Council report shows greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing – but it’s not enough

Source: Rosie Leishman. 

The latest Christchurch City Council report shows promising results for greenhouse gas emissions, but there is still work to be done. 

Gross emissions have decreased by 12% since 2019. However, this is not enough to meet Council’s target of net-zero greenhouse emissions, by 2045.  

Riccarton Ward Councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt told Canta he “wasn't surprised.” 

Source: Facebook / Tyla Harrison-Hunt, Councillor for Riccarton. 

“The numbers speak for themselves… if we're going at the same rate we're going now, I don't think we'd be hitting our emissions targets,” said Harrison-Hunt. 

The decrease is largely due to reductions in electricity, transport, and stationary energy emissions. 

Transport represented 54% of total emissions, with petrol and diesel use representing 38%. Stationary Energy produced 21%. Agriculture represented 16%, with 60% of that relating to cattle. 

Despite decarbonisation, the report noted the decrease in transport emissions was largely due to air travel reductions following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Source: Ōtautahi Christchurch Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report 2023  

Since 2017, Ōtautahi Christchurch’s total emissions have decreased by 1.1%. By 2030, there will be a 50% reduction in emissions with 25% methane reduction. 

Lisa Early, the Council’s Team Leader Climate Resilience, said it’s important “to take stock of progress, and understand the sources of our emissions, so we can take the best steps to get to our targets.” 

Despite the data tracking progress toward the net-zero emissions goal, it also shows that Christchurch isn’t there yet. 

“If we’re going the way we are now, we won’t reach that goal,” said Harrison-Hunt. “Although we're doing good things, I don't think we're doing enough… the report reflects that.” 

This data informs the Council’s decision-making to help those in power make progress on climate change adaptation plans.  

However, the report makes no recommendations for action. “The data is there. It's just screaming,” said Harrison-Hunt, who agrees there is a need for action-based protocol. 

The Councillor explained that experts do years of research providing this data but the biggest hurdle is politicians being brave enough to fight climate change deniers. 

“The way we're going to change is to ensure we're held accountable,” as well as practical measures to provide infrastructure, like reliable public transport systems to navigate Christchurch without emitting carbon, said Harrison-Hunt. 

The report also lacks data on cruise ship emissions in the Ōhinehou Lyttleton harbour, which would be interesting to analyse as these ships tend to emit more than any other mode of transportation. 

“There needs to be a proper action plan, where we work with an independent assessor who's an expert in their field,” Harrison-Hunt said. 

He added that students can help by “using clubs and the power of student voice” to advocate for better measures. 

“This is the most important generation of any that's come before… the cool thing about Gen Z is they’re gonna be the saviours.”