Mitigation Matters

Limiting global warming to below 1.5 degrees is crucial to avoid further catastrophic and irreversible consequences to the planet and its inhabitants; including sea level rises, deadly weather events, conflict, water and food shortages.

However, the focus of planning in NZ is climate change adaptation rather than mitigation; the title of the Climate Change Adaptation Bill suggests this approach will continue.

By comparison, the UK planning system is seen as a vital tool in mitigating climate change and planners must consider climate change mitigation in every plan and every decision they make.

The new planning system has the potential to ensure climate change mitigation is embedded in plan-making but the detail of how planning can contribute is yet to emerge.

So what can planners do to mitigate climate change?

This presentation will provide some of that detail and participants will gain an understanding of the interconnectivity of environmental planning policy.

Participants will learn about the sources of greenhouse gases in an urban setting with reference to land use, patterns of development, waste, transport and energy; and be able to identify these sources in their own areas.

Participants will discover the ways that planning can avoid and reduce emissions which contribute to climate change, with particular reference to carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides; and be able to apply this to their work as planners.

Finally, participants will learn how mitigating climate change can also address other environmental problems, including loss of biodiversity, over-heating of cities, surface water flooding and air pollution; and be able to use this knowledge to improve quality and equality of life for people through planning for districts and regions.