Resources to help you have your say on Climate Change Commission’s Draft Advice

From now until 28 March 2021, Te Pou a Rangi — The Climate Change Commission, is seeking feedback on their first ever draft emissions budgets and advice to Government. This is a big milestone for climate action in Aotearoa, and a real opportunity to make bold and ambitious progress towards a climate that is safe and liveable for our mokupuna.

The Rubbish Trip has collaborated with a range of climate action and zero waste organisations to produce a submission guide to help you identify the good and the bad in the Commission’s draft advice. 

But what has waste got to do with climate change, you ask?

Waste is one of the key sectors that produce emissions — alongside agriculture, transport and others — identified in the Commission’s advice. However, when it comes to waste, the Commission has only focused on the emissions that come from biogenic methane produced by organic waste breaking down in landfill.

Methane emissions from landfills is of course a big problem but is only one part of the climate change connection with waste. If we only look at the disposal or ‘end-of-life’ side of the equation, we are neglecting all the carbon emissions that are produced throughout the supply chain of the linear economy – the mining and extraction of resources, refining, manufacturing and transportation of products that are eventually (and sometimes rapidly) disposed of in landfill. As Sue Coutts from Zero Waste Network said, “By tackling waste you can reduce emissions, it ticks both boxes at the same time.”

We’re currently collaborating with Zero Waste Network to write a full submission from the perspective of the zero waste community. You can hear an update about that at a webinar Zero Waste Network are hosting on 3 March at 10am – more info here.

Play your part in democracy and make sure your voice is counted!