Last year, the Auckland Council passed a climate change plan, setting goals of halving emissions by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. So you'd expect their new transport plan to be consistent with that goal, right? Wrong:
The 10-year transport plan for Auckland has emerged from consultation with small changes, and with carbon emissions due to fall by only 1 per cent by 2031.It could be worse: the draft version was planning to increase emissions rather than reduce them. But as most of the savings in the new version come from the cancellation of the government's Mill Rd motorway project, it seems that the Auckland Council isn't really even trying. And they need to, because we need a massive mode shift away from cars and towards actie and public transport, and local authorities have primary responsibility for that.The Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP), which is grinding its way towards final sign-off next week, still faces a challenge from the All Aboard climate coalition, for its failure to make a sufficient dent in emissions.
A climate change analyst believes Auckland’s transport emissions need to fall by 64 per cent by 2031, if the city is to deliver its promise in its Climate Plan of halving carbon emissions by then.
But if the Council won't do its job, the Zero carbon Act now gives us the tool to force them to do it. And it sounds like All Aboard Aotearoa and Lawyers for Climate Action are going to use it.
