The big political news of the day was the government announcement of an emissions trading scheme. This scheme puts a price on carbon emissions and is intended to incentivise more efficient use of fuel and energy.
The trading scheme’s the centrepiece of the climate change policy but there’s a lot around the edges. David Parker and his staff have evidently been busy since the PM’s commitment to a goal of carbon neutrality last year. In her speech this morning, Clark also announced what she referred to as “medium and long-term objectives”:
By 2025 our target is to have ninety per cent of electricity generated from renewable sources.
By 2040 our target is to reduce by half per capita emissions from transport.
We aim to be one of the first countries to introduce electric vehicles widely, and;
By 2020 we aim to achieve a net increase in forest area of 250,000 hectares.
A good place to start for more info is www.climatechange.govt.nz
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