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Our emissions reduction plan

Introduction

This Emissions Reduction Plan sets out how we will do our part to actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our operations and to aim at achieving a net zero emissions target by 2050.

Our emissions are produced from operations we carry out as part of our core functions, such as solid waste collection and disposal, water treatment, wastewater treatment, and operating facilities like swimming pools and libraries. We also own substantial forestry land, which acts as a carbon sink. As the trees grow, they remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce overall greenhouse gases. But we also harvest a small part of our forests to generate revenue. Harvesting forests produces greenhouse gas emissions, which offset the carbon absorbed as the trees grew and matured.

We recognise that we need to do more and we have set an emissions reduction target aligned with the latest climate science. This requires a reduction on the level and pace needed to help limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement4.

We have several actions already underway that are showing positive results. We also have more planned actions with funding approved in our 10-year plan, which are expected to reduce our emissions by 57% by 2050 from our 2018/19 base year or 68% compared to a ‘do nothing’ scenario. Additionally, we are actively investigating several actions to continue reducing our emissions beyond where our current and planned measures. These additional measures would help close the gap between the ‘current and planned measures’ trajectory and the 2050 net zero target.

This Emissions Reduction Plan will not only ensure that we stay on track to meet our emissions reduction target for the next 10–20 years but is also expected to save money for our ratepayers because we aim to implement actions and measures that have a positive financial return over their life.

Our current emissions reduction measures

Council has already implemented a range of initiatives and measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our operations, these will continue to be delivered and funded as part of Council’s business-as-usual. As these measures were implemented before the baseline year used to establish Council's emissions reduction target, their emissions reduction benefits are already included in the baseline projections.

To avoid double counting, their impacts have not been separately quantified or costed. But they continue to play an important role in reducing Council's operational emissions compared with a hypothetical scenario in which they had never been implemented. The table below summarises these existing measures to provide a complete picture of Council's ongoing efforts to reduce emissions. The sections underneath then focus on the new planned measures that will deliver additional emissions reductions and help keep Council on track to achieve its net zero emissions target by 2050.

Our emissions reduction measures by source

The drop-down section below looks at Council’s current and ongoing emissions reduction measures by source.

Buying carbon credits

Under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), Council is required to surrender carbon credits for the emissions associated with waste disposed at the Broadlands landfill, which costs around $1.8 million a year at 2022 prices.

Diverting waste

Continue diverting green waste and recycling from the landfill, and waste reduction measures focusing on organic waste like food waste, green and garden waste, and wood construction materials. In 2023/2024, we diverted 19,121 tonnes of waste from the landfill or around 41% of total landfilled waste.

Fund educational programmes

Our Long-Term Plan funds educational programmes to empower our community to reduce emissions by increasing awareness and fostering sustainable behaviour. We organise workshops that directly or indirectly reduce emissions, including our Home Composting workshop and Repair Café. We also offer grants of up to $2,000 for projects that reduce waste generation, promote reuse and recovery of materials, and divert waste from landfills through recycling and composting initiatives, and a subsidy of $100 when buying worm farms or home composting units.

Keep track of emissions

Continue to measure, record, verify and monitor our emissions annually in our Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

Vermi-compost biosolids

Continue to vermi-compost biosolids from wastewater treatment, which we have been doing for the past eight years.

Keep track of emissions

Continue to measure, record, verify and monitor our emissions annually in our Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

LED Streetlights

We have switched all our streetlights to LEDs.

Off-peak pumping

Switched to more off-peak pumping at our largest electricity-use site: Taupō wastewater treatment plant.

Enabling District Plan

An enabling District Plan supports and provides for renewable energy generation such as geothermal, hydro and solar power generation.

Keep track of emissions

Measure, record and monitor emissions annually in our Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

Clean vehicle fleet

Continue shifting our vehicle fleet to hybrid and electric vehicles.

Walking and cycling infrastructure

As part of our roading functions, we build extensive walking and cycling networks in our urban areas and are planning a $14.9 million programme of improvement works over the next 10 years, including new shared pathways and footpath connections, improved footpath lighting, new urban cycle lanes, more cycle racks and pedestrian crossing improvements.

Public transport provision

Provide regular public transport services to give people an alternative to driving.

Cycling education

Support cycling training and education in schools, in partnership with community and volunteer groups.

Keep track of emissions

Measure, record and monitor emissions annually in our Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

Refrigerant replacement

We have replaced all our refrigerants from chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) to fluorinated gas (F-gas) refrigerants, which has a much lower global warming potential5.

Cleaner heating fuels

Our largest pool, AC Baths, is geothermally heated. Tūrangi pool is heated by natural gas while the pool in Mangakino is unheated.

More online meetings

Council minimises car or air travel and attends digitally where feasible.

Keep track of emissions

Measure, record and monitor emissions annually in our Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

Scope 3 plan

We are implementing a plan to measure embedded Scope 3 emissions6 and identify actions to reduce them within the next three years.

Sustainable procurement

Our procurement policy provides for consideration of broader outcomes when purchasing goods, services or works. These broader outcomes include supporting the transition to a net zero emissions economy and assisting the Government to meet its goal of significantly reducing waste.

TEL fund management

Council holds significant financial investments, with the largest financial holding being the TEL fund at around $76.6 million in 2025. Although emissions, carbon offsets or sinks from our investments are not currently measured or monitored in our emissions inventory, the TEL fund is professionally managed with a requirement that managers work towards aligning the portfolio with net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. The fund also excludes investment in companies involved in the extraction of oil sands and thermal coal, or the extraction, production and refining of oil and gas.

Climate investments

Intentionally increase investment in companies, products or securities that provide climate change solutions when that aligns with other investment requirements.

Maintain forestry plantations

We maintain around 1,050 hectares of forests and an annual planting programme of Pinus radiata to replace harvested trees.

Fund native planting

We provide funding through our Community Grants and Partnership Agreements to support local volunteer groups that undertake native planting initiatives.

Keep track of emissions

Measure, record and monitor emissions annually in our Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

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