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Our changing climate

Our changing climate presents challenges to Murihiku Southland, but also new opportunities.

Our actions are guided by global and local knowledge, including mātauranga Māori, ensuring the choices we make remain tailored to our unique environment, economy and communities.

Our region is on a pleasing pathway, with the 2022 measurements indicating that regional emissions have been reduced by 14.8% since 2018.

The Murihiku Southland Climate Change Impact Assessment Report – released in April 2026 – is helping the region plan and prepare for climate risks and opportunities now and in the future. The four volume report is an updated and expanded climate change impact assessment for Murihiku Southland – building on the first assessment – released in 2018. It is a key tool for continuing community engagement to help people understand how a range of climate change impacts might affect them

Updated national climate projections for Aotearoa New Zealand became available in late 2024, with updated regional projections expected from mid-2025.

The updated national climate projections for Aotearoa New Zealand are available here.

Key terms

Emissions reductions - our actions to reduce emissions by sources; or enhance removals of greenhouse gases.

Adaptation -the process of adjusting to actual or expected climate variability and its effects.

Regional Climate Change Working Group -The Regional Climate Change Working Group consists of Te Ao Mārama representatives, elected representatives, and key staff, of all councils in the region, and is working collaboratively to ensure we are tackling the issues at a regional level.

Environment Southland climate action timeline

2025 – Regional Framework for Action on Climate for Murihiku Southland adopted

2024 –Regional Climate Change Strategy Strategy developed and consulted on

September 2023 - Climate change perceptions survey carried out

April 2023 -Environment Southland adopts carbon net zero target for organisation

February 2023 - First Climate Change Inter-agency Group meeting held to help develop Regional Climate Change Strategy

2022 - Climate Change Commission Chair presents to councils and TAMI

2022 - Environment Southland to set up regional climate change working group

2022 - Environment Southland creates Climate Change sub-committee

2021 - Council ratifies initial climate action plan

2020 - Council introduces hybrid vehicles to council fleet

2019 - Transition from paper-based Council agendas to electronic agendas

2019 - Councillors commit to accord urgency to developing a climate change action plan

2018 - Southland Climate Change Impact Assessment

2017 - Environment Southland became a signatory to the Local Government Leaders' Climate Change Declaration.

2014 - Environment Southland replaced its coal boiler with a woodchip boiler

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