After years of talking about action on climate change, but doing little, governments are gearing up for a global agreement to be signed in Paris in December. This is crucial. Climate change is worsening. 2014 was the hottest year since record keeping began in 1880. Droughts, cyclones and irregular rainfall have been causing suffering for millions of people in vulnerable communities.
Pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change have been submitted into the United Nations negotiations, including pledges from most OECD countries and some developing countries such as Mexico. But not New Zealand. Our government continues on its course of doing as little as possible and using political spin to obscure the facts.
Instead of decreasing our emissions, the latest figures show an increase of 42% in New Zealand’s emissions since 1990, the baseline year for the climate negotiations. Around half of that (20%) has occurred under this government since they came into office in 2008. New Zealand is one of the highest emitters per person in the OECD.
The government’s response has been to deny there is a problem and distort the figures. The Minister for Climate Change, Tim Groser, has recently been forced to retract his claim that more trees are being planted than cut down. The government’s own figures show that deforestation is now taking place almost twice as fast as planting of new forests.
Government policy continues to favour the polluters. The Emissions Trading Scheme has been ineffective. Instead of emissions costing the polluters $25 per tonne, they have been able to pay a few cents. Instead of helping renewable energy, the government continues to give subsidies to offshore oil drilling and coal. Instead of investing in trains, buses and cycleways, the government continues its massive road building programme. Instead of being a clean, green champion in global climate talks, New Zealand’s reputation is being damaged.
Meanwhile other countries are investing in solar energy, gearing up for electric cars, providing public transport options, greening business and planting forests. These policies reduce air pollution and health, and make cities more liveable. They also help business get an advantage in the rapidly renewable energy and clean technology sectors. Win, win, win.
We need to take action on climate change, not only because it is the most serious problem facing our planet and our future, but also because it is an opportunity for New Zealand.
Barry Coates, Green Party candidate. See our Climate Protection Plan at www.greens.org.nz.