Low Carbon Auckland: Len Brown

Auckland Mayor Len Brown is standing behind the city's Low Carbon Action Plan. Photo / Greg Bowker

In the first of a series of in-depth articles, Auckland Mayor Len Brown explains the Super City's bold plan to shift to an eco-economy.

"Cities have to drive the minimising of carbon discharge across the globe - because we can. We know what the answers are to lower and more efficient energy use, maintaining a better, cleaner waste stream. We know that if you get people out of their cars and get them into electric buses and trains that you're immediately going to start making serious inroads into your carbon emissions."

So says Auckland Mayor Len Brown, who spoke to Element about the launch of the draft Low Carbon Auckland - Auckland's Energy Resilience and Low Carbon Action Plan, which was released earlier this month.

The plan has five areas of focus which, combined, are designed to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2040 (based on 1990 levels).

In the area of energy use and generation, Auckland is in the unusual position of having a high carbon component of electricity generation, with just 36 per cent of it coming from renewable sources, compared with the 75 per cent national average.

"There are six sources of power coming through [to Auckland], and they're all from outside of our city, by and large. We are totally dependent on power sources from outside Auckland - and only from the south - nothing from the north."

Brown says planned wind projects at the South Kaipara Heads will join large-scale residential and commercial expansion of photovoltaic solar power to lessen the carbon cost of the electricity mix and make the city more self sufficient.

"Solar power is the big mover now. Photovoltaics are increasingly an economic option - we are doing what we can do without active involvement in the market in terms of pricing to encourage solar use."

But the mayor is hesitant to support solar subsidies. "You have to be careful around that. Because they're by and large arriving at a point of being economically sustainable without a subsidy."

The mayor sees transportation as the most important of the five streams in terms of lowering emissions. "We have the ability in particular to move to renewable sources and really focus on giving our people choice and options around getting out of their cars, using public transport."

Mayor Brown says that walking and cycling infrastructure is also about to get a major push from the council. "That is probably the one area aside from public transport where you'll start to see big shifts in policy and funding."

Brown sees the area of the built environment - responsible for a third of the city's emissions - as one where the Council can have great influence.

"One of the greatest wasters of energy is the fact that we're such a spread-out city. Building the city on a more constrained platform with options and choices around high rise is much more efficient and a much more sustainable building platform."

The ambitious "zero waste" workstream is one that Brown is optimistic about - and says that there's no doubt that Auckland's landfills will close - it's just a case of "when".

He says the zero waste target will be reached through a combination of using pricing to encourage people to minimise waste and recycle as much as possible - and companies taking the lead on packaging and product stewardship.

"Every week I am visiting one or two businesses and, without prompting, the first thing they'll show me is what they're doing in terms of their packaging waste stream. It's saving them money. I think that the Sustainable Business Network have done a great job of selling the economic benefits - at the very least - of having a sustainable business operation."

The mayor is also optimistic about the optimisation of the city's green waste to provide 20 per cent of the city's energy by 2040 through the development of biofuel plants and using green biomass as a heat source.

"We are such a green city - we grow plants like there's no tomorrow and so there's a lot of green energy around that we could and don't utilise."

The plan paints the picture of Auckland as a mega forest with a city at its core.

Mayor Brown says the Low Carbon Auckland Plan is not radical. "It doesn't stand out there as being as aspirational as some of the internationally competitive cities."

But he believes Aucklanders are ready for the challenge. "I have no doubt that Aucklanders are zoned in to the issue of environmental sustainability and of the issue of carbon discharge. We've had 400 stakeholders with input into the draft have indicated a very clear commitment to those goals."

What's the plan?

In March 2014, Auckland Council launched the draft of Low Carbon Auckland - Auckland's Energy Resilience and Low Carbon Action Plan - for perusal by the public.

Far from being a missive from on high, the plan has been put together by over 400 organisations and businesses with both the will to reduce the city's environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions, and the skills and know-how to achieve it.

The intention is that it remains the initiative of those organisations and others who want to be involved, and that the council plays a facilitation role to make things happen.

You can read the summary or complete plan on the Auckland Council website. The closing date to have your say is 7 April 2014.

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