Nineteen regional, unitary, and territorial councils across New Zealand have signed up to the Local Emissions Data Platform Initiative, a standardised approach to community greenhouse gas emissions reporting and modelling.
The collaboration, facilitated by the Te Uru Kahika Climate Group and supported by the Ministry for the Environment, aims to reduce costs to councils and improve decision-making across New Zealand in a move that will support efforts to achieve national emissions reduction targets.
Local Emissions Data Platform Initiative Steering Group Convenor and Senior Planner Climate Change at Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Jane Palmer said the platform will enable councils to track and model emissions in a cost-effective way, creating a consistent view of emissions profiles and projections across cities, districts, and regions.
“By using a single, standardised platform, participating councils can reduce their individual costs of reporting while gaining tools to better understand local greenhouse gas sources and emission reduction priorities,” said Ms Palmer.
“This initiative is a step forward towards understanding what a successful transition to a low-emissions future in New Zealand looks like.”
Key to the effort is the collaborative approach which enables consistency in assumptions and methodologies across councils, reducing duplication of effort and allowing comparability of results, alongside better understanding of possible emissions reduction pathways and initiatives.
With support from the Ministry for the Environment and the commercial expertise of Regional Software Holdings Limited (RSHL), the platform is designed to accommodate other councils too, making it a scalable, and potentially nationwide approach to emissions reporting and modelling.
The initiative is part of a programme of work by Te Uru Kahika’s Climate Group which also
encompasses efforts to prepare for and adapt to climate impacts. Through this common
emissions data platform, councils and their partners will better support New Zealand’s overall climate strategy, facilitating more effective actions across sectors and regions.
It aligns with goals outlined in New Zealand’s first Emissions Reduction Plan (2022), which emphasises local governments’ crucial role in achieving Aotearoa’s 2050 emissions reduction targets.
For many councils, the platform will help resolve previous challenges of inconsistent and fragmented emissions data and assumptions, providing the clarity needed to support action across sectors and households.
New Zealand has 16 regional and unitary councils. Te Uru Kahika – Regional and Unitary Councils Aotearoa is the identity for their collective efforts.
