Draft Climate Change Principles

Thank you for your interest, engagement on our draft Principles closed on Friday, 30 August 2019. Feedback received was considered, and the final Principles, incorporating changes as a result of feedback, were adopted by the Council on Wednesday, 18 September 2019. To view the final Climate Change Principles, learn more about our Climate Change Project, or provide feedback about our Project, please see our Climate Change Project Page.

What greater threat to our wellbeing is there than the current threat of climate change?
- Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand

Since 2017 we have been working to ensure we are proactively responding to the challenges and opportunities climate change presents.

As part of this work, we have developed a set of seven draft Climate Change Principles that will guide all future decision-making and provide a framework under which to progress future climate change-related actions.

These principles are based on those set out in the Local Government Leaders Climate Change Declaration, which Mayor Tony Bonne signed on Whakatāne District Council's behalf in 2017. We have included a series of statements under each one specifically relating to us.

These principles are the first stage of developing our Climate Change Strategy. The Strategy will set out targets, and Action Plans will detail how we will work towards the targets, including timeframes.

We would like to hear your thoughts. Please read through each of the seven Principles below, and then complete the form at the bottom of this page by 30 August 2019.

Check out our full Draft Climate Change Principles Document - (PDF, 2.76 MB)

Our Climate Change Principles
Ngā Kaupapa Take Āhuarangi

1. 'We will act now.'
Ka mahi mātou ināianei

Learn more about this principle and what this means to us

Precaution
Whakatūpato

There is clear and compelling evidence for the need to act now on climate change and to adopt a precautionary approach because of the irreversible nature and scale of risks involved. Together with the global community, we must eliminate the possibility of planetary warming beyond two degrees from pre-industrial levels. This could potentially threaten life on Earth (Article 2 of the UNFCCC). Actions need to be based on sound scientific evidence and resourced to deliver the necessary advances. Acting now will reduce future risks and costs associated with climate change.

Whakatāne District Council:

• Commits to monitoring and reducing our organisational carbon emissions, and will consider offsetting emissions as a temporary measure where options for reduction are impractical.
• Will show climate change leadership, including by facilitating and supporting⁴ emissions reduction across the Whakatāne District
• Recognises that there is a fundamental need to change the way we do things in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while ensuring we continue to meet our mandated requirements as a local authority
• Aims to properly resource our part in mitigating and adapting to climate change to meet our moral and legal obligations and the aspirations of our communities, while recognising that all of society has responsibilities to respond
• Commits to ensuring that our organisation culture, key documents, and decisions reflect and align with these Climate Change Principles

2. 'We will look after our people and place'
Ka tiaki mātou i o tātou tāngata me tō tātou kāinga

Learn more about this principle and what this means to us

Stewardship
Kaitiakitanga

Each person and organisation has a duty of care to safeguard the life-supporting capacity of the environment on which we all depend, and to care for each other. Broad-based climate policies should enable all organisations and individuals to do all they feasibly can to reduce emissions and enhance resilience. Policies should be flexible to allow for locally and culturally appropriate responses.

Whakatāne District Council:

• Will advocate for the wellbeing of our communities, our environment, our Pacific neighbourhood, and the planet
• Will work to improve resource efficiency and healthy homes, businesses and infrastructure in our district, recognising that efficiency alone is not a complete solution
• Will support¹³ the use of renewable energy including the uptake of solar power and electric vehicles where appropriate
• Will drive impact through a procurement process which maximises delivery of our climate change objectives, to achieve best value for money, encompassing economic, social and environmental outcomes
• Will consider whole of life emissions and the circular economy¹⁴ in our decision-making
• Will develop emissions reduction targets to incorporate into current operations and future decision making
• Acknowledges that our response to climate change must be flexible, and respond to developments in data, science, and central government direction while being locally and culturally appropriate
• Will promote walking, cycling, public transport, electric vehicles and other low carbon transport options, recognising that transport represents a large portion of the District's emissions

3. 'We will acknowledge those most affected.'
Ka mihi mātou ki a rātou kua pā mārika i ngā Take Āhuarangi

Learn more about this principle and what this means to us

Equity/Justice
Manatika

It is a fundamental human right to inherit a habitable planet and live in a just society. The most vulnerable in our community are often disproportionately affected by a range of factors including climate change and natural hazards. Approaches need to consider those most affected and without a voice, including vulnerable members in our community, our Pacific neighbours and future generations.

Whakatāne District Council:

• Acknowledges that mitigating and adapting to climate change is the right thing to do not only for people but also for the health of the planet
• Recognises that for some mana whenua, threats from climate change may present a threat to their identity, lands and culture
• Aspires for all people to have access to transparent and timely information about climate change and its implications to enable informed decision-making
• Will, where possible, support¹⁵ the community to mitigate and adapt to climate change, recognising that capacity to do so is dependent on physical, social, economic and political factors
• Recognises that necessary changes to mitigate and adapt to climate change will vary across the District, which will affect the nature of support required
• Recognise that those who experience socio-economic and other disadvantages are likely to be disproportionately impacted by climate change
• Aims to identify and look for opportunities to address inequalities or disadvantages created through decisions relating to climate change
• Will continue to build a strong understanding about the District’s communities, environment, and landscape to enable issues of equity and justice, as they relate to climate change, to be managed.

4. 'We will think and act long-term.'
Ka whakaaro pae tawhiti, ka mahi pae tawhiti mātou

Learn more about this principle and what this means to us

Anticipation
Tirohanga whakamua

Long-term thinking, policies and actions are needed to ensure the reasonably foreseeable needs of current and future generations are met. A clear and consistent pathway toward a low carbon and resilient future needs to provide certainty for successive governments, businesses and communities to enable transformative decisions and investments to be made over time.

Whakatāne District Council:

• Recognises that allocating funding to climate change mitigation and adaptation now is an investment for the future, will save money in the long-term, and is necessary to ensure future generations are not unfairly burdened with the financial, cultural, social, and environmental costs of climate change
• Recognises that funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation needs to be made at all levels of government, and will advocate for regional and central government investment
• Will incorporate climate change implications into infrastructure, urban development, and land-use decisions
• Will take a long-term approach to waste management and energy use, including transport infrastructure
• Will, in decision-making, assess natural hazards over a time period appropriate to the life of the decision being made, taking into account the provisions of the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement
• Will build internal capacity and understanding with a view to using the DAPP (Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning) method in decision-making, as recommended by the Ministry for the Environment.

5. 'We will learn.'
Ka ako mātou

Learn more about this principle and what this means to us

Understanding
Māramatanga

Sound knowledge is the basis of informed decision-making and participatory democracy. Using the best available information in education, community consultation, planning and decisionmaking is vital. Growing understanding about the potential impacts of climate change, the need to respond, and ways to respond, along with understanding the costs and benefits for acting, will be crucial to gain community support for the transformational approaches needed.

Whakatāne District Council:

• Will build organisational knowledge about climate change and mitigation and adaptation opportunities through internal education initiatives
• Will explore opportunities to build community knowledge about climate change and its impacts
• Will incorporate a range of information sources in decisionmaking, including science, local knowledge, and Mātauranga Māori
• Will monitor international, national, and regional developments in climate change science, with an aim of using the best possible data and evidence consistently across the organisation
• Will be future-focused, but remain mindful of past decisions and current assets, and how these might be impacted by climate change Will work to remain abreast of national and international examples and practices in response to climate change.

6. 'We will be part of the solution.'
Ka āwhina mātou ki te whakatika i ngā raru

Learn more about this principle and what this means to us

Co-operation
Mahi tahi

The nature and scale of climate change requires a global response and human solidarity. We have a shared responsibility and cannot effectively respond alone. Building strong relationships between countries and across communities, organisations and scientific disciplines will be vital to share knowledge, drive innovation, and support social and economic progress in addressing climate change.

Whakatāne District Council:

• Acknowledges that action on climate change requires coherent and consistent governance across central and local government, as well as commitments from private industry and the community
• Will work with our communities and key stakeholders to understand, prepare for and respond to the multi-dimensional impacts of climate change
• Will seek to ascertain and make use of the knowledge and skills already present in the community
• Will collaborate with key partners regionally and nationally to ensure actions align across organisational boundaries
• Will work with central government to deliver on national emission reduction targets and support resilience in our communities.

7. 'We will build capacity to recover from difficulties.'
Ka whakakaha mātou i a tātou

Learn more about this principle and what this means to us

Resilience
Manawaroa

Some of the impacts of climate change are now unavoidable. Enhancing the resilience and readiness of communities and businesses is needed so they can thrive in the face of changes. Protecting the safety of people and property is supported by sound planning and a good understanding of the risks and potential responses to avoid and mitigate risk.

Whakatāne District Council:

• Will become a more resilient¹⁶ organisation embedded within more resilient communities, recognising that building resilience is an ongoing process with no end-point
• Will use effective risk assessment, asset and project planning to increase the robustness and resilience of all our built and social infrastructure
• Will factor in the impacts of climate change on our key infrastructure and the ability of our communities and businesses to continue to function following a disruptive event
• Will factor in the predicted impacts of climate change on planning, constructing and renewal of key infrastructure to improve community resilience
• Will support initiatives that foster community cohesion and build social capital¹⁷ as key components of building resilience
• Will adopt and promote low carbon, climate-resilient planning as a key tenet of sustainable socio-economic development, and land-use decisions
• Will accept that some parts of our district may require retreat and removal of infrastructure to adequately manage risks
• Will take an all-hazard approach to managing risks, recognising that climate change might create new hazards which are currently not known to us
• Will explore opportunities to build awareness of risk and encourage community-led steps to increase preparedness and resilience.

Have your say on our Climate Change Principles

Thank you for your interest, engagement on our draft Principles closed on Friday, 30 August 2019.

Find more information about climate change, and our Climate Change Project »