Submission on the Wellington City Council Draft 2010 Climate Change Action Plan - May 2010
SUBMISSION TO
WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL
DRAFT 2010 CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN
FROM THE
WELLINGTON REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MAY 2010
Introduction
The Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce has membership of 1,000 businesses in Wellington city and represents a regional hub of Chambers of Commerce with a further 4,500 businesses as members. While most of our members are in the Small to Medium Enterprise category we also have as members 15 of the largest 20 companies in New Zealand. The Chamber promotes policies that reflect the interests of the region’s business community and the development of the Wellington economy.
In the Greater Wellington region, the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce is at the forefront of business development and advocacy locally and regionally. In fulfilling this role, the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce works closely with other chambers in the region, with the EMA (Central), Business New Zealand and with council-controlled Economic Development Agencies such as Grow Wellington.
The Chamber is pleased to have the opportunity to make this submission on Wellington City Council’s Draft 2010 Climate Change Action Plan (the Draft Action Plan).
General Comment
We are strongly supportive of sound international measures to address the risk of climate change by reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. New Zealand must do its bit on this critical issue but we believe policy to achieve this should be at the central government level not the local government level.
In other words, we do not believe that the council has the leadership role in mitigating climate change it thinks it does as set out in the Draft Action Plan.
We accept the council has a role in helping the city prepare for the potential impacts of climate change (adaptation). This means gradually over time increasing the city’s resilience to stronger winds and storms etc by investing in infrastructure in the areas it has responsibility for. Planning for such changes is only prudent.
While we agree that all things being equal Wellingtonians reducing carbon emissions is a good thing, we do not accept the council has a role in encouraging its citizens to reduce emissions and we question the expenditure the council is putting in this area.
We do not support the carbon neutral city vision adopted in 2007. We were disappointed that the council did not do a cost/benefit analysis before announcing the vision. While we recognise the natural advantages Wellington has towards reducing emissions (wind, trees, compact geography) and the benefits of doing so, the costs also need to be taken account of.
Furthermore, we were also opposed to the Mayor’s visit to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference last year.
How on earth does Wellington think it can do anything to save the polar bears?
While it is clear we have a fundamental difference with the council’s general approach to climate change, we have to say that the Draft Action Plan is largely a well-balanced document. For example, most of the high level objectives (listed on page 12) and many of the initiatives being undertaken by council are desirable. (Often they are positive in their own right and the additional environmental benefits are a bonus eg renewable energy generation in the city, a sound public transport system, warm efficient homes and abundant trees etc).
On the other hand there are many initiatives we do not support. Our main concern is that this is the thin end of the wedge and that the carbon neutral goal, the ambitious targets the council has set, and the leadership role the council sees itself having will lead to a greater cost on ratepayers and a distraction from council’s core business.
Many initiatives which are within existing budgets involve council lobbying various parties - government and private sector. We don’t, for example, think it is council’s role to urge airlines to adopt more efficient flight plans.
Many programmes are duplicating what is happening at central or regional government level meaning money is wasted and environmental benefits are sacrificed.
New Spending
Each of the new spending initiatives listed in the Draft Action Plan are discussed here.
1. Preparing for the impacts of climate change
As stated above, we support prudent actions to prepare the city for the potential impacts of climate change. The proposal to assess Wellington’s vulnerability to climate change is therefore supported.
2. Electric Vehicle Pilot
We look forward to the widespread commercial usage of electric vehicles in Wellington but we are not convinced that it is the council’s role to pilot such a scheme. Also, we are not sure what ‘featuring electric vehicles in separate company’s fleets’ means.
3. Council Energy Efficiency Initiatives
We fully support efforts by WCC to reduce energy consumption in its own operations. This will have financial benefits for rate-payers as well as environmental benefits.
It is not clear why it is necessary to spend money to save money on reduced emissions but we are pleased to note the initiatives are expected to pay for themselves over time.
4. Business Energy Saver Programme
Businesses have a financial (as well environmental) incentive to reduce their energy consumption. We tend to be cynical about many public programmes which aim to assist because of their cost.
Where there is a case for publicly funded schemes (eg increasing awareness of ways to reduce energy consumption), we think these should be left at the central government level (i.e. the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.) We do not see them as a local government role.
5. Home Energy Saver Programme
Again, we do not see it as local government role to get involved here. There are programmes at the central government level which should suffice.
Reductions Targets
The interim target of 3% by June 2013 is quite ambitious especially if it is 3% below 2001 levels. Will the council be accountable if this and the other targets are not achieved or are they are aspirational only?
We are surprised that emissions measurements have not yet been undertaken to establish whether these targets are on track.
