25 signatures reached
To: Auckland Council
Help small businesses on the way to a sustainable energy future!
We urge Auckland Council to provide grants of $400 for small businesses to switch to sustainable energy and reduce climate emissions.
Our goal is that with this new incentive there are no blocks to small business owners committing to sustainable energy and low carbon emissions. This will benefit the businesses and work towards the Council's climate plan to halve emissions by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Our goal is that with this new incentive there are no blocks to small business owners committing to sustainable energy and low carbon emissions. This will benefit the businesses and work towards the Council's climate plan to halve emissions by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Why is this important?
Auckland Council can reduce the use of fossil fuels for energy. They can not only take action to make hospitals, schools, and buildings more sustainable but also support small businesses to make a transition to sustainable energy and provide assistance in the process.
The Earth is reaching closer and closer to the tipping point. A lot of that is due to climate change; which is caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
The main cause of greenhouse gas emissions is from energy. Energy emissions happen from the farm where they are collected, to the way they are used in homes. Promoting sustainable, emission-free energy would have a positive effect on the Earth. The small businesses would also benefit from cheaper power, and having the cost covered to persuade more people to switch.
Auckland Council should fund the small businesses $400 for the first month of switching to sustainable energy.
The Earth is reaching closer and closer to the tipping point. A lot of that is due to climate change; which is caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
The main cause of greenhouse gas emissions is from energy. Energy emissions happen from the farm where they are collected, to the way they are used in homes. Promoting sustainable, emission-free energy would have a positive effect on the Earth. The small businesses would also benefit from cheaper power, and having the cost covered to persuade more people to switch.
Auckland Council should fund the small businesses $400 for the first month of switching to sustainable energy.
Auckland Council would run this program, under which a business owner could call their office and request funding to switch to sustainable energy. The $400 would cover most of the first month of sustainable electricity. Our goal is that with this new incentive, small business owners would be inclined to support sustainable energy because of the benefit to their business.
- The small businesses would benefit from transitioning to sustainable energy. Sustainable energy is more inexpensive than fossil-fueled energy, which would benefit small businesses that need to use a lot of power (eg. heating and chilling food).
- Having more businesses switch to sustainable energy would also reduce emissions in New Zealand. Currently, over 40% of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions come from activities such as driving, generating electricity, and manufacturing. Encouraging businesses to use sustainable energy could reduce that number, reducing New Zealand's overall emissions.
The effects that could have on our environment are really important. Reduced emissions could slow global warming, reduce air pollution, and keep New Zealand on track in our Sustainable Development Goals.
Global warming is an urgent issue, we need to take action to stop it. It's caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trapping heat from the sun. Even though it may seem small, every second more glaciers begin melting, and sea levels rise which causes coastal cities; like Auckland to flood. Slowing global warming is a large thing that could be affected by more businesses transitioning to sustainable energy.
Air pollution is caused by emissions of pollutants into the air. These pollutants are fine particles like smoke that can travel into the body and affect our health. Air pollution causes health problems such as asthma, heart disease, and stroke. Air pollution causes around 6.7 million premature deaths each year. That's 6.7 million lives gone and millions more devastated by the loss. Preventing emissions from businesses is a step in stopping this issue, which is an action we should all take.
So, take action for small businesses using sustainable energy. It helps not only the environment and businesses but also you. Who knows who could be affected by the effects of our emissions next?