Pledge to combine over climate change

Councils across wider Manawatu¯ will be asked to pledge their support to working together to combat the effects of climate change.

But some climate advocates say the measure does not go far enough and one likens greenhouse gas emissions to genocide.

Horizons Regional Council has recently signed off on its proposed climate-change memorandum of understanding. The memorandum, intended to be signed by mayors from Manawatu¯ , Tararua, Horowhenua, Palmerston North, Ruapehu, Rangitı¯kei and Whanganui, states climate change needs to be urgently focused on.

‘‘We acknowledge that action is needed now to avoid its worst effects and achieve a just transition to a resilient, sustainable future.

‘‘It is a matter of great significance to the communities our councils serve.’’

The memorandum comes with goals for councils, including working together to mitigate climate-change effects, working with iwi and hapu¯ , and regularly reporting on work on climate-change adaptation and mitigation.

Horizons chief executive Michael Mccartney said he suggested the memorandum to other council chief executives as a way to unify their efforts and thinking. Those chief executives had expressed support. The idea was for the memorandum to be part of the agreement Horizons signs with those other councils after each election.

That would result in the councils committing to the undertakings, complete with monitoring of performance, Mccartney said.

The memorandum needed to be signed by the mayors of each council first, he said.

Although all Horizons councillors voted for the memorandum to go ahead, members of the public wanted more.

Robert Gibb, from All Saints’ Green Taskforce, said the ‘‘preamble’’ of the memorandum was strong, but the action points were not.

‘‘We are at a crucial point,’’ he said. Emissions were increasing at a ‘‘suicidal rate’’, contributing to the ‘‘genocide’’ of native species and future generations.

Gibb wanted to ensure measures such as quarterly reporting for councils, using Palmerston North City Council as an example.

That council wanted to reduce emissions by 25 per cent, but there was no reporting to show how its decisions affected emissions, Gibb said.

Levin resident Sam Ferguson, who is running for Horizons in the Horowhenua ward in the upcoming election, said he thought the memorandum could be stronger.

It noted adaptation and mitigation, but Ferguson said there should be a direct note on reducing climate-change gases.

‘‘To put it bluntly, the [action points] section of this document does not support the glimmer of hope I was able to glean from the preamble.’’

Horizons councillor Rachel Keedwell said she had wanted something like the memorandum since she was voted on to the council six years ago.

‘‘It initially felt like pulling teeth.’’ She had discussed declaring a climate emergency with some councillors, but it felt like grandstanding compared with getting all the councils working together.

Many other councillors said it was a great starting point.

‘‘We are at a crucial point.’’ Robert Gibb from All Saints’ Green Taskforce