Climate politics

Which New Zealand politician said this, and when?

As we reach each goal and target we set in economic and social policy, new ones must be identified and met.

Meeting the challenges our country faces in the 21st century requires substance, not slogans.

New Zealand’s future is dependent on long term sustainable strategies for our economy, society, environment, culture and way of life. Those strategies have to be driven by strong leadership and sound policies.

• Our challenge is to build a sustainable economy based on innovation and quality in a world where high volume, low quality goods and services will always undercut us on price.
• Our challenge is to sustain family and community living standards in our open, competitive economy.
• Our challenge is to sustain our unique culture, values, and national identity in a world of globalised media and culture.

Building a sustainable nation requires smart, active government working with key stakeholders across the economy and society.

The invisible hand of the market doesn’t deliver a sustainable nation, as an earlier era of New Zealand politics showed only too well.

Now the quest for sustainability has taken on a new urgency because of the scale of the environmental challenge the world faces.

Traditional patterns of development and fast growing populations have put an intolerable strain on the planet. The future economic costs of doing nothing are dire.

That’s why issues around sustainability and climate change have become the compelling issues of our times, dominating international forums and agendas

…

That’s why I have called for boldness in our approach to these issues.

I believe New Zealand can aim to be the first nation to be truly sustainable – across the four pillars of the economy, society, the environment, and nationhood.

I believe we can aspire to be carbon neutral in our economy and way of life.

I believe that in the years to come, the pride we take in our quest for sustainability and carbon neutrality will define our nation, just as our quest for a nuclear free world has over the past twenty three years.

Which New Zealand politician said this and when did they say it?

Climate change is the most challenging issue of our time

What year did the Green Party release this policy?

1. A goal of net carbon neutrality by 2050.

2. The establishment of an independent Climate Commission to provide expert and independent advice to the government on carbon prices, carbon budgets, and complementary measures to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

3. The phasing out of the failed Emissions Trading Scheme and an initial price on carbon of $25 per tonne on CO2 equivalent emissions for all sectors except agriculture. Dairy emissions will pay $12.50 per tonne. Forestry will be credited at $12.50 per tonne.

4. The recycling of all revenue raised from a carbon charge back to families and businesses through a $2000 income tax-free band and a one percent company tax cut.

5. A suite of complementary measures to support the rapid transition to a carbon neutral economy.

(for comparison, the recently released Emissions Reduction Plan).

Those quotes are Helen Clark in 2007, Russell Norman in 2014, and the Greens in 2014.

In April 2017 James Shaw said of climate,

It is not just the greatest challenge of our time but the greatest challenge of all time.

How we vote matters. How we support or undermine political parties matters. What we choose to focus on matters.

There was not a lot we could do about the swing away from Labour in 2008, nor about the stalling and blocking tactics of NZ First over many years, nor about the MSM bias towards clickbait and sensationalism. But if more left wing votes had gone Green in 2014 and since, we’d be in a much stronger position on climate than we are now. The Clark government started important work on climate, but we’ve dropped the ball since then.

Even as recently as 2020, we’ve seen climate deprioritised. People want the government to take more action on climate, but not enough to vote in the government sitting right in front of us who would do that. By which I don’t mean vote in a Green government, I mean vote in a Labour-led government with enough Green MPs to help get the mahi done that Labour can’t do on its own. More Māori Party MPs would make a difference too.

At some point, everyone will understand the seriousness of the climate and ecology crisis, because it will be affecting all our lives directly and badly, then very very badly. We’re creeping closer at an alarming rate, but still not fast enough to take the urgent action needed now.

The top of the West Coast is currently in consistent emergency mode with big rains and floods, including the past few days. It’s not only the actual flooding, it’s the stress each time a big rain is forecasted and the preparation that has to be done just in case. This stuff is barely being covered in the MSM and New Zealand is able to ignore it because of the low population and geographical distance from the big cities. But those low lying towns are likely to be the first we have to abandon due to climate change. It’s happening here, now.

The big challenge at the moment is how do we create a culture of commitment and action. We know what needs to be done, we have the technical capacity to do it. What’s missing is the social and political shift to radical action.