Overview
Wellington City Council aims to protect and enhance the city's environment, including its many green spaces and protect the city’s distinctive plant, bird and animal life, while providing great outdoor places for residents and visitors to enjoy.
The Council also works to ensure its built environment provides for the city's needs, including transportation, to use resources efficiently and dispose of waste in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Actions to protect and enhance the natural environment include:
- providing hundreds of hectares of Council land for Town Belt, parks, gardens and reserves
- protecting the coastline
- planning for the future development of the city’s green spaces
- working with others to protect native plants, wildlife and stream environments
- disposing of waste in an environmentally sustainable manner
- facilitating and promoting sustainable behaviour in the community such as using public transport or recycling
- participating in the Communities for Climate Protection Programme.
World Environment Day
Wellington was the international host of World Environment Day 2008 on 5 June. This global event is promoted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Ministry for the Environment.
World Environment Day began in 1972 to focus public attention on the state of the environment. It is now observed annually in over 100 countries.
To focus on low carbon economies and lifestyles, a variety of events and activities surrounding World Environment Day took place from 28 May - 15 June. The events promoted energy efficiency, alternative energy, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption.
- World Environment Day - Ministry for the Environment website
- World Environment Day 2008 - United Nations Environment Programme website
Climate Change
Wellington City Council takes climate change seriously, and is implementing measures to reduce both the Council's and the city's carbon footprint.
In 2007 the Council agreed to a vision for Wellington to be carbon neutral by 2012, putting Wellington on the road to becoming the world's first green capital. It also adopted ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including reducing Council emissions by 40 percent and community emissions by 30 percent by 2020.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets
| Base Year | 2010 | 2020 | 2050 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Reduction Targets | 2003 | Stabilise | 40% | 80% |
| Community Reduction Targets | 2001 | Stabilise | 30% | 80% |
This vision concerns the whole community - including residents, businesses, the Council and visitors - so a collaborative approach is critical. Each of us has a role to play.
The Council has established a Climate Change Office and agreed to a Climate Change Action Plan. The Office will implement the Action Plan and help the Council champion and lead the change to a lower carbon future for Wellington.
Environmental Strategy
Wellington hills
The Council has developed an Environmental Strategy. It is part of a set of seven strategies that cover all Council activities. These strategies were developed with the 2006 - 2016 Long Term Council Community Plan.
- Environmental Strategy (290Kb PDF)
- Strategies 2006 - 2016
The strategy covers many aspects, and has close links to the broader Sustainable Development Strategy, a key background document that was adopted by the Council in 2003.
Sustainable Development Strategy (128Kb PDF)
Your comments and suggestions are welcome. Use the Council Query and Comment Form.
Council Query and Comment Form
Related Links
- Climate Change Action Plan
- Composting
- Earth Hour website
- Environmental Strategy (290Kb PDF)
- Natural Environment - Te Ara website
- News Release - 07.12.07
- News Release - 26.02.08
- Plans and Policies
- Sustainable Development Strategy (128Kb PDF)
- Sustainable Energy Grant
- Towards Carbon Neutrality Report - June 2007 (140Kb PDF)
Department Details:
Policy
