Climate change / Te huringa āhuarangi

Issue

Our climate is changing, but together we have the power to make a difference in how we respond and adapt to the risks and opportunities we face, to build a better future for Canterbury.

Causes

Climate change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions from human activities including the burning of fossil fuels in transport and energy production, and other activities like agriculture and waste, causing rising temperatures, extreme weather events, sea level rise, and other impacts.

Why it matters

Climate change matters because it poses significant threats to our communities, ecosystems, economy, wellbeing and future way of life.

Climate change is already affecting our region, but we have the power to make a difference. Climate change provides us with huge opportunities to do things better and make positive changes in our region. We are well placed in Waitaha/Canterbury to act now as part of global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt our lives to build a thriving and resilient future.

Developing our goals together

Positive change is already happening in our region, around Aotearoa New Zealand and the world. Solutions are available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build our resilience to climate change risks, while ensuring our region has a healthy environment, economic prosperity, and adaptable resilient communities.

Environment Canterbury is committed to our Tiriti partnership with Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga and to playing our part in leading climate action by delivering environmental regulation, public transport services and hazard resilience. We also want to do what we can to empower people through a just and inclusive transition to a climate-ready future.

Together, we can do this, and we will make a difference for future generations.

We want to collaborate with you to create a climate action plan so that we prioritise action on the things that matter most.

Responding to the challenge of climate change means thinking differently about how we live, work, play, and travel. In setting more explicit climate action goals, we need to consider the implications of mitigating and adapting to climate change. Implementing comprehensive climate actions will likely require significant public investment but will contribute to multiple benefits. For example, through more sustainable land use we could build climate resilience, improve the health of our soils, water, taonga species and ecosystems, generate opportunities for recreation, and create market access for our agricultural products.

In July and August, we asked what you loved about Waitaha/Canterbury, how you think it is being affected by the impacts of climate change, and what areas you think we should focus on when developing our targets, goals and actions. We are now using your feedback to draft options for the actions we could take.

Issue

The Waitaha/Canterbury region faces escalating natural hazards made worse by climate change that may significantly impact communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure.

Causes

The region's natural hazards primarily arise from geographical and climatic conditions, worsened by climate change. These hazards are further complicated by development and the adverse effects of mitigation efforts (such as flood control measures like stop-banks, or land stabilisation methods like tree planting or retaining walls).

Why it matters

The increasing threat of natural hazards poses substantial risks to infrastructure, biodiversity, and the overall health of the region, while also affecting social, economic, and cultural wellbeing. Inaccurate risk assessments can lead to inappropriate development, while efforts to mitigate the risks from natural hazards can inadvertently cause environmental damage and offer a false sense of security. Additionally, climate change is exacerbating these hazards, making proactive planning and risk management even more crucial.

Our current goals

Our Regional Policy Statement includes some direction that must be implemented and other direction that should be implemented. We have included these in two categories below:

1. Things we must do

This is very strong policy direction that is required to be implemented:

• Avoid development in areas where the potential risk from natural hazards is too high. This includes areas prone to severe or rapidly flowing floods during an extreme flooding event, an event that has a 1 in 500 chance of occurring in any given year.
• Mitigate the risks of development in areas that could be affected by a natural hazard event, such as a flood event with a 1 in 200 chance of happening in any given year, by implementing measures such as raising floor levels or employing other flood mitigation strategies.
• Manage the adverse effects of natural hazard mitigation works, including ensuring that mitigation works do not negatively impact the environment or the social, economic, and cultural wellbeing of the community.
• Incorporate the impact of climate change on natural hazards into all planning and decision-making processes.

2. Things we should do

This policy direction is strongly encouraged:

• Develop and implement strategies to manage the risks associated with natural hazards.

Should we change our goals?

When we consider changing goals, we need to keep in mind that other on-the-ground changes will be required to meet them. We also need to keep in mind that some of our must-do policy direction was necessary to meet the national legislation requirements of the time. Some new must-dos will be needed to meet more recent legislation.

Potential impacts of changing our policy direction

We have outlined some of the potential consequences that could result from changing our policy direction. These are high-level examples, just to illustrate that each change will have flow-on effects.

For example, implementing comprehensive risk management strategies for natural hazards may require significant resources. However, it's important to remember that while these strategies require an upfront investment, they can help prevent much larger costs in the future associated with damage from unmitigated natural hazards. Therefore, we must balance our immediate needs with the long-term sustainability and safety of our community.

We are using the feedback we received in July and August to draft more detailed policy options, including detail about the consequences of change. You will get another opportunity to tell us what you think about those options from October this year.