Climate and Biodiversity Plan 2025-2028
This plan belongs to all who make this district home.
Our draft Climate & Biodiversity Plan 2025-2028 is ready for your review, and we would love to hear your feedback!
The plan was developed in partnership with Kāi Tahu, the Climate Reference Group, and local partner organisations.
It sets out our latest priorities for responding to the climate and ecological emergency and an action plan for how the vision, outcomes and objectives will be achieved. It builds on past progress and outlines the actions needed to create a more resilient, low carbon, and thriving future for all who call Queenstown Lakes District home.
Six years after declaring a climate and ecological emergency, steady progress has been achieved, but more needs to be done. The scientific evidence is clear: we must act decisively to reduce emissions, restore biodiversity, and strengthen our resilience to the changes ahead.
How did we get to here?
On 27 June 2019, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) declared a climate and ecological emergency and developed its first Climate Action Plan 2019-2022. The plan set the foundation for Council’s response and focused on an ambitious range of actions across five outcome areas.
In July 2022, Council adopted the second Climate and Biodiversity Plan 2022-2025. The plan acknowledged that climate action needed to be fully integrated with biodiversity protection and ecosystem regeneration to address the dual climate and ecological crises. It focused on “getting our own house in order” and developing relationships with local partners to deliver climate and biodiversity action.
What’s new in the draft 2025-2028 plan?
At the heart of this plan is the theme: Accelerating Transformation through Partnerships. Tackling these complex challenges requires collaboration across our community, including with mana whenua, local businesses, conservation groups, climate experts, residents and visitors.
We have placed Te Taiao (the natural environment) at the core of our action planning. The mauri (life force or essence) of the natural environment affects our district’s cultural, economic, and social health and wellbeing.
This plan also includes a new outcome area: the local energy system. This reflects the scale of the challenges and opportunities in transforming the district’s power supply to be more resilient, renewable, and responsive to the shifting needs of our community.
Partnership approach
The draft plan recognises that local organisations possess invaluable knowledge and experience allowing them to effectively implement initiatives and drive change at the community level. Lasting transformation happens when communities are resourced and empowered to lead. Council plays an important role within this community-led approach by acting as an advocate, enabler, facilitator, and funder.
Mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity action
The below diagram illustrates the links between emissions mitigation, climate change adaption, and biodiversity restoration.
Next steps
After community feedback is gathered and reviewed, the Climate & Biodiversity Plan 2025-2028 will be finalised and presented to Council for adoption in July 2025.
