Remember climate change, that almost irreversible process that is already causing havoc to the planet and will eventually make most of the planet uninhabitable?
Originally New Zealand wanted to be a leader in the area and Helen Clark set an aspirational goal that New Zealand becomes carbon neutral. Then there was talk about us being a fast follower. But for the important Paris talks later this year it appears that we are becoming a slothful bludger.
Analysis performed suggests that our proposal is that bad we are behind even windmill hating Tony Abbott’s Australia and the only nation we are ahead of is tar sand loving Canada. From stuff:
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who made an election promise to drop the controversial tax, pledged on Wednesday to cut Australia’s greenhouse gases by 20 per cent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. That contrasts with the 11 per cent below the 1990 target, set by the New Zealand Government last month.
Newly released figures on nine countries and regions show New Zealand’s greenhouse gas pledges are the second-weakest. Only Canada will take a less ambitious goal to the United Nations December climate change conference in Paris, according to a table by independent think-tank The Climate Institute.
Victoria University Climate Change scientist Jim Renwick is scathing about the Government’s efforts.
“Australia are not actually doing particularly well either, but New Zealand is doing worse … It is not a good look. New Zealand already has a rather poor reputation in these meetings and negotiations, in my understanding.”
The comparisons contradicted the Government’s description of its target as “fair and ambitious”, Renwick said.
“It’s unimpressive and it is not fair, because it is not fair on future generations. As this becomes more and more important, this is going to hurt us, economically.”
This Government has talked up its commitment to addressing climate change. Tim Groser last year described our proposal as the only game in town and the recently released Government discussion document claimed that we are committed to doing our fair share and taking responsibility for our emissions.
But the Government keeps saying that because of Dairy we can do nothing. If the cost of producing milk is the devastation of the planet then it is clear that we need to change what we produce.
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