CCC Climate Change Strategy 2010 - Oral Submission

Spokes is scheduled to present 24 May 10:15 AM. 15 minutes alloted. We
have been asked to come early, so arrive by 9:45 if you wish to be in
support. I invite others to
share their thoughts. Dirk

Draft CCC Climate Change Oral Submission
The United Nations reports on climate change grow more dire with each revision. In spite of world wide concern the Copenhagen conference was held only to disappoint. Christchurch has an opportunity to lead and a moral obligation to act. I provide my comments in this spirit.

Speaking to the consequences of transport choices this strategy cites 55% of emissions from road transport. The benefits of active transport, cycling and walking are well established. Some European, American and Australian cities have successfully implemented active transport with good results.  This strategy mentions active transport but offers little in support of its viability or to implement. Low-carbon transport is put forward, but is focused on renewable energy approaches.  

CCC has strategies in place which address the issues of moving to sustainable active transport. That they have been long neglected provides the opportunity for this strategy to reference them and call for their immediate prioritisation. Examples are the:
2004 Cycle Strategy
2004 Road Safety Strategy
Urban Development Strategy
Travel Demand Management Strategy
Draft Open Space Strategy

This oversight is confusing given that the UDS is cited as an example of a partnership response to climate change. Environment Canterbury’s support for public transport is cited as in support of low-carbon transport, yet ECan’s 2008 RLTS, which sets ambitious goals for active transport, is not referenced. Even the Central government is cited as providing undefined supportive transport policies in spite of that body having cut funding for active transport in favour of traditional roading projects.

Please reference and prioritise the above named strategies.

Objective 5, encourage resilient households and communities, offers support for sustainable transport yet fails to mention transport in any of its actions.  Actions do call for behaviour change in communities and schools to positively respond to climate change. Council’s Travel Demand Management, School Travel Plan efforts and Cycle Safe program in schools, clear and present examples of good responses, are not mentioned. This strategy needs to cite and call for increased support for these and similar efforts.

Objective 6 calls for a resilient low carbon competitive economy. In attempting to forecast successful future economic actions finding ways to use less energy more efficiently is about as close to a “sure thing” as can be found. Using less energy will be at least as important as using renewable energy.  This strategy needs to develop using less energy as a priority.

Objective 7, Enable low-carbon transport, cites the many benefits of shifting away from over dependence on fossil fuel transport including more walk able communities and bicycle hire schemes.   

Action 1 of objective 7 seeks to prioritise sustainable transport by assuring that improvements to the transport system and travel demand management programmes support public and active transport. It does not acknowledge that the current LTCCP has scaled back these efforts. This strategy needs to remind Council of why these efforts are vital for Christchurch’s future.

Goal 3 objective 8 simply states “enable low-carbon transport.”
It then combines transport energy use with stationary energy use.  This is a good example of a flaw in this strategy.

There are fundamental differences in how we can meet our stationary and transport energy needs. Stationary energy generation is more amenable to renewable inputs and to limited emissions. Transport energy use is inherently more challenging.

The new Council building can offer examples of how energy use can be reduced through good design and use of materials. Council is also committing to Travel Demand Management for Council staff. Both of these efforts inspire and model while providing an opportunity for others to better these efforts.  

This is not a time for timidity. Climate change presents a real threat. It is reasonable to focus on responses in preparation for likely consequences of climate change.

It is not reasonable to merely respond. Christchurch is a small part of the problem, but an innovative and well resourced strategy can see us modelling approaches which offer large benefits well beyond our borders.

If this is offered as a “big picture” document it needs to support Council’s existing strategies. These provide real world responses, well consulted on and ready for implementation. This strategy is an opportunity to deliver on the promises already made.

For Christchurch to be world class will require vision, funding and prioritisation. Much of the vision is contained in existing strategies. Funding and prioritisation will require the political will to lead.

Some actions may well offer positive returns.
Shifting Council business to:
Electronic meetings via the internet
Electronic files in place of paper
Council business shifted to foot, bicycle & bus over car
Infrastructure designed to last at least 50+ years
Less frequent replacement for furniture and other durable goods
Favouring maintenance over replacement
Employing climate change champions to implement and grow Council’s creative responses

And
Shifting the public to:
Active transport to reduce wear and tear on roading infrastructure
Walk able and cycling based neighbourhoods with local business districts
Public transport
Children walking and riding to school
Adults walking and riding to work

In considering where efforts should be focused this strategy calls for prioritising measures which:
address main sources of greenhouse gas emissions or are widespread
are rapidly getting worse
will become more difficult over time
are readily able to be implemented
result in multiple benefits and strengthen communities.

Cycling and walking meet all these criteria extremely well. Active transport is clearly at the top of the list for actions to be implemented and targets to be set and achieved.  

Electric cars and public transport still consume large amounts of energy, are more expensive, require expensive infrastructure, provide less greenhouse gas reductions, and do not offer significant health benefits.

Prioritising active transport allows Christchurch to join with the world leaders in responding to transportation’s contribution to mitigating climate change.

The Strategy’s second goal calls for council to provide leadership in addressing climate change. Supporting objectives call for building council capacity and developing partnerships.

Implementing the Gehl report quickly and applying its lessons city wide would show real leadership. Creating active and public transport and climate change champions across all levels of Council staff would build capacity. Working with community groups to educate, promote and develop real world responses fosters partnerships which will be crucial if change is to be achieved.  

This is described as a high level action plan leading to a future detailed implementation plan. Yet the actions offered are limited, the nature and timing of the implementation plan un-stated, and the potential of plans already in place not realized.

If the Council is to be successful there should be at least one indicative, measurable target for each objective. The final version could accomplish this most easily through citing and building on targets called for in existing council strategies. This also provides a way to fill many of the gaps in this strategy.

Real targets with real commitment can inspire and encourage.

Future Long Term Council Community Plans are the only real and meaningful implementation plan for any Council policy. That past LTCCP’s have not implemented strategies already adopted borders on breaking faith with the electorate. This strategy can be strengthened and be a model of how strategies can, and do, make change.