Wao founder Monique Kelly is pleased to see the Climate and Biodiversity Plan (CABP) has been adopted by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).

The CABP sets out how the council will respond to climate change and biodiversity loss over the next three years and sets out 70 actions to help the district reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 44 percent by 2030.

Monique said the CABP is “another step to getting action on climate action and mitigation as well as biodiversity at the top of the district's agenda”.

Wao is a non-profit aiming to help New Zealanders reach a more regenerative future and Monique said it was important to get the plan “off the pages and into concrete action”.

“We've also got to remember, it's not just about council policy. All of us have a role to play and we can't just sit back and think that council will do it for us.”

The new CABP was approved by QLDC at last Thursday’s (June 30) full council meeting. 

Its action points range from reducing carbon emissions through more effective land-use planning and infrastructure design to regenerating native forest, QLDC climate action programme manager Katherine Durman said.

“There are technical, nitty-gritty actions focused on procurement and building materials, as well as broader actions, such as pledging our commitment to the international effort to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” Katherine said.

Council’s climate action team began developing the plan in April 2021, building on the first Climate Action Plan 2019-2022.

Following engagement and public feedback this year, the draft plan was further revised and an additional $420,000 was added to the plan’s budget, which allowed it to ramp up the number of actions.

The CABP includes an emissions profile for the district and council, predicted climate impacts, and a focus on the biodiversity crisis; it outlines major challenges for the district, including climate and biodiversity leadership, urban growth, tourism, public transport, agriculture, air travel, waste, and communication.

Read the CABP 2022-2025 here.

PHOTO: Wānaka App