partners, to respond to the challenges of climate change in Te Taitokerau.

The first piece of work in 2021 will be the Te Taitokerau Adaptation Strategy, which will pull together key information in a series of technical reports covering:

  • foundational principals
  • climate risk assessments
  • adaptation tools for local government
  • community adaption plans.