Preparing our homes and communities for what’s ahead
The Green Party will support communities to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
Over the last two years we have seen the devastating impact floods and fires can have. Aotearoa needs a government that will take urgent action to cut climate pollution, as well as adapting to what cannot be avoided.
As part of the Government, we have put in place Aotearoa’s first ever plan to prepare communities for the impacts of climate change. And it’s just the start.
The Green Party will take action to adapt our homes and communities for the climate future that is already with us.
Our plan includes making sure homes and buildings are designed and built to handle extreme weather.
We will protect and restore the natural world, so healthy native forests, wetlands, floodplains, and mangroves can help defend us from the impact of extreme weather. We will build resilient infrastructure for drinking water, energy, and food, so that communities have everything they need to support each other when extreme weather comes.
The Green Party will guide Aotearoa to a zero-emissions, climate-resilient future, while upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The time is now.
Our plan
- Pass a Climate Change Adaptation Bill that includes specific measures and targets to drive a long-term policy response through an equitable, Tiriti-based framework.
- Ensure climate adaptation planning affirms tino rangatiratanga and upholds the mana motuhake of whānau, hapū and iwi over whenua, wai, and taonga.
- Prioritise long-term, nature-based solutions over short-term engineering solutions, in alignment with tikanga Māori, and increase funding for community organisations to deliver these.
- Ensure planning frameworks give effect to the need for climate adaptation in the approach to land and water use, together with supporting ecosystem restoration and conservation.
- Establish a dedicated fund for central and local government to implement climate adaptation and resilience measures, including funding for partnerships with tangata whenua and community organisations.
- Scale up support for, and work with, neighbouring countries in the Pacific to adapt to climate change.