Reducing emissions for home and business
Even though climate change can sometimes feel overwhelming, individuals and businesses can make a difference.
By changing individual habits and taking small steps at home, at work, and in our community, our collective actions will reduce carbon emissions, build sustainability and resilience, and support healthier lifestyles.
A good example is the Paekākāriki Community Orchard and Gardens (POG) village-wide composting initiative, which collects household food scraps and turns them into compost for the community garden’s fruit trees. This initiative was kick-started by a 2019/20 Seed Funding Waste Reduction Grant from Council, and reduces the volume of food scraps heading to landfill to generate harmful leachate and methane.
FutureFit
Check it out FutureFit to get an idea of the impact your lifestyle is having on our planet, and how your everyday actions can make a difference, and reduce your carbon footprint.
It's a simple, powerful and proactive way for individuals, households and businesses to engage with climate change – designed specifically for Aotearoa New Zealand. FutureFit includes links to resources on:
- reducing your transport emissions
- reducing your electricity use
- minimising your waste
- planting trees and getting involved in other ecological restoration to help with emissions.
Gen Less
Gen Less is website that looks at the opportunities we have every day to be more conscious about our energy use, and how we can use less. It's supported by the EECA | Te Tari Tiaki Pūngao (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), a government agency dedicated to mobilising New Zealanders to be world leaders in clean and clever energy use.
It's full of inspiring ideas to reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. You’ll find loads of actions you can make that are better for our climate, your wellbeing and your pocket. Choose whatever works best for you – when we all make small changes, big things happen.
Pakihi Toitū o Kāpiti sustainable business network
Council has stood up a sustainable business network Pakihi Toitū o Kāpiti, which provides resources and case studies for local businesses interested in moving to low-carbon business practices, and regular newsletters.
Climate Action Toolbox for businesses
Government agencies and sustainable business organisations have worked together to develop the Climate Action Toolbox, an easy-to-use, free tool to help businesses reduce their carbon emissions.
The toolbox has been specially designed to support small-to-medium businesses, who make up a large part of New Zealand’s economy. Their combined efforts on climate change could have a significant effect on the country’s emissions.
Climate change: we all have a role to play
The Ministry for the Environment provides a great resource at Climate change: We all have a role to play, which outlines:
- what you can do about climate change
- what organisations are doing
- videos of climate change initiatives
- the roles and responsibilities of government agencies.
Check it out, and get inspired!
Reducing your waste
Did you know that New Zealand families throw out about $560 worth of food each year? That's three shopping trolleys full! As a country, we throw away 157,389 tonnes every year, enough food to feed everyone in Kāpiti for nearly eight years! Our Rubbish and recycling section has all kinds of resources to help you with recycling, composting, and reducing your household waste.
Reducing your power use
Reducing your power use at home or work not only saves you money, but saves our resources, too. EECA has grants for heater and home insulation to low-income homeowners, and GenLess has lots of tips to save energy at home.
Healthy Home toolkits
A warm, dry home is more comfortable, more energy efficient, and much better for your health. Cold, damp and mouldy houses are uncomfortable, and can cause serious health problems like respiratory illness and heart diseases. It’s also more difficult and expensive to heat damp and draughty houses.
Our Healthy Home toolkits are available from our libraries, and will help you check how your home is performing for warmth and dampness, as well as improving the comfort of your home.