Local body elections are coming up in October, and this is your chance to make sure councils take action on climate change. We can do so much in the next three years with strong effective councils willing to take action on climate change.
How can councils make a difference?
Local councils can help reduce emissions through better policies and decisions on transport, waste, energy efficiency, urban development and land use. Our Mayor and local Councillors can also advocate for greater action at a national level.
How do I know who to vote for?
Groups including Generation Zero, the Common Climate Network and Millions of Mothers will be asking local council candidates probing questions about their policies in all the key areas of council responsibility that can have a positive impact on climate change. We will then publish scorecards so you know who to vote for to support the action you want to see.
Which councils are covered?
See the list of all councils covered so far. This page will be updated throughout the project.
What can I do to make a difference?
- Encourage your friends and whānau to enrol and vote – check your enrolment here
- Follow Common Climate NZ on Facebook or www.commonclimate.nz
- Lend a hand – see below
Get involved in this project
This project is 100% volunteer-run. If you want to make sure your city, district or regional council is covered, we encourage you to adapt our scorecard questions, send them to candidates in your area and talk to local media about publishing the results or self-publish on social media. We will provide coordinators with a guide to grading the results.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with grading and analysis of the scorecard results councils around the country – the more the merrier!
To volunteer, or join the discussion on this project, head to the Common Climate Network on Facebook.
Key dates
21 August: Candidates announced
22 August: Scorecard questions sent out
02-06 September: Deadline for questions to be returned, depending on the region
20 – 25 September: Voting papers sent out and scorecard results published
5 October: Final day to post your voting papers back to arrive by the deadline of noon on 12 October.
Related projects
If you are specifically interested in transport and urban design issues, Women in Urbanism will also be producing a scorecard on how those issues affect women.
The Public Health Association will produce a scorecard for District Health Board candidates in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
We are working alongside other groups who are engaged in the local body elections, including Talk Wellington, and Bryan Crump’s podcast The Traffic Jam.
Read more about Common Climate.
Common Climate Network 
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