Climate summit planned
In March, the Ka¯ piti Coast District Council will hold a summit and community event to kick-start a conversation on the challenges climate change will bring to our coastline.
National and local leaders and climate experts will address the Summit conference in the morning followed by a community event that will combine entertainment, food and family fun with the opportunity to find out more about climate change and its effect on our coastline.
Professor James Renwick, Ma¯ hina-a-rangi Baker and Professor Bruce Glavovic will be presenting on the day with more speakers to be announced.
The summit launches a significant community engagement project that aims to encourage and empower our communities to become more aware of the impacts of climate change and sea level rise and to take part in developing solutions and pathways for adapting to coming change.
Ka¯ piti mayor K Gurunathan says the Takutai Ka¯ piti Climate Change and Our Coast Summit will take place on Sunday, March 8 at Nga¯ Purapura in O¯ taki, and is a chance for the community to come together to discuss the issues and the challenges we face.
“As a coastal district, we know our community is facing significant environmental challenges as the result of our changing climate and rising sea levels which will erode our coastline over time.
“In May last year we declared a climate emergency on the
Ka¯ piti Coast. This is political recognition that our communities are facing an iceberg of significant costs now, and increasingly over the coming decades, from coastal erosion and floods.
“While we don’t know how significant these changes will be and how quickly they will happen, we do know that communities that plan for change, and work together, are more resilient in the face of that change.
“I encourage anyone in our community that is interested in how we respond to these challenges together, or wants to learn and share knowledge, to join us at Takutai Ka¯ piti.
“We won’t solve climate change issues for Ka¯ piti at one Summit — but it will be the start of a community-led process for responding to coastal change in the district.”
Councillor Sophie Handford says the devastating fires in
Australia are a stark reminder of how quickly we need to come together and take action.
“The fires show what the consequences will be worldwide if we fail to reduce our emissions and adapt by building resilient communities.
“If we don’t commit to having the conversation on climate change and our coast, and acting on it, we may have a completely different world to hand on to our children and our mokopuna. Responding to climate change is the defining moment for our generation and we all need to be part of this journey together.”