Alliance supports carbon tax and open access to climate change research

Alliance Party media release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday 7 September 2009

Alliance Party co leader Kay Murray says the Alliance Party agrees with Federated Farmers President, Don Nicholson, that more research is urgently needed to find ways to reduce harmful emissions into the earth’s atmosphere.

"Likewise we also would like to see New Zealand leading they way internationally with our research." However the Alliance says that incentives are needed to encourage individuals and organizations to work at ways of making their businesses less damaging to the environment and to adopt new technology. Ms Murray says both of these goals can be achieved through the immediate introduction of a carbon tax.

"Proceeds from this tax should be ring fenced and used to fund research into emissions reduction. Though some of the proceeds may eventually need to be used to purchase emission units if New Zealand exceeds its agreed mission reduction targets, a large part should continue to be invested into research.

" The Alliance sees this as a much more acceptable solution to dealing with emissions reduction than allowing emissions credits speculators to make money by buying up emissions credits and selling them for a profit. "Global warming can only be prevented if everyone works together to reduce their emissions, and the Alliance would want the results of any research to be openly shared and made available free to any individual, organization or country anywhere in the world."

Ms Murrays says this is one of the ways New Zealand can be a world leader in combating climate change. She says at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in October, New Zealand should encourage all developed countries to make their research openly available so that there is world wide access to any technological advances that can reduce emissions. "This issue is simply too important for research and development to be a closed, profit making exercise."

ENDS

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