Local Government and community emission reduction plans: Time for a reset
New Zealand Climate Crisis: Blog 7
[917 words - a 5 minute read]
Across Aotearoa, many local councils have taken up the challenge of addressing climate change, in part, by developing community - town, city or regional - emission reduction plans. These efforts, while well-intentioned, are largely outside the control of the organisation to deliver and so the desired outcomes are unachievable. In this blog, I argue that local authorities must reset expectations, refocus efforts on areas within their control, and be more transparent about what they can and can’t achieve in the community emissions reduction space.
Over the past decade, a number of councils have initiated community-level emissions plans aimed at aligning with New Zealand’s national goal of net zero by 2050. These plans often include lofty goals such as decarbonising transport, shifting to clean energy, and otherwise reducing community-wide emissions. However, the core challenge lies in the fact that most local authorities lack the funding, tools, and legislative authority to actually deliver on most of these initiatives.
The result is organisational overreach—where councils promise outcomes that rely heavily or even totally on the actions of others; central government, industry, or individuals. While councils remit extends to supporting or advocating for change measures, most initiatives in these plans cannot realistically be implemented without major external funding and structural shifts. Importantly , the plans or pathways are developed without these external agencies confirming the availability of the necessary funding and other resources.
This is evidenced even by a cursory look at community transport emissions Transport accounts for around 18% of New Zealand’s gross GHG emissions, and reducing emissions from light vehicles is essential to meeting emission reduction goals. Yet, local councils have very limited influence over car ownership, fuel pricing, national infrastructure investment, or EV incentives. Despite this, community emissions plans include goals around significantly reducing transport emissions within the next 10 years as they would not be credible without them—a goal well outside local government control.
This creates three significant risks:
1. Disillusionment among communities who may believe the council has the issue in hand, and so feel less urgency to act themselves.
2. Reputational damage when international pledges (e.g. C40 Cities) are not met due to lack of resources.
3. Accountability gaps where public money is spent on plans with little likelihood of successful implementation or follow-through.
That said, local government has a vital role to play in working with their communities to address climate change impacts. Councils exist to serve their communities and so are deeply embedded in their communities, understand local context, and manage critical infrastructure. They are also on the front line of climate adaptation—responding to rising sea levels, floods, droughts, and storm impacts that will, unfortunately, increase in frequency and severity in coming decades.
This need has been evidenced as recently as last weekend when a severe storm lashed parts of the country, with the top of the South Island, in particular hit for the second time within a month.
So what should councils do?
They should firstly focus on their own organisational emissions. This includes managing emissions from landfill sites, council vehicle fleets, and council-owned buildings and facilities. These are areas councils can control, fund, and be held accountable for and in general is work that is underway.
Next, councils should invest in helping communities understand their emissions profile. This means gathering accurate data, educating the public, and providing transparent reporting. Councils can invest in building community resilience and preparedness without overstepping their mandate. This is also underway in many parts of the country
Critically though, when it comes to community level emission reduction plans councils should shift toward a layered planning approach:
• Layer One: Identify the initiatives the council can deliver independently, with associated emission targets, timelines, and costs.
• Layer Two: Identify initiatives (such as the electrification and expansion of public transport fleets) dependent on external funding or central government policy changes. Councils should clearly state these dependencies and who holds the levers.
• Layer Three: Outline broader community goals that lie outside council control, and clarify that implementation relies largely or entirely on external agencies such as the government, central agencies, and the private sector.
This model promotes transparency and gives ratepayers a clear picture of what’s achievable, what’s aspirational, and which organisation is accountable for each initiative. It empowers communities with the information they need to advocate for change and take personal action.
Councils must also be cautious about joining international movements that require hard targets. Membership in groups like C40 Cities is noble in principle, but without adequate funding and central government backing, failure to meet such pledges only harms New Zealand’s credibility on the global stage.
Ultimately, the climate crisis demands urgent, systemic change. Local councils are vital partners in this work—but they must act within their means. Aspirational plans that lack feasibility erode public trust and waste precious resources.
Instead, local government should prioritise work in the climate change adaptation area, provide high-quality local data, lead by example on organisational emissions, and champion realistic climate emissions reduction actions that fits their role and provides for the need of their communities.
Transparency, accountability, and clarity about what is and isn’t within local control will go a long way toward restoring community confidence — and ensuring efforts to address climate change are grounded in reality rather than rhetoric.
The path ahead is complex, and councils face many challenges. But by resetting expectations and focusing on what they can truly influence, local authorities can make a real and lasting impact in the climate transition that their communities are facing.
