Preparing for the future with our Climate Response Strategy

Fire and Emergency is proud to launch the Climate Response Strategy 2022-2030.

The Strategy is Fire and Emergency’s strategic road map that describes our focus areas to respond to climate change.

We have a responsibility to protect the environment. It’s a key part of our purpose and extends to taking action on climate change. To respond well, we must reduce emissions to mitigate our own contribution to climate change, and anticipate and adapt to the changes that are coming.

The mahi presented in the Strategy supports our strategic intent, and commitment to the national response under the Government’s Carbon Neutral Government Programme(external link).

While reducing our organisation’s emissions is important, we must transition in a balanced way that does not compromise our ability to respond to the needs of our communities, and does not conflict with our financial and health and safety requirements.

Between 2022 and 2030, we will focus our emissions reduction efforts on the following areas:

• Reducing diesel consumption in our fleet
• Increasing the energy efficiency of our buildings
• Promoting efficient travel
• Exploring options to reduce training-related travel
• Increasing awareness and promoting behaviour change
• Establishing routine emissions monitoring and reporting

Data shows the environment in New Zealand is changing, and the impacts of climate change are expected to affect our operations. We have already seen wildfires occurring earlier during the warmer months, and an increasing number of extreme weather events causing flooding and storm damage.  These events are expected to become more common and more damaging with rising temperatures. 

Between 2022 and 2030, we will focus our climate-related adaptation efforts on the following areas.

• Identifying a range of potential future states to support our planning
• Improving our understanding of the future by supporting research, and collaborating with our partners
• Promoting community resilience through national fire safety campaign’s and work under the 4 Rs
• Improving wildfire awareness and preparedness for high-risk communities
• Engaging Māori communities to promote fire prevention and support readiness to respond.

You can read the full Strategy document here [PDF, 6.3 MB], or view it on our Strategy website here(external link). There is also a summary tri-fold available here [PDF, 3.5 MB].

More information on the development of the Strategy can be found on the Climate Response Strategy Portal page.