Leading the way for climate action

Far North District Council (FNDC) is continuing to lead the charge for climate action across Te Tai Tokerau, taking over the administrative role for the Joint Climate Change Adaptation Committee from Northland Regional Council.

FNDC Councillor Kelly Stratford was unanimously elected as committee chair at a meeting in March, with Far North iwi representative Nyze Manuel elected as deputy chair.

The committee includes representatives from across the Northland region, with membership from iwi and hapū, as well as councillors from other Northland councils.

The committee led the creation of the Te Taitokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy, adopted in 2022, and will provide regional oversight on climate risks, and on resilience and adaptation planning.

Leadership on the committee reaffirms FNDC’s commitment to resilience and climate action. In March, councillors voted to adopt science-aligned greenhouse gas emissions targets for climate change, and last year agreed to strengthen climate change adaptation through the Te Hōtaka Urutau Hapori – the Community Adaptation Programme.

The greenhouse gas emissions targets align with international targets set out through the 2015 Paris Agreement and support the New Zealand government’s aim to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, reducing the future severity of climate change.