GVT: Hon Pete Hodgson: Launch of communities for climate change protection programme
anno...@executive.govt.nz
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C474AD.643B5230
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Launch of communities for climate change protection programme
This programme is a key element of the Government's Climate Change =
Policy.
---------------------------------
13:25 - 13:35, Local Government New Zealand conference, The Edge, Aotea =
Centre, Auckland
It is my very great pleasure to launch the Communities for Climate =
Protection New Zealand (CCP-NZ) programme today.
This programme is a key element of the Government's Climate Change =
Policy. It recognises that councils are ideally placed to lead local =
action on climate change. It also recognises that councils are =
undertaking some innovative and inspiring initiatives in the areas of =
waste management, sustainable transport, urban design, energy =
efficiency, public education and sustainable land use planning right =
now. But we all need to take the next step if New Zealand is to remain =
at the forefront of environmental sustainability.
The Ministry for the Environment's Climate Change Office has introduced =
the CCP programme to provide your council with the tools and information =
to take this next step and demonstrate leadership in climate change =
action. As a world-wide initiative, New Zealand councils joining up to =
the CCP programme will benefit from a range of international best =
practice and experience. The programme will assist councils to develop =
greenhouse emissions inventories, set targets for reductions, develop =
action plans for achieving these, and monitor progress towards targets =
on an on-going basis. In short, it is a proven and globally-recognised =
strategic framework for taking action on climate change.
But what does this mean in practice? Going by the success of this =
programme internationally - it means a great deal. In Canada, CO2 =
equivalent savings of 51% were achieved through the introduction of a =
solid waste management plan. In Colorado, Boulder City Council have =
introduced an integrated bus and cycle system that has significantly cut =
car use, saving the equivalent of around 23,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. =
It is real life examples such as these, and whole host more in energy =
efficiency, that participating councils can draw on. =20
Being part of the programme means councils have a wealth of experience =
to draw on - of ideas, of what needs to be done to get a project off the =
ground, of what works and doesn't, of how best the community can be =
encouraged to participate, of what sort of financial and emissions =
savings should result.=20
=20
Some will say that climate change action is too hard, too costly. I =
simply don't accept that. Climate change action is an umbrella term for =
a whole range of actions that are not new to councils. Nor do climate =
change priorities look all that different from council and community =
priorities defined under the Long-Term Council Community Plan process. =
Most of you, as council representatives and members of the community, =
want cleaner air, cleaner water, less congested motorways, healthier =
homes and children, secure electricity supply, more efficient use of =
energy, and better management of waste.
As Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change it is one of my =
main goals - and a key goal of this Government - to set New Zealand's =
greenhouse gas emissions toward a permanent downwards path by 2012. =
This can only be achieved if there is a shift - a permanent shift - =
towards more climate-friendly behaviour in all levels of government, in =
business, and out there in the community. =20
In commending the CCP to you, note that it is deliberately complementary =
to EECA's EnergyWise Councils Partnership initiative to help communities =
achieve healthier homes, cleaner air, reduced car trips and lower energy =
bills. This energy efficiency focused programme is based around the =
simple principal of making better choices. At a community level, =
councils are not only responsible for their own energy choices, they can =
have a real impact on the choices made by the wider community about =
energy use.=20
Let me give you an example. Christchurch City Council was a founding =
member of the partnership back in 1995. With EECA, it undertook simple =
things like energy audits of council buildings, swimming pools, art =
galleries, water treatment plants, street lighting and rental housing; =
drew up an energy management action plan (which it updates yearly) and =
started to include energy policy in its environmental business plan. The =
results speak for themselves. From 1995 to 2002 the Council invested =
$4.2 million in energy management. It made cumulative energy cost =
savings of $12.2 million.=20
Wellington City Council, Nelson City Council, Masterton District Council =
and Waitakere City Council (in partnership with Ecomatters Environmental =
Trust) are also working with EECA on its Energywise Home Grants =
Programme. EECA's target is to provide home energy efficiency grants of =
around $2000 to 6000 homes. So far, EECA has let tenders for 1800 homes =
nationwide. These four councils alone have committed to meet over a =
third of that total - some 631 homes.
We talk a lot about a low carbon future. There is a real challenge in =
how we get from where we are now - with our reliance on fossil fuels - =
to a future point where we have a diversity of energy sources and =
improved energy choices. As councils, you have immense influence over =
the future development and direction of your communities. I urge you to =
think very carefully about your energy future, and how best your =
community can take advantage of technology changes. =20
=20
New Zealand is blessed with natural renewable energy resources, =
particularly hydro but also geothermal and wind. The price of power is =
rising at the same time as the price of renewable energy technology is =
falling, making an increased number of renewable energy developments =
economically viable. Wind energy generation will quadruple over the =
next year or so and that gives pause for thought as to how councils and =
communities can take advantage of such excellent localised generation. I =
challenge all councils, and in particular councils joining the CCP, to =
consider how they might take advantage of renewable energy sources on =
their doorstep.
Last year, the Climate Change Office ran an inaugural projects tender =
round to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This programme provided =
financial support, in the form of internationally tradable emissions =
units, for new projects that reduced emissions of greenhouse gases such =
as carbon dioxide or methane over the Kyoto Protocol First Commitment =
period (2008 - 2012). Two councils have already benefited from the first =
Projects round. =20
The criteria for this year's second projects tender round have been =
modified to encourage a broader range of climate-friendly projects. I =
expect to see more agriculture, energy efficiency, transport and =
bio-energy projects to be successful in this year's tender process. I =
encourage every council here to think creatively about =
greenhouse-reduction projects that could be eligible for this programme. =
This year's round will make available a further six million emission =
credits. I expect the tender to take place from late August to =
mid-October, with tender decisions made in December. =20
In conclusion, may I say again how delighted I am to welcome Waitakere =
City Council, Kapiti Coast District Council, Masterton District Council =
and Christchurch City Council into the Communities for Climate =
Protection programme. I am confident that many more councils across the =
country will join these leader councils. In particular, I look forward =
to greater awareness this programme will bring of the enormous potential =
for business opportunities, financial savings, and community gains from =
climate change action.
The Pete Hodgson mailing list operated by OneSquared Limited.
To unsubscribe, enter the following address in your browser address bar =
and press the Enter key.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Lists/index.aspx?UID=3D2160&unsubscribe=3Dyes
You can also subscribe to this service or change and maintain your =
existing subscription list by going to:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/lists/default.cfm
------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C474AD.643B5230
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<html><head></head><body><font face=3D'verdana' size=3D'2'><b>Launch of =
communities for climate change protection programme</b><br><br>This =
programme is a key element of the Government's Climate Change =
Policy.<br><br>---------------------------------<br><br>13:25 - 13:35, =
Local Government New Zealand conference, The Edge, Aotea Centre, =
Auckland<BR><BR>It is my very great pleasure to launch the Communities =
for Climate Protection New Zealand (CCP-NZ) programme today.<BR><BR>This =
programme is a key element of the Government's Climate Change Policy. =
It recognises that councils are ideally placed to lead local action on =
climate change. It also recognises that councils are undertaking some =
innovative and inspiring initiatives in the areas of waste management, =
sustainable transport, urban design, energy efficiency, public education =
and sustainable land use planning right now. But we all need to take =
the next step if New Zealand is to remain at the forefront of =
environmental sustainability.<BR><BR>The Ministry for the Environment's =
Climate Change Office has introduced the CCP programme to provide your =
council with the tools and information to take this next step and =
demonstrate leadership in climate change action. As a world-wide =
initiative, New Zealand councils joining up to the CCP programme will =
benefit from a range of international best practice and experience. The =
programme will assist councils to develop greenhouse emissions =
inventories, set targets for reductions, develop action plans for =
achieving these, and monitor progress towards targets on an on-going =
basis. In short, it is a proven and globally-recognised strategic =
framework for taking action on climate change.<BR><BR>But what does this =
mean in practice? Going by the success of this programme internationally =
- it means a great deal. In Canada, CO2 equivalent savings of 51% were =
achieved through the introduction of a solid waste management plan. In =
Colorado, Boulder City Council have introduced an integrated bus and =
cycle system that has significantly cut car use, saving the equivalent =
of around 23,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. It is real life examples such =
as these, and whole host more in energy efficiency, that participating =
councils can draw on. <BR><BR>Being part of the programme means =
councils have a wealth of experience to draw on - of ideas, of what =
needs to be done to get a project off the ground, of what works and =
doesn't, of how best the community can be encouraged to participate, of =
what sort of financial and emissions savings should result. <BR><BR> =
<BR>Some will say that climate change action is too hard, too costly. I =
simply don't accept that. Climate change action is an umbrella term for =
a whole range of actions that are not new to councils. Nor do climate =
change priorities look all that different from council and community =
priorities defined under the Long-Term Council Community Plan process. =
Most of you, as council representatives and members of the community, =
want cleaner air, cleaner water, less congested motorways, healthier =
homes and children, secure electricity supply, more efficient use of =
energy, and better management of waste.<BR><BR>As Convenor of the =
Ministerial Group on Climate Change it is one of my main goals - and a =
key goal of this Government - to set New Zealand's greenhouse gas =
emissions toward a permanent downwards path by 2012. This can only be =
achieved if there is a shift - a permanent shift - towards more =
climate-friendly behaviour in all levels of government, in business, and =
out there in the community. <BR><BR>In commending the CCP to you, note =
that it is deliberately complementary to EECA's EnergyWise Councils =
Partnership initiative to help communities achieve healthier homes, =
cleaner air, reduced car trips and lower energy bills. This energy =
efficiency focused programme is based around the simple principal of =
making better choices. At a community level, councils are not only =
responsible for their own energy choices, they can have a real impact on =
the choices made by the wider community about energy use. <BR><BR>Let me =
give you an example. Christchurch City Council was a founding member of =
the partnership back in 1995. With EECA, it undertook simple things like =
energy audits of council buildings, swimming pools, art galleries, water =
treatment plants, street lighting and rental housing; drew up an energy =
management action plan (which it updates yearly) and started to include =
energy policy in its environmental business plan. The results speak for =
themselves. From 1995 to 2002 the Council invested $4.2 million in =
energy management. It made cumulative energy cost savings of $12.2 =
million. <BR><BR>Wellington City Council, Nelson City Council, Masterton =
District Council and Waitakere City Council (in partnership with =
Ecomatters Environmental Trust) are also working with EECA on its =
Energywise Home Grants Programme. EECA's target is to provide home =
energy efficiency grants of around $2000 to 6000 homes. So far, EECA has =
let tenders for 1800 homes nationwide. These four councils alone have =
committed to meet over a third of that total - some 631 homes.<BR><BR>We =
talk a lot about a low carbon future. There is a real challenge in how =
we get from where we are now - with our reliance on fossil fuels - to a =
future point where we have a diversity of energy sources and improved =
energy choices. As councils, you have immense influence over the future =
development and direction of your communities. I urge you to think very =
carefully about your energy future, and how best your community can take =
advantage of technology changes. <BR><BR> <BR>New Zealand is blessed =
with natural renewable energy resources, particularly hydro but also =
geothermal and wind. The price of power is rising at the same time as =
the price of renewable energy technology is falling, making an increased =
number of renewable energy developments economically viable. Wind =
energy generation will quadruple over the next year or so and that gives =
pause for thought as to how councils and communities can take advantage =
of such excellent localised generation. I challenge all councils, and in =
particular councils joining the CCP, to consider how they might take =
advantage of renewable energy sources on their doorstep.<BR><BR>Last =
year, the Climate Change Office ran an inaugural projects tender round =
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This programme provided financial =
support, in the form of internationally tradable emissions units, for =
new projects that reduced emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon =
dioxide or methane over the Kyoto Protocol First Commitment period (2008 =
- 2012). Two councils have already benefited from the first Projects =
round. <BR><BR>The criteria for this year's second projects tender =
round have been modified to encourage a broader range of =
climate-friendly projects. I expect to see more agriculture, energy =
efficiency, transport and bio-energy projects to be successful in this =
year's tender process. I encourage every council here to think =
creatively about greenhouse-reduction projects that could be eligible =
for this programme. This year's round will make available a further six =
million emission credits. I expect the tender to take place from late =
August to mid-October, with tender decisions made in December. =
<BR><BR>In conclusion, may I say again how delighted I am to welcome =
Waitakere City Council, Kapiti Coast District Council, Masterton =
District Council and Christchurch City Council into the Communities for =
Climate Protection programme. I am confident that many more councils =
across the country will join these leader councils. In particular, I =
look forward to greater awareness this programme will bring of the =
enormous potential for business opportunities, financial savings, and =
community gains from climate change action.<BR><br><br>The Pete Hodgson =
mailing list operated by OneSquared Limited.<br><br>Click <a =
href=3D'http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Lists/index.aspx?UID=3D2160&unsubscrib=
e=3Dyes'>here</a> to unsubscribe.<br><br>If the unsubscribe link is not =
active, enter the following address in your browser address bar and =
press the Enter =
key.<br><br>http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Lists/index.aspx?UID=3D2160&unsubs=
cribe=3Dyes<br><br>You can also subscribe to this service or change and =
maintain your existing subscription list by going to:<br><br> <a href =
=3D =
'http://www.beehive.govt.nz/lists/default.cfm'>http://www.beehive.govt.nz=
/lists/default.cfm</a><br><br></font></body></head>
------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C474AD.643B5230--