An inaugural Manawatū-Whanganui Joint Climate Action Plan has been released to
clarify councils’ role in addressing climate change impacts in the Horizons Region to build thriving communities and preserve and enhance the environment.
The plan contains recommendations to councils, including incorporating climate change impacts into planning processes, agreeing on areas where councils can work together and talking to communities about potential impacts of climate change in the region.
Each council in the region will need to consider how climate change is going to be addressed in each district and implement the recommendations in the plan. This should lead to individual council actions plans being created that provide a greater level of detail. Communities can expect to see those actions reflected in upcoming Long-term Plans.
As we adapt to climate change, councils are committed to making changes in a fair and equitable way and upholding the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi. There’s a strong focus in the plan about working with communities, tangata whenua and central Government to adapt to the changing climate, to make our region more resilient, and reduce emissions.
There are also recommendations about things we can all do now to make our households more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate. Each of us doing what we can, no matter how small, to reduce our carbon footprint and prepare for more severe weather, will move us further along the path of climate action.
