What we can all do

What can you do?

Understand your emissions. You can do an online assessment here. https://www.futurefit.nz/
Whenever you can walk or cycle instead of driving. Or catch the bus.
Separate your food waste from your rubbish and compost it at home. Council will even help pay up to $100 for your home compost or worm farm. Find out more here.
Electric vehicles are getting cheaper, and with government subsidies they will pay for themselves over time from fuel savings.
Insulation, efficient heating, LED lightbulbs and solar panels. These can all pay themselves off over time in reduced power bills. There is also funding support available from government. For more details go to https://tools.eeca.govt.nz/warmer-kiwi-homes-tool/
Give back to the community – join up with Greening Taupō to plants trees in our community, or plant some yourself at your house.
Talk about it! We all need to be aware and make changes.

Go to the Gen Les website to find out more about what you can do

What New Zealand needs to do

As a nation we all need to look at the source of our emissions and work towards making changes needed, as outlined below.

Source of emissions:

Source of emissions

Changes needed:

Electric cars
Low emission trucks and freight
Increased walking, cycling and public transport

Source of emissions:

Burning goal and gas.

Changes needed:

Phase out coal and natural gas
Move to 100% renewable electricity generation
Capture and reduce emissions from geothermal generation

Source of emissions:

Construction.

Changes needed:

Build energy efficient homes and buildings
Use lower emissions design, building materials and construction methods

Source of emissions:

Organic waste.

Changes needed:

Capture waste gases at landfills
Reduce, reuse, recycle waste

Source of emissions:

Animal waste.

Changes needed:

Reduce emissions from on-farm efficiencies and technologies
Diversifying land use
Planting more native trees and bush

Source of emissions:

Forests.

Change needed:

Plant more forests and trees, and native bush – which soak up and store carbon emissions.

Link to the next section.