Waiheke Local Climate Action Plan

Green Business HQ developed the Waiheke Local Climate Action Plan: Waiheke ki tai, Waiheke ki tua for Waiheke Local Board on behalf of Auckland Council. The Waiheke Local Board area includes, Waiheke Island, the islands of Rangitoto, Motutapu, Motokorea, Motuihe, Ponui, Rakino, and a number of smaller islands. The plan with the bold goal of Net Positive Carbon Islands by 2040, was approved in December 2021. 

Image, Onetangi, Waiheke Island by Greg & Lois Nunes on Unsplash

what are climate actions?

Climate actions are projects, initiatives and activities which better connect us to the taiao (environment), and the whenua (land).

Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to begin to achieve a better balance and reciprocity between the carbon we emit and the carbon that our environment is able to absorb or sequester.

Meaning that we will be able to return to sustaining and maintaining whole living systems, and regenerate the mauri of taiao (nature), whenua (land) and tangata (people). Climate Change Action Plans provide a roadmap for creating these changes.

These actions:

• reduce or eliminate our use of fossil fuels (petrol, oil, diesel, natural gas, coal),
• result in changes to our lifestyles, businesses, infrastructure, buildings, consumption patterns, behaviour and environment which reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation)
• restore the taiao (nature), whenua (land), seas (tangaroa) and waterways (awa and puna) and
• increase our ability to respond to the climate changes already locked in by helping tangata (people) prepare, adapt and become more resilient.