Minimise your impact on the environment

As well as maintaining the role of environmental guardians through monitoring, regulation and leading by example, North Shore City Council facilitates environmental education by providing information, tools and support so people can make choices that have less of a negative impact on the planet.

Our aim is to motivate people and help them develop knowledge, skills, awareness, attitudes and values to protect and enhance our natural and physical environment.

We want to help you minimise your impact on the environment so that generations can enjoy it in the future.

The average New Zealander requires the equivalent of 30,800 square metres to support his or her lifestyle. If all New Zealanders consumed this much, 4.2 Earths would be required to sustainably accommodate the world's population.

Education for sustainability

The term "education for sustainability" is now often used alongside environmental education. Education for sustainability has grown from the environmental education movement, and focuses on developing closer links between environmental quality, human equality, human rights and peace and the underlying policies.

That is, as well as concern for the environment, education for sustainability looks at the issues of social justice, cultural and economic wellbeing and political participation.

Education for sustainability aims to address the need for development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

National websites

Parliamentary Commission for the Environment - education for sustainability
Ministry for the Environment - sustainable development
Ministry for the Environment - calculate your personal ecological footprint