Kyoto Concerns Not Just Big Business

Media Release By The Forest Owners’ Association And The Farm
Foresters’ Association

Energy Minister Pete Hodgson would be mistaken if he believes that only larger forestry companies are extremely concerned over the potential impacts of the Kyoto Protocol on the international competitiveness of the industry.

This was stated today by Mr Peter Berg, President, Forest Owners’ Association and Mr Michael Halliday, President, Farm Foresters’ Association.

“All the assessments indicate that not only will the Kyoto Protocol as now agreed cause serious distortions within the industry in New Zealand, but that it will undermine the ability of New Zealand to compete with countries which will not be bound by the same restraints and carbon gas penalties.

The Government has provided a worringly short period for the community to lodge submissions on an extremely complex issue.

The time has arrived for the Government to respond more constructively to the genuine concerns about the terms of the Kyoto Protocol being expressed by an increasing number of business and other groups.

Given the lack of detail in the Discussion Documents and the continually changing international scene such as the doubling of Russians maximum carbon sink credits, the Government should reassess its ratification timetable. It should now enter into far more meaningful dialogues with concerned sectors than has been the case to date. Simply asking groups whose whole industry is under real threat to lodge a submission by 21 December is unreasonable.” concluded Mr Berg And Mr Halliday.

ENDS

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