Our long-term vision
The Council's long-term strategic vision is Towards 2040: Smart Capital. One of the goals in this vision is to make Wellington an eco-city:
Towards 2040: Smart Capital
Our Long-term Plan supports the aim to develop Wellington as an eco-city that:
- proactively responds to environmental challenges
- takes an environmental leadership role, as the capital city of clean and green New Zealand.
Long-term Plan 2021-31
Our other strategies and plans
Other Council plans for the environment include:
Our Natural Capital - Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
The Council's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Wellington:
- outlines our vision, goals and objectives
- sets the priorities that give our work direction and purpose
- provides a set of guiding principles for Council to work by
These are the four themes under which our biodiversity management guidelines, goals, objectives and actions are grouped.
- Protect the ecologically significant areas on private and public land, particularly through pest reduction
- Restore these areas – create safe buffer zones around them and connect them
- Connect people to the importance of and threats to our indigenous biodiversity, and provide resources and support for restoration work across all our reserves
- Research the best ways we can continue to manage our issues and progress
NZ Biodiversity Strategy - NZ Biodiversity
Climate Change Action Plan
In June 2010, the Council passed the Climate Change Action Plan that established the dual focus on:
Adaptation - preparing for the impacts of climate change so we can safeguard the community, the environment and the economy from likely risks.
Mitigation - reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or storing (sequestering) carbon dioxide in forests.
The Council's work programme on climate change is divided into the following key action areas:
- Adaptation
- Buildings and energy
- Land transport
- Waste
- Council operations
- Forestry
- Aviation
The Council's 2010 Climate Change Action Plan provided a 2-year work programme to achieve significant progress on climate change. The plan was recognised as a category award winner in the Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon Awards 2011.