Apáthy told Metro News the idea of an environmental levy on ships would be a really good step, so long as the money is managed properly.
“They need to stop spending rate payers money on subsidising highly polluting and unnecessary industries, but also they need to look at where we can put these levies and help put that money into badly needed adaptation and mitigation.”
Other statistics included in the report show in the last financial year, 54 percent of Christchurch’s emissions come from transport, whereas 38 percent is caused by on-road transport.
Other emitters include stationary energy at 21 percent, agriculture at 16 percent and five percent for other processors, all amounting to over 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Councillor Aaron Keown says he’s “gobsmacked” by the overall one percent decrease in emissions between 2017 and 2023, feeling that the money already invested in climate initiatives is billions gone nowhere.
However, others like Deputy Mayor Pauline Cotter say the report is not damning but rather a “good report” with some “positives in there”, mainly referring to a two percent decrease in car emissions and 19 percent reduction in bus emissions since 2019 thanks to an increasing electric fleet.
A report is coming to council in May on the actions being taken to meet the emissions targets, which could very well see elected members deciding on whether a levy could be put in place.