Hamilton City Council has released its second climate change disclosure report.
Our Climate Statement 2024/25, showing the progress the organisation is making to better understand and respond to the challenges of climate change in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.
The report focuses on how Council is improving its internal systems, decision-making, and day-to-day operations to be more climate ready. It’s about building the foundations for long-term change – making sure staff are equipped, leaders have the right information, and climate action is part of everyday thinking.
Charlotte Catmur, Sustainability and Climate Change Manager, says the report is a good opportunity to look at what Council can do to improve.
“Our goal with these reports is to drive a stronger response to climate risk across Council and keep our Elected Members informed about how prepared we are for the shift to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.”
Over the past year, Council has:
- reduced natural gas use, saving emissions
- installed solar panels at St Andrews Library
- transitioned the Council fleet to electric vehicles, e-bikes and e-scooters
- invested in public transport like the new Meteor bus
- launched a new tool to assess climate and hazard risks
- completed flood mapping for 90% of the city.
Despite these efforts, Council’s operational emissions rose slightly this year –mainly due to changes in the national electricity supply. Emissions for 2024/25 were 10,430 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, up from 9069 tonnes the year before. That’s an 8% reduction from the 2018/19 baseline, compared to 20% the year before.
“We’ve done a lot of mahi over the past year to improve our data, strengthen governance, and build climate capability across Council. Now we’re focused on what more we can do to make a real impact. Our new climate change maturity roadmap helps us do just that,” Catmur said.
Council remains committed to its 2030 target of a 50% emissions reduction. Work is underway to review the current emissions reduction plan and embed climate priorities into the upcoming 2027–2037 Long-Term Plan.
City-wide emissions data for 2024/25 is not yet available. Council is working with 18 other councils across Aotearoa to improve how city-wide emissions are measured, allowing more accurate updates and better tracking of Hamilton’s progress toward becoming a low-carbon city.
Council’s climate priorities for the next three years are outlined in the 2025-28 Climate Change Maturity Roadmap, which guides action across governance, strategy, risk management, and tracking emissions and adaptation.