That’s a slightly pessimistic way of looking at matters for sure. After all, plenty of things are achieved in life, some of which radically change existences for the better.
Around the world, across New Zealand, in our communities and down our streets, people are doing incredible things, not just for themselves but for all of us.
While current governments in many countries are busy putting the economy ahead of the environment, not realising or caring that the future of life on our planet depends on finding ways to adapt to or mitigate global warming, others are focused on making the right changes and encouraging as many others as possible to do the same.
Dunedin’s impressive plan to be a zero-emitter of carbon emissions by 2030 was one of those great initiatives and a wonderful example of what a small, committed city could achieve.
Strong, enthusiastic backing has come from the Dunedin City Council, which recognised the importance of leading from the front on such a crucial environmental issue and setting an example as a small and progressive city.
Unfortunately, it’s all gone a bit pear-shaped. The calendar has clicked over another year closer to 2030, we have a government which doesn’t prioritise climate-change efforts which slow down the venerated economic growth, and the city council’s modelling now shows it is unlikely any measures it takes will allow the city to reach the 2030 zero-carbon target.
Aiming for a whole city to become zero-carbon is an incredibly optimistic intention, a stretch target which requires a lot of hard work and focus on the finishing line to achieve. But it was only two or three years ago that the plan attracted broad enthusiasm and really seemed to be achievable.
The council itself is said to be on track to make its zero-carbon commitments, which is, of course, good news. But a report to councillors last week delivered the bad news that the city, as a whole, was highly unlikely to make it.
The report said the change of government in October 2023 had started a chain reaction which would make the target less achievable, including different ways of mitigating climate change and shifts in transport funding priorities, which included the swing away from promoting healthier, low-emissions options such as cycling and walking.
The month before the 2023 election, modelling showed total commitment was needed around Dunedin if there was a hope of meeting the target. All government, business and community interests would have to “pull all available levers as hard as credibly possible’’.
The council had looked at two spending packages to cut its own emissions to help the city reach its target. A high-investment option included more than $100 million in capital spending to support emissions reduction, and was the preferred option, and the medium option had more than $35m.
But the latest report poured cold water on both for councillors, saying neither could make fast enough changes to reach the city’s 2030 target.
The excitement which had accompanied the first steps on the road towards zero-carbon 2030 was quickly replaced by disillusionment that neither options would be good enough.
Instead, councillors took the decision not to include the two options in the 2025-34 draft long-term plan. They voted 8-7 to exclude them, given that all the other papers under consideration for the plan already contained zero-emissions assessments.
Crs Christine Garey and David Benson Pope, who both voted against leaving the investment packages out of the plan, were unhappy at their non-inclusion. Cr Garey said, correctly, the can was being kicked down the road again, while Cr Benson Pope believed it was important to be able to get ratepayer input on the options.
While the DCC move is disappointing, in the current political environment it comes as little surprise.
Councils and others are understandably going to find it harder to meet their declared climate-change commitments as right-wing governments more interested in growth dilute their support for environmental initiatives.
