Hon Dr Nick Smith MP
National Party Climate Change Spokesman

16 April 2007

Govt should stop fudging on Kyoto forest credits

National is calling on the Government to come clean and admit it has backtracked on giving foresters the benefit of carbon credits, following the release today of further Cabinet papers, says National's Climate Change spokesman, Nick Smith.

"Prime Minister Helen Clark must now explain publicly why she has repeatedly stated that her Government never intended foresters to be able to gain credits for the carbon absorbed in their forests, when the Cabinet record is so clear."

The statement of 27 April 2000, written by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and approved by Cabinet, after consultation with the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, Environment, Economic Development, the Treasury and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet said:

"We also seek to maintain a high level of environmental discipline by allowing owners of sink credits to trade them freely on the international market. New Zealand made it clear during the Kyoto negotiations that we do not intend to use sink credits to - in effect - cross-subsidise our emitting sectors, allowing them to avoid taking action".

ENDS

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