12 June 2001

Wellington - Mobil Oil New Zealand Ltd is disappointed with today's protest action by Greenpeace.

"It is our understanding that the protest relates to the participation of Mobil's parent company, ExxonMobil, in the current debate in the United States over the Kyoto climate change protocol" said Mobil Oil New Zealand's Country Manager, Alan Heng.

"Climate change is an important issue and Mobil supports the right of all interested parties to make their views known. However, Greenpeace is seeking to promote the idea that support for, or opposition to, the Kyoto Protocol equates to concern or non-concern about climate change. This is simply not the case.

Mobil takes the potential for human induced climate change very seriously however, we do not support the Kyoto Protocol as an appropriate response. We believe the Protocol is seriously flawed and would potentially do more harm than good, it would impose dramatic economic costs in the developed world, while doing little to achieve the goal of reducing global emissions.

The Greenpeace campaign simply attempts to stifle a legitimate and important debate on these issues. In our view, the most effective way to respond to all concerns and risks is through programs that encourage economically justified near term action that promotes climate understanding and technological innovation for long term solutions.

(Ends)

© Scoop Media