Carbon neutral government a step closer

Te Whanganui-a-Tara - The government is rolling out its plan for a carbon neutral public sector by 2025, by committing money for a range of clean energy projects.

Schools, tertiary institutions, hospitals and other government agencies will be supported to replace fossil fuel boilers with cleaner alternatives and improve the efficiency of buildings.

The projects will reduce carbon emissions by around 26,000 tonnes over the next 10 years,

The projects announced at Pukerua Bay School today include:

• Replacing coal boilers at 10 schools - Raglan Area, Hillcrest High, Paeroa Central, Feilding Intermediate, Marton Junction, Raetihi Primary, Northern Southland College, Reefton Area, Buller High and Westport North.

• replacing coal boilers at the Southern Institute of Technology and a natural gas boiler at Taranaki DHB

• improving the energy efficiency of facilities at Auckland, Waikato and Hawkes Bay DHBs and Massey and Victoria universities

Fossil fuels are still used to heat and keep the lights on in too many of New Zealand’s most important public buildings, climate change minister James Shaw says.

Funding for the clean energy projects will be allocated from the government’s $200 million  sector decarbonisation fund, administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

The fund was created in 2019 to support schools, hospitals, and other public organisations to make the switch to clean energy – including changes that will be required to achieve a carbon-neutral government sector by 2025.

Today’s announcement means 36 schools, 7 universities and 10 hospitals have been funded for clean energy upgrades.