12 February 2007

Action, not warnings, needed now on carbon emissions

The Green Party today welcomed Climate Change Minister David Parker's letter to all power generators, which signalled that the Government is planning to impose charges on carbon dioxide emissions - but Greens' Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons also urged the Minister to issue direct regulations on carbon emissions in the short term, until a satisfactory pricing mechanism can be put in place.

"The Minister's letter is a welcome sign that the Government is finally considering some serious options on carbon emissions," Ms Fitzsimons says.

"However, this letter achieves little in the short term. It does not even necessarily spell doom for mooted coal-fired power stations such as Marsden B, since the power companies may still decide to internalise any form of carbon charging, and cross subsidise the extra costs from their hydro operations.

"Mighty River Power, Contact Energy and Genesis all have fossil-fuelled power stations imminent or in the advanced planning stages. If they are built, we can kiss the ' carbon neutral' goal goodbye for another generation," Ms Fitzsimons says.

"The Government needs to act now. Because the Government caved in and scrapped the carbon tax, we have lost a lot of time that the planet didn't have to spare. The Minister noted in his letter that he has three options before him : a straight carbon charge, an emissions trading scheme, or direct regulation under the Electricity Act.

"It will take a long time to devise and implement a workable emissions trading scheme. We are barely at the drawing board stage on a carbon trading system.

"The simplest, fairest and most direct way of taking action is to issue regulations now to cover the immediate requirement for action, and then get cracking on putting a pricing system for carbon emissions in place, ASAP," Ms Fitzsimons says.

ENDS

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