According to the Sydney Morning Herald “New Zealand has broken ranks with Australia and refused to sign up to a second round of the Kyoto Protocol.” The SMH went on:
The announcement comes just hours after Climate Change Minister Greg Combet announced Australia was ready to sign up to Kyoto 2 with a handful of conditions. It leaves Australia joining the European Union and just a handful of other major greenhouse gas emitters in recommitting to the world’s only climate treaty.
New Zealand joins other wealthy and high greenhouse gas emitting countries Japan, Canada, Russia and the USA in not signing up.
Moana Mackey’s response was swift:
New Zealand’s international reputation has taken a massive hit today with the Government’s decision to not commit to the second stage of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, says Labour’s Climate Change spokesperson Moana Mackey.
“This is a day of shame for New Zealand, our reputation as a good international citizen has taken a massive hit. To pull out of Kyoto the same day that Australia committed is humiliating. Australia’s position used to be essential to Government policy when it suited National. But now that Australia is tackling the critical issue of climate change, National is silent. National doesn’t take climate change seriously. It has gutted the emissions trading scheme and has now withdrawn from Kyoto commitments.
There is no longer an effective tool for limiting our gross carbon emissions, which is a blow to our carbon forestry sector and damaging to the important 100% Pure brand. National’s short term thinking is damaging medium term business growth and putting the future of our children in jeopardy.”
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