We are running out of time on climate change

We are running out of time on climate change: New Zealand must act now

In nearly two decades since the United Nations conference that produced the Kyoto Protocol, New Zealand has still not adopted robust policies to adequately tackle climate change. In a forceful addition to the BWB Texts series, Dr Ralph Chapman asks why – and points with alarm to a rapidly narrowing window of time in which we can still take substantive action.

In July this year, New Zealand put forward a weak mitigation proposal for the upcoming Paris talks on climate change. When, in December, the country takes its place at the table at the 21st UN climate change conference, it will be in the face of international criticism of its position as ‘inadequate’.

As Dr Chapman argues, New Zealand can no longer afford to drag its feet on decisive climate action – for the sake not just of its environment, but of its citizens, its economy, and its democracy.

‘The speed with which the storm is gathering leaves little time for complacency or half-hearted action if we are to retain a democratic future,’ argues Dr Chapman. ‘We need a full-bodied response, now.‘

In this short and accessible New Zealand-focused discussion, Dr Chapman outlines the latest science around climate change, considering the implications of a likely global rise in temperature of over 2°C. The book makes no bones about the potential severity of future climate events, but is also optimistic about our ability to rapidly change our behaviour in order to ensure that the lives of future generations are not dominated by hardship.

Director of the Graduate Programme in Environmental Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, Dr Chapman draws on his expertise in the fields of economics and public policy to present pragmatic and realistic steps that can be taken within the next twenty years.

‘As the sudden emergence of the November 2014 US–China climate policy pact suggests, things can sometimes happen fast at a high level. If the great powers decide to act and New Zealand has not done its domestic homework, it may be left behind.’

As New Zealand approaches the Paris talks, this book is a perfect primer for what is a critical moment for the future of our environment, our people and our democratic society.

Time of Useful Consciousness: Acting Urgently on Climate Change is another thought-provoking read fromthe BWB Texts series. It releases on 7 August.

ends

© Scoop Media