Climate Change & Nature Aotearoa New Zealand
Protect. Restore. Thrive.
Climate Change & Nature New Zealand
Protect. Restore. Adapt. Thrive.
Our goal: help everyone protect and restore our natural ecosystems so that we can all thrive in a changing climate
“It’s time to be on the right side of history.” – Dr Rod Carr; Chair Climate Change Commission
Thirty-seven countries including Aotearoa have declared a climate emergency.
In 2021, the UN launched the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration because nature-based solutions must triple by 2030 to counter the dual climate and environmental crises.
To help us respond to these emergencies, this website is in 3 sections:
Thirty-seven countries including Aotearoa have declared a climate emergency. In 2021, the UN launched the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration because nature-based solutions must triple by 2030 to counter the dual climate and environmental crises.
To help everyone respond to these emergencies, this website is in 3 sections :
Native ecosystems, te taiao, are essential in helping us mitigate and adapt to climate change:
“The time is now, Ināia tonu nei, to lead the change we want to see and to remain steadfast to the values that underpin our nationhood—values like whanaungatanga kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga.” – Climate Change Commission
What we’re doing to restore our native ecosystems, te manu o te taiao, and tackle climate change. Every project, big and small, includes resources to help you become climate resilient:
We would love to share what you’re doing in ‘your places’ too, please contact: manager@braid.org.nz.
28 April 2022: Draft national adaptation plan; Ministry for the Environment
Press release IPCC 04 April 2022: WGIII: Mitigation
“Unless there are immediate and deep emission reductions across all sectors, limiting warming to 1.5C degrees will be beyond reach.” – Jim Skea WGIII co-ordinator.
Explainers
With a focus on Canterbury, this site includes resources relevant to all of Aotearoa.
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1. We’re pumping too many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise and climate to change.
2. By destroying biodiversity we are destroying the critical life support mechanisms we need to exist, including a stable climate.“This year [2021] has seen fossil fuel emissions bounce back, greenhouse gas concentrations continuing to rise, and severe human-enhanced weather events that have affected health, lives and livelihoods on every continent. Unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to to 1.5°C will be impossible, with catastrophic consequences for people and the planet on which we depend.” – Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General UN, September 2021
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PART A: Keep emitting (spend) billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases and hope that by 2050 everyone except Aotearoa’s agricultural sector will reach carbon zero. At our current rate of spending the global carbon budget will be bankrupt by mid-2029.PART B: Draw down (save) ~3.9 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year until 2050 and store it in ecosystems and dodgy negative emissions technologies. After 2050, drawdown ~24Gt/year and store it…somewhere. Here in Aotearoa, that strategy includes growing pine plantations and burning them for fuel (‘biomass’), which returns carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.Part C: Adapt. Fast: Planetary boundaries are being exceeded, and thanks to Parts A & B climate tipping points to keep temperatures under 1.5°C are also being exceeded. Natural ecosystems continue to be rapidly destroyed, and thanks to a failed COP26, we’re on track for warming of 2.7° – 3.6°C.“Greenhouse gas concentrations—which are already at their highest levels in three million years—have continued to rise, reaching
new record highs this year. Fossil fuel emissions in many sectors are back at the same or at even higher levels than before the pandemic.” – Prof. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General World Meteorological Organization, September 2021
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Stop pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and restore nature to mobilise free life-supporting ecosystem services. This is the most cost-effective and practical strategy (Fig. 1 below).
We know this will work because it worked perfectly well before we broke things. The benefits will include:
- Reducing the speed and quantity of greenhouse gas emissions
- Drawing atmospheric carbon back into the ground to enable permanent, not temporary storage
- Reducing economic and social upheaval caused by extreme weather events
- Reducing the impacts of climate change on our health and wellbeing
- Replenishing ecosystem services across multiple habitats
- Restoring health to waterways
- Restoring mahinga kai
- Increasing agricultural productivity while reducing emissions
- Creating new business opportunities
Fig. 1 below: Right now, we’re on track to 3°C by 2100 (red line). The solid dark blue line show emissions targets to keep us below 2°C. The solid light blue line show emissions targets to keep us below 1.5°C. The blue dotted lines show the amount we can suppress warming if Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are ambitious and designed for the long haul, that is, by restoring native ecosystems, not planting radiata pine. (Image: Nature)
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An emergency is a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation that disrupts our daily lives and expectations for the future, and it requires immediate action. By definition, an emergency is declared when:
- The risk is high; and
- The consequences of failure are unmanageable or unacceptable; and
- Time constraints govern whether a response will be effective
Given the evidence declaring a climate emergency is the only rational and responsible action to avoid global social, economic, and environmental collapse within our lifetimes.
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“If we took all our agricultural emissions out of our emissions profile, and left all China’s manufacturing in their profile, our emissions would still be twice theirs per capita.
“We are among the richest nations in the world and we have access to technologies that should we choose to, we can reduce our emissions… We can afford it, and arguing that because we are little we won’t make a difference, would have meant that every New Zealander who ever fought in any war wasted their effort.” – Rod Carr, Chair of the Climate Change Commission
If we’re honest and include agricultural emissions (48% of our total emissions), we’re using more than six times our fair share of the carbon budget to keep global temperatures below 1.5°C. We rank 44th out of 45 of the world’s industrialised countries.
There are lots of different ways you can argue about how little difference each of us can make. If you count only countries with a population over 1 million, and you only look at 2021, we’re only the 13th worst country (left column on the graph below).
But the right column on the same graph tells a different story: per person we’re responsible for more cumulative carbon emissions than any other country (with populations over 1 million) on Earth.
We can’t ignore our collective responsibility to help undo this mess, because the cost of doing nothing will be far greater than an embarrassing graph.
“The time is now, Ināia tonu nei, to lead the change we want to see and to remain steadfast to the values that underpin our nationhood—values like whanaungatanga kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga.” – Climate Change Commission
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We already are feeling the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, so we have run out of time for life to go back to the way things were. The February 2022 IPCC report makes that abundantly clear. Dangerous and irreversible climate tipping points are now being breached.
Policies and pledges made at COP26 November 2021 put us on track for warming of 2.7°C-3.6°C (UN video below). According to the World Meteorological Organization at least one of the next 5 years will be 1.5°C.Our native ecosystems are climate superheroes. By themselves they won’t return the climate to ‘normal’, but they will help us mitigate the impacts and adapt to climate change. But in order to do this, they need us to protect and restore them. The sooner we do so, the
better our futures will be.
We have three choices: mitigation, adaptation, and suffering. We are going to do some of each. The question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation we do, the less adaptation will be required and the less suffering there will be.” – John Holdren, US Office of Science and Technology Policy
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“Johan Rockstrom has focused on what keeps our planet stable. What he and his colleagues around the world have discovered is perhaps the most important scientific insight of our time.” – Sir David Attenborough
In this video, ‘Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet’, Sir David Attenborough succinctly explains planetary boundaries and tipping points. This is a short version of the full documentary of the same name, available on Netflix.
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- 2022: Ministry for the Environment Draft national adaptation plan
- 2022: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report; Mitigation of Climate Change
- 2022: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report; Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
- 2021: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report; The Physical Science
- 2021: UNEP; Emission Gap Report
- 2021: International Energy Agency Review: Global Energy Review
- New Zealand Climate Change Commission
- It’s time, Canterbury – our climate change conversation
- ECan: Climate Change Canterbury
- COP26: goals
- 2021: Tolefson; COP26 climate summit: A scientists’ guide to a momentous meeting, Nature journal (open access report)
- Climate Emergency Declaration
- United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
- Tonkin & Taylor; Canterbury Climate Change Risk Screening
- Ministry for the Environment: National Climate Change Risk Assessment
- Ministry for the Environment: Climate Change Canterbury
- IPBES-IPCC- Biodiversity and Climate Change Workshop 2021
- The Convention on Biological Diversity
- The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
- Taituara: Local Government Professionals Aotearoa: Navigating Critical 21st Century Transitions – Supporting the local government sector to lead fundamental change in their communities
- Carbon Watch New Zealand: NIWA
- Deep South Challenge: Changing with our Climate: NIWA research collaboration between Crown Research Institutes, universities, and research providers (primary source material for climate adaptation and mitigation Aotearoa)
- Climate Change News (NZ Stuff ‘The Forever Project’)
- Climate Change News (global news services)
- Carbon Brief (award-winning climate science, policy, and energy data mapping and analyses)
- Natural Climate Solutions
- MCC: Remaining Carbon Budget based on IPCC projections for 67% chance of max. 1.5C warming; Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change
- 2021: Analysis: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change? Carbon Brief
- 2021: World Meterological Organisation/United Nations: United in Science 2021
- 2021: World Meterological Organisation Global Annual to Decadel Climate Update
- 2021: Girardin et al; Nature-based solutions can help cool the planet—if we act now, Nature 593 pp191-194
- 2021: Bradshaw et al; Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future, Frontiers in Conservation Science 13
- 2020: Anderson et al; A safe operating space for New Zealand/Aotearoa Translating the planetary boundaries, framework, Stockholm Resiliency Centre (for MfE Aoteaora)
- 2020: UN Emissions Gap Report
- 2020: McElwee et al; The impact of interventions in the global land and agri‐food sectors on Nature’s Contributions to People and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Global Change Biology 12 June, 2020
- 2020: Department of Conservation; Te Mana o te Taiao, Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020
- 2020: Elhacham et al; Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass, Nature 588 pp 442–444
- 2020: Carbon Brief webinar: What impact is Covid-19 having on global emissions?
- 2020: Höhne et al; Emissions: world has four times the work or one-third of the time; Nature 579, 25-28 doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-00571-x
- 2020: Convention on Biological Diversity
- 2020: Shuckman; Sir David Attenborough warns of climate ‘crisis moment’; BBC
- 2020: Strassburg et al; Global priority areas for ecosystem restoration, Nature article
- 2019: UN Environment Programme Emissions Gap Report
- 2019: IPCC; Climate Change and Land
- 2018 IPCC: Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C approved by governments
- 2018: Carbon Brief Analysis; Why the IPCC 1.5C report expanded the carbon budget
- 2019: IPBE; Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and
ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services - 2019: Gilding; Climate Emergency Defined; Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration, Melbourne
- 2019: Department of Conservation; Government takes action for nature; media release
- 2019: Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019
- Ministry for the Environment: Rational and background material relating to the Act
- 2019: London School of Economics; The missing economic risks in assessments of climate change impacts
- 2019: IPCC; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report on the oceans and cryosphere
- Carbon Brief: In-depth Q&A: The IPCC’s special report on the ocean and cryosphere
- 2019: Paulik et al; Coastal Flooding Exposure Under Future Sea-level Rise for New Zealand: NIWA
- 2019: Paulik et al; New Zealand Fluvial and Pluvial Flood Exposure; NIWA
- 2018: IPCC; Global Warming of 1.5°C
- 2017: Griscom et al; Natural climate solutions; PNAS October 31, 2017 114 (44) 11645-11650
- 2016: Jacobs; The Science/Policy Interface: Climate Assessment and Adaptation; University of Arizona
- 2015: Steffen et al; Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet; Science 347, Issue 6223
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- 2022: Ministry for the Environment Draft national adaptation plan
- 2022: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report; Mitigation of Climate Change
- 2022: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report; Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
- 2021: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report; The Physical Science
- 2021: UNEP; Emission Gap Report
- 2021: International Energy Agency Review: Global Energy Review
- New Zealand Climate Change Commission
- It’s time, Canterbury – our climate change conversation
- ECan: Climate Change Canterbury
- COP26: goals
- 2021: Tolefson; COP26 climate summit: A scientists’ guide to a momentous meeting, Nature journal (open access report)
- Climate Emergency Declaration
- United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
- Tonkin & Taylor; Canterbury Climate Change Risk Screening
- Ministry for the Environment: National Climate Change Risk Assessment
- Ministry for the Environment: Climate Change Canterbury
- IPBES-IPCC- Biodiversity and Climate Change Workshop 2021
- The Convention on Biological Diversity
- The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
- Taituara: Local Government Professionals Aotearoa: Navigating Critical 21st Century Transitions – Supporting the local government sector to lead fundamental change in their communities
- Carbon Watch New Zealand: NIWA
- Deep South Challenge: Changing with our Climate: NIWA research collaboration between Crown Research Institutes, universities, and research providers (primary source material for climate adaptation and mitigation Aotearoa)
- Climate Change News (NZ Stuff ‘The Forever Project’)
- Climate Change News (global news services)
- Carbon Brief (award-winning climate science, policy, and energy data mapping and analyses)
- Natural Climate Solutions
- MCC: Remaining Carbon Budget based on IPCC projections for 67% chance of max. 1.5C warming; Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change
- 2021: Analysis: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change? Carbon Brief
- 2021: World Meterological Organisation/United Nations: United in Science 2021
- 2021: World Meterological Organisation Global Annual to Decadel Climate Update
- 2021: Girardin et al; Nature-based solutions can help cool the planet—if we act now, Nature 593 pp191-194
- 2021: Bradshaw et al; Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future, Frontiers in Conservation Science 13
- 2020: Anderson et al; A safe operating space for New Zealand/Aotearoa Translating the planetary boundaries, framework, Stockholm Resiliency Centre (for MfE Aoteaora)
- 2020: UN Emissions Gap Report
- 2020: McElwee et al; The impact of interventions in the global land and agri‐food sectors on Nature’s Contributions to People and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Global Change Biology 12 June, 2020
- 2020: Department of Conservation; Te Mana o te Taiao, Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020
- 2020: Elhacham et al; Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass, Nature 588 pp 442–444
- 2020: Carbon Brief webinar: What impact is Covid-19 having on global emissions?
- 2020: Höhne et al; Emissions: world has four times the work or one-third of the time; Nature 579, 25-28 doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-00571-x
- 2020: Convention on Biological Diversity
- 2020: Shuckman; Sir David Attenborough warns of climate ‘crisis moment’; BBC
- 2020: Strassburg et al; Global priority areas for ecosystem restoration, Nature article
- 2019: UN Environment Programme Emissions Gap Report
- 2019: IPCC; Climate Change and Land
- 2018 IPCC: Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C approved by governments
- 2018: Carbon Brief Analysis; Why the IPCC 1.5C report expanded the carbon budget
- 2019: IPBE; Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and
ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services - 2019: Gilding; Climate Emergency Defined; Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration, Melbourne
- 2019: Department of Conservation; Government takes action for nature; media release
- 2019: Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019
- Ministry for the Environment: Rational and background material relating to the Act
- 2019: London School of Economics; The missing economic risks in assessments of climate change impacts
- 2019: IPCC; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report on the oceans and cryosphere
- Carbon Brief: In-depth Q&A: The IPCC’s special report on the ocean and cryosphere
- 2019: Paulik et al; Coastal Flooding Exposure Under Future Sea-level Rise for New Zealand: NIWA
- 2019: Paulik et al; New Zealand Fluvial and Pluvial Flood Exposure; NIWA
- 2018: IPCC; Global Warming of 1.5°C
- 2017: Griscom et al; Natural climate solutions; PNAS October 31, 2017 114 (44) 11645-11650
- 2016: Jacobs; The Science/Policy Interface: Climate Assessment and Adaptation; University of Arizona
- 2015: Steffen et al; Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet; Science 347, Issue 6223
Instructions for interactive graphs (Credit: The 2°Institute.)
- Mouse over anywhere on the graphs to see the changes over the last thousand years.
- To see time periods of your choice, hold your mouse button down on one section then drag the mouse across a few years, then release it.
- To see how this compares to the past 800,000 years, click on the ‘time’ icon on the top left.
- To return the graphs to their original position, double-click the time icon.
- The annual ups and downs in the graph are because plants accumulate carbon in the spring and summer and release some back to the air in autumn and winter. As the northern hemisphere has more land and more plants, carbon dioxide levels go up in winter because plants become less productive. Annual measurements of carbon dioxide are an average of these ups and downs.
- Mouse over anywhere on the graphs to see the changes over the last thousand years.
- To see time periods of your choice, hold your mouse button down on one section then drag the mouse across a few years, then release it.
- To see how this compares to the past 800,000 years, click on the ‘time’ icon on the top left.
- To return the graphs to their original position, double-click the time icon.
- The annual ups and downs in the graph are because plants accumulate carbon in the spring and summer and release some back to the air in autumn and winter. As the northern hemisphere has more land and more plants, carbon dioxide levels go up in winter because plants become less productive. Annual measurements of carbon dioxide are an average of these ups and downs.