Water Restriction Level 2
Find out where our greenhouse gas emissions come from and how we’re reducing them to zero by 2050.
Council’s carbon emission targets and plans
Hutt City Council has set a goal of reducing emissions to net zero by no later than 2050. The goal also applies to Council-Controlled Organisations, such as the Seaview Marina.
We've produced an action plan that sets out our intentions to reduce carbon emissions across the city. Some of these focus on reducing Council’s own emissions, but also include actions to change to city-wide emissions, like expanding our cycle ways.
Interim Carbon Reduction and Climate Resilience Plan 2021-2031
Council is measuring its emissions, in order to report on progress. View our Hutt City Council Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report 2022-2023 (PDF 6.08MB)
Following Council’s progress
We've created a Climate Change & Sustainability Committee to deal with matters related to climate change and sustainability, and to receive reports on progress against our Carbon Reduction Plan. Find out more about the committee’s work at the regular committee meetings.
Council’s actions over the next 10 years
Here are some of the things we’re doing to reduce emissions at the Council over the next 10 years:
Our facilities
We are working to reduce carbon emissions from the energy used at our facilities by 30% by 2024, and 50% by 2030. The biggest savings in this area will come from changing natural gas heating to lower-carbon options, such as at our pools. The Eastbourne Summer Pool and McKenzie Baths have already been switched from gas boilers to heat pumps.
Council vehicles
We’re improving the efficiency of our vehicle fleet by switching to Electric Vehicles (EVs). As of February, our vehicle fleet is 69% electric, and we should achieve our goal of a 100% electric vehicle fleet well before 2030.
Decarbonising contracts
We are progressively decarbonising services delivered by private contractors. For example, half of the Council’s kerbside rubbish and recycling service is now delivered with electric trucks, and procurement processes include requirements for contractors to measure and report their emissions, and to reduce them in line with our carbon targets. Electrification of vehicles plays a key role in order to achieve targets.
Urban Plus Limited (UPL)
New UPL dwellings no longer have natural gas technologies installed, and all new dwellings have to be built to the New Zealand Green Building Council Homestar 6 Rating.
New Zealand Green Building Council
New Naenae pool
The new Naenae aquatic facility is being built to the New Zealand GreenStar Building Rating Scheme (5 out of 6), and all energy will come from low-carbon electricity.
Silverstream Landfill
We have a gas collection system in place, and a power plant to generate energy from the methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, emitted from decomposing waste. We also have a supplementary flare in place to improve methane destruction efficiency. Solar PV has been installed at the landfill’s office to improve resilience, and the design and construction of a Heavy EV Charging Hub is underway, in order to electrify the landfill’s operational vehicles.