Environment- Empty words on climateBy: Stuart Windross
The Mahurangi East Residents and Ratepayers Association (MERRA), says it is absurd that Auckland Council should declare a Climate Emergency, yet be prepared to accept hundreds of heavy diesel road vehicles servicing a proposed landfill in the Dome Valley.
In June 2019, Auckland Council declared a Climate Emergency. It committed to halving Auckland’s greenhouse emissions by 2030 and promised climate change would now be “front and centre of its decision making”. Likewise, the Climate Change Commission has promised strong and decisive action to address climate change across Aotearoa. National and local polices and targets around emissions, traffic congestion, road safety and freight-onto-rail mesh nicely. Momentum and commitment seems evident. So how does this manifest in practice?