Holding Decision-Makers Accountable for Climate Action

On 18 August, Auckland Council formally adopted one of the most important climate strategies the region has ever seen. The Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway, or TERP, sets out how Tāmaki Makāurau can create a safer, less congested and more climate-friendly transport system. Endorsed by Council, the Independent Maori Statutory Board (IMSB) and the Board of Directors of Auckland Transport, the TERP is an extension of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan—the plan which Auckland is following to play our part in reducing emissions to protect the climate which supports us.

Auckland’s current transport system is inequitable, providing poorly for children, elderly and disabled people. Only 7% of young people in Auckland get the recommended amount of daily exercise, while air pollution from transport is a leading cause of asthma and hospitalisation for children. A car-based transport system is constraining and expensive. Most Aucklanders do not have good transport options other than to use a car—even in the face of rising petrol costs.

Transport is also the largest source of Auckland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions, accounting for over 40% of the region’s total emissions. To reduce our carbon emissions in line with a liveable future, we must change our transport system.

The TERP addresses all these concerns, and more, by laying out a blueprint for a thriving, equitable and sustainable city. Included in the document are objectives for walking, cycling, public transport and electric vehicle uptake. All the targets are science-aligned and evidence-based, with examples from around the world where the solutions proposed have already been successfully implemented. This is the plan that Auckland needs to follow if we are to successfully achieve our climate aims, and it is the only evidence-based plan that has been developed.

For this reason, it is important that our elected representatives pull together and support the important work proposed in the TERP, regardless of their political affiliations. When the pathway was voted on at the Environment and Climate Change committee in August, 17 Councillors and IMSB members supported the TERP, while just 3 Councillors opposed it.

Extinction Rebellion understands it is critical that voters know whether or not their candidates support safer streets, less traffic congestion and genuine action on climate change. These are issues which Aucklanders are concerned about, and knowing where your candidate really stands on these issues will ensure a well-functioning democratic process.