To help protect our people and place from the impacts of climate change, we must act together now to rapidly cut our city’s emissions.
Dunedin's Zero Carbon journey
Dunedin Ōtepoti has a goal to become a Zero Carbon city by 2030. To achieve this goal, we have a Zero Carbon Plan that maps out the changes we need as a city, and the actions that the Dunedin City Council (DCC) will take to help bring about those changes.
The Zero Carbon Plan maps out the changes that Dunedin needs to become a Zero Carbon city, and what the DCC is doing next to help make that happen.
It addresses emissions through actions that cover four main areas:
- Transport: How can we make it easier for people to travel in different ways?
- Waste: How can we reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill?
- Energy: How can we use cleaner sources of energy and increase energy efficiency?
- Local economy and community: How can we support the local businesses and community take climate positive actions?
Why is it important to become a zero carbon city?
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. It is already affecting communities in many ways.
Ōtepoti Dunedin isn’t immune to climate change and its impacts - the city is experiencing more extreme weather, sea levels are rising, ecosystems are under pressure, and communities are being disrupted by new hazards and risks.
Adapting to climate change is important. However, successful adaptation will only be possible if emissions are also reduced to limit the severity of climate change.
As a global community, we have a short window of time to reduce emissions sufficiently to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. If we can limit global warming to 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels, we can avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Although small on a world scale, Ōtepoti Dunedin has an important part to play to slow down climate change. New Zealanders generate more emissions per person than residents of most other countries. Taking action to reduce emissions will help meet the Paris Agreement and other global agreements.
The journey so far
Ōtepoti Dunedin’s Zero Carbon Plan is another step on a journey that is already underway.
National context
The New Zealand Parliament passed the Climate Change Response Act in 2002. In 2016, New Zealand ratified the Paris Agreement and in 2019, a target was set for New Zealand to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and introduced a legal requirement for national emissions budget and emission reduction plans. At the same time the Parliament also established He Pou A Rangi Climate Change Commission. In 2022, the Parliament adopted New Zealand's first nationwide emissions budget and emissions reduction plan.
Dunedin's journey
Proving once again we're a great small city, Dunedin Ōtepoti is aiming high with a plan to be carbon neutral by 2030. Here is what we have done so far:
The DCC's first emissions inventory
2012
Enables the DCC to understand and reduce its emissions.
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate Energy
2016
Ōtepoti Dunedin joins the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
The DCC's first Carbon Management Policy
2017
Climate emergency & Zero Carbon 2030 target
2019
Ōtepoti Dunedin declares a climate emergency and sets the Zero Carbon 2030 target.
The DCC adopts the Zero Carbon Policy
2022
Zero Carbon Plan 2030
2023
Ōtepoti Dunedin's first emissions reduction plan is adopted.