BoP considers transport in climate change action plan

A revised Climate Change Action Plan adopted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council proposes electric buses, encouraging staff to use “environmentally sustainable” transport and suggests a “Carless Wednesday Challenge” to reduce car dependency.

There’s no more business as usual or ignoring weather-related events like the recent flooding in the South Island, council strategy and policy committee chair Paula Thompson says.

“Climate change is the most significant environmental issue this region, and the world, is facing.

“As a regional council, almost all of our day-to-day work is factoring in climate change. Whether we’re reinforcing stop banks or planting sand dunes or investing in electric buses to cut carbon emissions,” Thompson says.

“Alongside this work, we’ve chosen to fund an additional 19 projects that specifically focus on climate change.”

An increased focus on transport emission reduction projects through the Long Term Plan is also reflected in the action plan, Thompson explains.

“Bus decarbonisation will support delivery of emission reductions from public transport, alongside other initiatives that have a stronger focus on the travel choices people make, such as the Carless Wednesday Challenge and the Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change programme.”

Individual action is also essential, particularly around choosing ways in which people can live more lightly on the planet and produce less emissions, Thompson believes.

“Every act matters.”

Click here for the Climate Change Action Plan 2021-23.