Te aukati i te huringa o te āhuarangi me te Mate Kowheori 19 Climate action and COVID-19

Although COVID-19 has caused significant disruption across businesses, communities and economies, it is important to recognise that the risks and impacts of climate change have not gone away.

​We cannot return to business as usual and the pathway towards a 3.5 degree Celsius rise.

Clearly the impacts and implications of COVID-19, particularly on the most vulnerable, have been stark and we must take action to support all Aucklanders in an  equitable Actions and decisions that are fair and just.  recovery.

What has also been demonstrated is how, when united in a common goal, we can deliver major system changes across the region, the country and globally.

How the post-COVID recovery is shaped and driven will either accelerate our climate action response or make the task of preparing for  climate change The long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns attributed directly or indirectly to human activity. GHG’s emitted into the atmosphere through human activity alter the composition of the global atmosphere, causing rising global temperatures and changing weather patterns in addition to natural climate variability.  even more difficult.

Find out more about our COVID-19 areas of focus.

Mate Korona or COVID-19 has presented an opportunity to re-imagine, re-frame and re-set the current system.

The Māori led response across  Tāmaki Makaurau The Māori name for Auckland. Translates to Tāmaki desired by many.  for  whānau Extended family, family group, a familiar term of address to a number of people. Also the primary economic unit of traditional Māori society.  activated by Māori sector organisations,  marae The enclosed space in front of a wharenui (meeting house) where people gather.  and  mana whenua Hapū and iwi with ancestral relationships to certain areas in Tāmaki Makaurau where they exercise customary authority.  have highlighted a number of lessons that could be applied as we respond and resolve issues generated from the past, meet the needs of our current generations, while we navigate a future of uncertainty, change, and significant impact for future generations.

• Māori whānau and communities are resilient, as we have been for over a thousand years of living in Tāmaki Makauaru.
• Our values of  manaakitanga The process of showing respect, hospitality, generosity and care for others. ,  kaitiakitanga Guardianship, including stewardship; the processes and practices of looking after the environment. ,  rangatiratanga There are two components: 1. chieftainship, right to exercise authority, chiefly autonomy, chiefly authority, ownership, leadership of a social group, domain of the rangatira, noble birth, attributes of a chief. 2. kingdom, realm, sovereignty, principality, self-determination, self-management - connotations extending the original meaning of the word resulting from Bible and Treaty of Waitangi translations. ,  whanaungatanga Relationship, kinship, sense of family connection. A relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging.  and kotahitanga have been the glue of our  resilience The ability of a system, community or society to handle and recover from hazards in a fast, efficient way. This includes risk management to protect and restore basic services and functions. and care of others.
• Mate Korona Corona virus  brought into sharper focus broader issues that continue to impact on whānau – lack of  equity The quality of being fair. , poverty, over representation of Māori in socio-economic disparity are symptomatic of a system that continues to fail Māori.
• The success of a Māori-led response, through Māori organisations, marae and mana whenua supported through a collaborative partnership with Council’s Te Pou Whakarae emergency management response, has modelled an example of what the ‘new normal’ could be with the council and Māori working together as partners.
• Our whānau bubbles have kept our people safe and resilient during Mate Korona, and can play a role a key role in the ecological, cultural, social and economic regeneration of Māori wellbeing.

Our implementation overview sets out initial thinking on when actions should be delivered but this will be kept under regular review as we address the implications of COVID-19.

To meet our climate goals, all actions will need to be delivered in the medium-term.

The collaborative approach to developing the plan provides the foundation for co-delivery and also clarifies responsibilities.

Further discussion with key partners will be needed over the coming months, to ensure the changes we are seeing as a result of COVID-19 are appropriately considered.