Climate change: Who will lead Auckland emissions reduction if there is no leader?
OPINION: Auckland Council has finally seized the carbon emissions-reduction-tiger by the tail , at the same time that there is doubt over whether mayor Phil Goff will seek a third term in the 2022 elections . Goff sees the two as separate decisions and does not intend to reveal his intentions to stand again for mayor publicly until February 2022. In a business-as-usual world that would be entirely his privilege to do so. But there is nothing business-as-usual about the challenge being taken up by the council Goff leads, to work out exactly how it will achieve a 64 per cent reduction in transport emissions by 2030 . Goff himself told Stuff it will require the biggest transformation ever undertaken by this council. READ MORE: * Electric cars, high density housing not enough to hit Auckland emissions targets: Report * The countdown has begun to choosing Auckland's next mayor * Auckland transport plan shows climate change dial is still set on 'talk' not 'do' Cutting transport emissions by 64 per cent from where they were in 2016, will require extraordinary leadership, capable of convincing a majority of Aucklanders to change their lives and travel habits. In short, to use their cars less . Leadership was not mentioned once in the 75-minute debate by the environment and climate change committee, which launched work on a Transport Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP). Given the sluggish approach so far by Auckland Council, the possibility that its mayor - the only role with the mana to lead the scale of change needed might sideline himself in February, is a critical risk to TERP. What consensus could a mayor build in calling for dramatic lifestyle changes, if everyone knew he wouldnt be around for the hard yards of implementation, or be held accountable for its future execution? If not Goff, then who would lead TERP, and its reliance on breaking car-dependency? Should Goff in February announce he wont seek re-election, he leaves only eight months for a new candidate to build a potentially-winning campaign, and buy-in to TERP. It's a much shorter run than Goff had, when he announced in November 2015 a full year out from election day, that he would seek to succeed Len Brown as mayor . Auckland Transport director Abbie Reynolds told the committee that a critical, and so-far missing narrative, was to sell the upsides of an emissions-reduced Auckland. Stuff asked Goff whether he took on as mayor, the responsibility to lead that change. I think it's in part my responsibility, but in the end it's everybodys responsibility, he replied. The media release that followed the TERP green light, was in the names of councillor Richard Hills who chairs the climate change committee, and Auckland Transport (AT) chairwoman Adrienne Young-Cooper. Auckland Council and AT, will need to lift their games to a new level next year, when the reality becomes clear of what a 64 per cent emissions reduction will entail. Phil Goff of course has the right to make important personal and career decisions in his own time. But the council has already squandered time on acting on climate change. In 2019, it declared a climate emergency , and signed off a climate plan, but itll be 2022 at the earliest before the real shifts begin. 2022 is local body election year, and despite Goffs confidence that whatever he might do, there would be continuity on the council, that is something voters will decide in October next year. Councillors seeking re-election will also need to work on their own courage levels, faced with endorsing perhaps the most radical change to Aucklanders lifestyles, while seeking backing from voters.