Russian Ratification of Kyoto a big step for NZ

Tuesday, 26 October 2004, 1:29 pm
Press Release: Environmental Defence Society

Announcement of Russian Ratification of Kyoto Protocol a big step for NZ

The Chairman of the Environmental Defence Society, Gary Taylor, has welcomed the announcement today that the Russian Duma has decided to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

“The announcement means that once the upper house confirms the action, the instrument of ratification will be deposited with the United Nations and 90 days later the Kyoto Protocol will come into force. The Protocol sets binding emission targets for developed nations and Russian ratification triggers the thresholds by which it comes into force.

“This is big news for New Zealand because we have already ratified the Protocol. It means that we will be able to trade emission units on the new Kyoto market. That market will be huge. Because New Zealand is a net seller in the first commitment period from 2008-12, the Russian decision is worth somewhere in excess of $1 billion to our economy. New Zealand is a seller because we have more forest sinks, which absorb carbon, than we have excess emissions.

“EDS and others have organised an international conference on business opportunities arising out of climate change which takes place in Auckland in 2 weeks time. This will now be the first opportunity to fully explore the implications of the Kyoto Protocol coming into force in the almost certain knowledge that it will.

“Climate Change and Business: the Australia-New Zealand Conference and Trade Expo 04 will set out exactly what the decision means and how business should respond to the new carbon-constrained world. More detail on the conference programme is at www.climateandbusiness.com (see attached programme).

“New Zealand companies will be able to access what are called the Kyoto flexibility mechanisms which enable them to achieve emission reductions in other countries and get Kyoto credits for it. Australian companies will not have that access because they are not ratifiers – but they can enter into joint venture arrangements with New Zealand companies if they wish.

“The Russian announcement means that New Zealand should now consider full emissions trading in conjunction with the proposed new carbon tax from 2007. It seems likely that a fully mature emissions trading market will be running by then and companies would have flexibility to find least-cost means of achieving reductions

“I spent 18 months seconded into the office of the Minister of Energy assisting with the process of getting New Zealand through to ratification. So the Russian decision is very welcome news indeed. In my opinion it creates a whole new set of business opportunities for New Zealand companies and is an important first step in tackling the biggest environmental problem of our age - global warming,” Mr Taylor concluded.

AUSTRALIA-NEW ZELAND CLIMATE CHANGE AND BUSINESS CONFERENCE: PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE

Wednesday 3 November
1200 – 1930 Registration

1730 – 1930 Welcome Reception

Thursday 4 November
Session 1: Climate Change and Business: Setting the Scene
Chair – Gary Taylor, Chairman of the Environmental Defence Society Inc, Conference Convenor

0830 Powhiri (Maori welcome)

0900 Rt Hon Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Business Opportunities and Geopolitical Context from a NZ Perspective

0930 An Australian Minister
Business Opportunities and Geopolitical Context from an Australian Perspective

1000 Morning Tea

1030 Richard Bradley, Head, Energy Efficiency and Environment Division, International Energy Agency
Global and Regional Energy Requirements for the Next 30 Years

Questions – 5 minutes

Chair – Dr Don Elder, Solid Energy

1110 Hon Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change
The International Policy Framework for Climate Change and Business

Questions – 5 minutes

1200 Lunch

Session 2: Carbon Finance and Markets: The Opportunities and the Risks
Chair – Ric Brazzale, Executive Director, Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy

1300 Henrik Hasselknippe – Senior Analyst, Point Carbon
Managing Carbon Risks: A Commodities Market Perspective

1330 Tony Coleman, Chief Risk Officer and Group Actuary, Insurance Australia Group
Managing Business Risks: An Insurance Sector Perspective

1345 Sean Lucy, Practice Leader Climate Change, Phillips Fox
Managing Business Risks: A Legal and Governance Perspective

1400 Questions

1415 Case Studies
Seb Walhain, Director Environmental Products, Fortis Bank
Overview of EU markets

NSW Government Representative
NSW Benchmarks and Basix – State Programmes That Work

Howard Bamsey, Chief Executive, Australian Greenhouse Office
MRET and Greenhouse Friendly – Federal Programmes That Work

Industry Response

1515 Panel Discussion

1530 Afternoon Tea

Session 3: Climate Change Business Opportunities in the Wider Region
Chair – Sharan Burrow, President, ACTU

1600 Zhou Dadi, Director General, Energy Research Institute, National Development and Reform Commission, China
An Overview of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in the Asian Region

1630 Li Junfeng, Director, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association
China – a CDM Market: Investment Opportunities

1700 Yuzuru Nonaka, Director Climate Change, Corporate Planning and Administration Department, J-POWER
Japan – a Potential Investor and Partner

1730 Panel Discussion

1800 Close

1830 Cocktails and Conference Dinner

Friday 5 November
Breakfast Briefing

0700 Hon Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Beyond Kyoto

Session 4: The Greenhouse Challenge: Responses from Business and Government
Chair – Andy Britton, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

0830 Hon Pete Hodgson, Minister of Energy, New Zealand
Current and Future New Zealand Government Initiatives

0900 Greg Bourne, former Regional President of BP Australasia
International Business Responses

0930 Hon Mike Rann MP, Premier of South Australia
How State Governments Can Help Business

1000 Australian State Minister – to be confirmed

1030 Questions

1045 Morning Tea

Session 5: Future Directions
Chair – Di Dibley, National Policy Advisor Environment and Energy, Australia Industry Group

1115 Martijn Wilder and Josh Carmody, Baker McKenzie
Simulated Carbon Deal Negotiation

1145 Tom Campbell, Chief Operating Officer, Comalco New Zealand
A New Zealand Business Perspective Looking Forward

1215 John McKindley, General Manager External Affairs Division, Mitsui & Co (Australia) Ltd
An Australian Business Perspective Looking Forward

1245 Questions

1300 Lunch

Session 6: The Greenhouse Challenge: Practical Responses
Two sessions of parallel workshops will explore cutting-edge initiatives in the region. Workshops focus on technologies and related policy frameworks with a special session targeted at local government.

1400 Workshop Session 1

Stream 1
Coal and Gas - Cleaner Emissions Technology

Chair to be confirmed

- Don Elder, CEO, Solid Energy - The future role of coal
- Matthew Walker, Senior Environmental Engineer, GHD - Technologies available to improve efficiency and reduce emissions
- Rob Whitney, CEO, CRL Energy - CO2 recovery and disposal - the technologies (including geo-sequestration) and their viability
- Andrew Little, Secretary, NZ Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union - NZ’s Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements
- AGO speaker - Outcomes of the Australian Prime Minister’s energy taskforce
- Panel discussion (25 minutes)
Stream 2
Energy Efficiency – Policies, Technologies and Energy Management Strategies

Chair to be confirmed

- Heather Staley, CEO, EECA - Reducing costs and NZ's emissions by creating an energy management culture
- Peter Szental, CEO, Energy Conservation Systems - A new wave of Australian energy efficiency initiatives and showcasing leading sustainable buildings
- Graeme Seymour, Honda New Zealand - New vehicle technologies and leadership
- AGO speaker - Australian and NZ commitment to a common future strategy for appliances and equipment
- Panel discussion (30 minutes)
Stream 3
Local Government and Business Opportunities

Chair - to be confirmed

These sessions, coordinated by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives – Australia/New Zealand (ICLEI), are specifically focused on local government’s contribution to local economic development, the identification of business opportunities stemming from climate change initiatives and practical approaches to local partnerships in green house gas reduction activities.

- ICLEI: An overview of Australasian and international efforts by local authorities on the links between climate change and business
- The Adelaide City Council, South Australia
- Waitakere City Council
- Brisbane City Council, Queensland
- Christchurch City Council
- ICLEI: A facilitated discussion on partnerships between councils and business.

1530 Afternoon Tea

1600 Workshop Session 2

Stream 1
Renewables – Technologies and Policy Implications

Chair - Ric Brazzale, Executive Director, Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy

- Ric Brazzale, Executive Director, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Australia - Australian PV Industry Development road map and building local manufacturing capacity
- Prof Ralph Sims, Director, Centre for Energy Research, Massey University - Biomass projects, technology developments and building local manufacturing capacity
- Geoff Hendersen, Managing Director, Windflow - Wind projects, technology developments and building local manufacturing capacity – NZ
- Andrew Richards, Manager Marketing and External Affairs, Pacific Hydro - Wind projects, technology developments and building local manufacturing capacity – Australia
- Ms Lin Wei, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association - Renewable energy projects in China and opportunities for Australasian investment
- Panel discussion (30 minutes)
Stream 2
Land Use and Resource Economics – Research, Technologies and Policy Implications.

Chair - to be confirmed

- Dr Kevin Tate, Landcare Research - Land-use and greenhouse gases in NZ, including NZ's carbon accounting system
- David Brand, Director, New Forests Program, Hancock Natural Resources Group Australia - Climate change policy and the forestry industry, using forestry sinks in offset programs (such as Greenhouse Friendly), implications for rural development and climate change impacts of different land uses
- Fiona Wain, CEO, Environment Business Australia - Costing the externalities associated with fossil fuel use
- Garry English, Spokesman for Land Management and Conservation, Western Australian Farmers' Federation - The Western Australian Farmers' Federation call for the federal government to ratify the Kyoto Protocol
- AGO speaker - Climate change and regional Australia, Australia's approach
- Panel discussion (30 minutes)

Stream 3
Local Government and Business Opportunities Continued
This workshop will continue through to the end of Workshop session 2.

1730 Closing Cocktails

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Environmental Defence Society

EDS speaks for the environment. It has influence.

Since 1971, EDS has been driving environmental protection in Aotearoa New Zealand through law and policy change. That's why it's one of this country's most influential non- profit organisations when it comes to achieving better environmental outcomes.

EDS has expertise in key disciplines including law, planning, landscape and science. It operates as a policy think-tank, a litigation advocate, and a collaborator – bringing together the private and public sectors for constructive engagement.

EDS runs conferences and seminars on topical issues, including an annual Environmental Summit and the Climate Change and Business Conference.

EDS is a registered charity and donations to it are tax-deductible.

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