17 mayors of cities and districts nationwide have signed a declaration committing to a tougher stance on tackling climate change. Missing from the declaration is the name and signature of Waikato District Mayor Allan Sanson.
The Local Government Leaders Climate Change Declaration was announced on Tuesday 20th and urges central Government to be more ambitious with climate change mitigation measures.
The Government’s emission reduction target of 11 percent on 1990 levels, which it will take to a major climate change conference in Paris this year, has been widely criticised for being too low.
The declaration, from 17 mayors, asks the Government to make it a priority to develop and implement a transition plan for a low carbon New Zealand.
“We stress the benefits of early action to moderate the costs of adaption to our communities. We are all too aware of challenges we face shoring up infrastructure and managing insurance costs. These are serious financial considerations for councils and communities.”
The new State of the Environment report (http://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/files/media/Environmental%20reporting/environment-aotearoa_0.pdf) says global greenhouse gas emissions rose 33% from 1990 to 2011. New Zealand’s rose 42%. Yet still our mayor and government do nothing. Who wants to change our mayor in 2016 and our government in 2017?
As you know John, power to (resist) change resides in the economic/political/cultural elite and their agendas …. So, mobilise, organise and agitate. You have my vote.