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New Zealand Government part of global climate problem

New Zealand Government part of global climate problem

The New Zealand Government’s position on climate change is part of the global problem that we need to overcome if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change, the Green Party said today.

The Climate Change Performance Index released during the talks ranks New Zealand in the bottom five when it comes to climate policy. Confronted by the report this morning the Climate Change Minister denied there was a problem.

“New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister has his facts wrong and is taking New Zealand down the wrong track,” Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

“Official New Zealand Government projections show New Zealand’s net greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase by over 50% in the next decade. We can’t credibly claim to be taking serious action on climate change when the plan is to increase emissions by 50% in a decade.

“The Lima climate agreement now leaves the ball firmly in the court of national governments to adopt ambitious targets for emission reductions and practical policies to achieve them.

“For New Zealand this means turning around six years of policy aimed at increasing emissions, such as gutting the Emission Trading Scheme and subsidising fossil fuels, and adopting policies to cut emissions, such as the Climate Tax Cut and public transport investments.

“The watered down UN climate agreement leaves it up to individual countries to take leadership. It’s time for New Zealand to increase our ambition instead of increasing our emissions.

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“The Minister needs to stop playing fast and loose with the facts to cover up New Zealand’s appalling climate record.

“We need a real price on carbon to shift our economy off fossil fuels,” said Dr Norman.

For more information:

Climate change performance index: https://germanwatch.org/en/7677

New Zealand climate facts:

• Currently fifth highest emissions per capita in the OECD and they are increasing. [1]

• 20 percent increase in net emissions under National. [2]

• Ministry for Environment report released recently which shows a 50 percent increase in NZ’s projected net emissions. [3]

• Advice from officials is that the gap between our reduction commitments and reality is widening. [4]

• Ministry for the Environment briefing indicating New Zealand is currently on track to miss our 2050 emissions reduction target. [5]


[1] 5th in OECD, http://stats.oecd.org/

That they are increasing – see figures listed in each of MfE’s Annual Reports

[2] New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Common reporting tables http://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/climate/greenhouse-gas-inventory-2012/common-reporting-format-tables.zip

[3] MfE Annual Report 2014 page 68

[4] https://home.greens.org.nz/misc-documents/oias-development-nzs-global-climate-deal-committment

[5] http://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/files/media/About/environment-bim-final.pdf page 21


ends

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