Regional and national policy
The regional policy and national framework changes for climate change in Waitaha.
Regional climate change policy
Councils across Waitaha are taking more direct action to minimise the impacts of climate change. Local agencies are grappling with issues such as:
- the pace and scale of change needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- variability in the impacts of climate change across the region
- equity challenges – which are already being exacerbated by climate change
- funding to support climate action
- developing and implementing both adaptation and mitigation requirements
- coordinating climate action within and across regions
- climate change stress on community wellbeing
- the need for effective relationships between communities, mana whenua and local government.
Climate change and the resource management system
The Resource Management Act (RMA) has recently been amended to enable councils to consider the global effects of greenhouse gas emissions. Previously, regional plans have not been able to address this issue. New resource management plans and policy statements must have regard to the New Zealand’s National Adaptation Plan and Emissions Reduction Plans.
Our Regional Policy Statement currently requires councils to consider Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections for climate change when considering the design, location and function of development, and when managing natural hazards.
New Zealand/Aotearoa’s national framework
- The national framework for adapting to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is legislated in the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Act 2019.
- Under this Act, the Government produces a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) every six years, and a National Emissions Budget and Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) every four years. Both these plans were released for the first time in 2022. The ERP is our national climate change mitigation strategy. It lays out actions that will be taken to help achieve the targets set in the greenhouse gas emissions budget.
- The NAP sets out central government’s policies, plans, strategies and proposals for responding to the priority risks presented in the National Climate Change Risk Assessment. While the NAP provides general advice, more specific local knowledge and understanding is needed to help communities in Waitaha adapt to climate change. Key information to support this is included in the Canterbury Climate Change Risk Assessment.