By David Yockney
The Government introduced the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill to Parliament in May and is now accepting submissions from the public.
The purpose of this legislation is “to provide a framework by which New Zealand can develop and implement clear and stable climate change policies that contribute to the global effort under the Paris Agreement”.
The bill will, amongst other things:
- Create a target of reducing all greenhouse gases, except biogenic (agricultural) methane, to net zero by 2050
- Create a separate target to reduce emissions of biogenic methane by 10% by 2030, and 24-47% by 2050 (relative to 2017 levels)
- Establish a new, independent climate commission to provide emissions budgets, expert advice, and monitoring to help keep successive governments on track
- Require government to implement policies for climate change risk assessment, a national adaptation plan, and progress reporting on implementation of the plan.
This is an incredibly important piece of legislation and it needs to be as ambitious as possible if we are to make an impact on our emissions. New Zealand must play its role. At 18 tonnes of CO2equivalent per capita, we are the fifth highest emitter of greenhouse gases in the OECD. New Zealand also needs to acknowledge its historical responsibility for accumulated emissions and the benefits they have bought to this country. We must do our fair share.
To ensure a strong Act, people need to make submissions. Submissions close at midnight on 16 July, 2019.
