NZ business welcomes cross-party climate change report

A new cross-party report setting out scenarios for a zero net emissions New Zealand paves the way for the first public discussion on how New Zealand can meet its Paris commitments, say BusinessNZ and the Sustainable Business Council.

The report, Net Zero in New Zealand: Scenarios to achieve domestic emissions neutrality in the second half of the century by UK-based Vivid Economics, was commissioned by GLOBE-NZ, a cross-party group of New Zealand MPs with input from New Zealand experts.

Sustainable Business Council (SBC) Executive Director Abbie Reynolds says the fact that the report is cross-party is an important precedent giving business confidence of collective action toward meeting New Zealand’s 2030 Paris commitments.

"Our members have identified climate change as a priority and are ready to work with government on the transition to a low carbon economy," says Ms Reynolds.

"So, we applaud the cross-party approach to commissioning this report as it shows that political parties are willing to work together on this urgent issue. Our members want to see this way of working continue as it gives us the best chance to meet our Paris commitments."

The Vivid report uses existing data to set out three different pathways for New Zealand’s transition to a zero-net emissions economy by 2050 and indicatively to 2100.

BusinessNZ Head of Energy Policy John Carnegie says the experience of developing their own Energy Council 2050 Sector Scenarios had shown that well-constructed, plausible and coherent scenarios with clear assumptions are a useful tool.

"If the Vivid report adheres to this standard, then its pathways will help facilitate the right questions to be asked and help shape the future New Zealand we all aspire to.

"We look forward to participating in a wider cross-sector engagement and collaboration on the critical strategic and policy settings that will deliver New Zealand’s low emissions future."

BusinessNZ and the SBC are leading collaborative initiatives to transition New Zealand to a low-emissions economy, with the Freight Efficiency Group focused on procuring low-emissions freight and Climate Action Groups, developing carbon reduction solutions.

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