The DCC has pledged to go carbon neutral by 2030, and they are asking for the help of locals to get there. Their “Zero Carbon Ōtepoti survey” is a handy opportunity to have a say on issues including transport, energy use at home, and waste management - all from the comfort of your own home.
“We want your insights on our city’s diverse needs and aspirations as we plan for a Zero Carbon Ōtepoti,” states the DCC on their website.
The survey poses a number of questions regarding individual lifestyle choices. These range from what methods of transport locals use to how we might be incentivized to bike or walk rather than drive. There are also the more generic questions typical to carbon-emissions chat, such as, “How concerned are you about climate change?” This is boomer–inclusive, with one option being: “I don’t believe in climate change.”
With many students’ friends and families in the North Island still reeling from the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, and in the midst of a global climate and ecological crisis, Critic Te Ārohi set out to ask students for their thoughts on whether a survey about individual and local changes to emissions could contribute. “I don't think individual changes will make structural changes in themselves,” said Jowan, President of the Otago Campus Vegans. “They have a place, but a small one.”
On a deeper level, Jowan said that what he would ideally like to see would be for Ōtepoti to “become Aotearoa's first decolonised and anti-capitalist city that places whakawhanaungatanga as a sustainable means of connecting communities, individual actions, and structural changes.” Some old dudes on Facebook suggested that we “let the market decide”. For what it’s worth.
Local councils play a big role in climate response in Aotearoa. While doubtful that this survey alone will evoke the change Jowan envisions, it takes a mere five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous. You can find it at: https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/dunedin-city/climate-change/zero-carbon