Council chooses to sign climate change declaration
Taupō District Council has agreed to sign the Local Government Leaders’ Climate Change Declaration 2017, confirming its commitment to respond to climate change.
The decision was made at yesterday’s council meeting following a workshop on the issue earlier this month. At that workshop, there was an impassioned plea from Taupō youth for the issue to be taken seriously for the sake of future generations.
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) produced a position on climate change in 2017 that highlights the need to act with urgency to avoid future risk from climate change. The majority of New Zealand councils have signed the declaration.
Mayor David Trewavas said councillors stood behind taking action and the signing of the declaration would give direction to how the council operated its business and planned for the future of the Taupō District community.
“Having absorbed all the information about climate change, it’s clear we in the local government sector need to act to ensure the safety and success of our district heading into the future,” he said. “We are proud to become a signatory on this very important issue and plan to reflect this commitment in our work.”
Mr Trewavas said as a signatory, the council was committed to developing and implementing ambitious action plans that reduced greenhouse gas emissions and supporting resilience within the council and the community.
“We hope to work with communities to proactively prepare for, and respond to, the impacts climate change can bring while working alongside central government,” he said.
LGNZ has pledged to support local government agencies who commit to the declaration.