Sustainable Places Approach

Build sustainability into your facility and strengthen the community you support.

The Sustainable Places Approach helps Auckland Council facilities understand what they're already doing, identify opportunities for improvement and take practical climate action.

Access your facility

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What is the Sustainable Places Approach?

The Sustainable Places Approach is a practical framework that helps Auckland Council facilities understand where they are on their sustainability journey and where they can improve.

Developed in collaboration with Community-Led Partners, it provides a consistent way to look at sustainability across your facility, while recognising that every place and community is different.

The approach helps you identify what you're already doing well, where there are gaps, and the actions that could make the biggest difference for your facility and the community you support.

At the heart of the approach are five pou that connect the wellbeing of people, place and Papatūānuku.

Explore the five pou

The five pou provide a practical way to look at sustainability across your facility.

Together they explore how your place operates, how your team works, your connections with the community, and the opportunities you have to support wider climate action.

Use the pou to recognise what you're already doing well and identify where your facility could take the next step.

Zero Waste

Reduce waste through smarter choices, low-waste practices and sharing knowledge that helps your facility and community use resources more wisely.

Zero Emissions

Cut emissions through better transport, energy and water choices, while protecting and restoring the natural environment around your facility.

Community Resilience

Build stronger connections, prepare for change and create an inclusive facility that supports community wellbeing, resilience and local action.

Te Tiriti

Strengthen connections with whenua, grow understanding of te ao Māori, and embed te reo Māori and tikanga into your facility's journey.

Kai for all

Support food equity and resilience by connecting people with local kai, growing knowledge and celebrating food cultures and traditions.

Our facilities can help lead change

Auckland Council facilities are part of communities across Tāmaki Makaurau. They are places where people meet, learn, connect and access services.

The choices we make in how our facilities operate can reduce environmental impacts, build resilience and make sustainable action more visible and accessible.

By improving sustainability within our own facilities, we can also support the people and communities around us to take action.

Why climate action matters

Climate change affects all of us. Auckland Council has an important role in helping Tāmaki Makaurau respond.

Through the places we operate, the services we provide and the communities we work alongside, our facilities can help reduce our impact and build resilience.

Every action contributes to Auckland's wider climate goals.

Auckland's climate goals

2030

Halve our emissions

2040

Become a zero-waste city

2050

Reach net zero emissions

Auckland Council Pools and Leisure Staff

See where your facility is at

The Sustainable Places Scorecard helps you assess sustainability action across your facility.

Work through the five pou and select the actions your facility is already taking. Your results will show whether you are currently an Activator, Leader or Champion in each area.

Use your results to recognise progress, identify gaps and decide where your facility could make the biggest difference next.

The scorecard gives you a practical starting point for improving sustainability within your facility and strengthening the way you support your community.

Assess your facility

What your result means

Your score shows where your facility currently sits across each of the five pou. Each level reflects a different stage of your sustainability journey.

Activator

An Activator is starting their sustainability journey. Your facility is talking, thinking, trying new things and making connections, while laying the foundations for action as a team and within your place.

Leader

A Leader understands the impact they want to have in their community. Your facility is setting goals and targets, creating actions tailored to its community, and building connections locally and regionally.

Champion

A Champion partners with their community to grow sustainable and climate action. Your facility shares knowledge and success, connects and supports others, and helps grow sustainability action and new champions within the community.