Growing Kyoto deficit means polluters must pay

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons agreed today with claims by National Party MP Nick Smith that current Government estimates of the price of carbon were too low, adding that this underlined the need to ensure that polluters pay for the cost of our growing Kyoto deficit, and not taxpayers.

"I agree with Nick Smith that the current Government estimates for carbon are a lot lower than the price will be in 2012. When I was in Europe last year, the European Union was using a $NZ30 a tonne figure, and that seems much more realistic. "Unfortunately, the National Party has once again failed to offer any solutions to the climate change problem it has decried. In fact, their policy of giving all the forest credits to people who have planted forests since 1990 would do nothing to stop the deforestation of older forests.

"For the Greens, our general starting point is that it is both fair and feasible that polluters should cover the cost of our Kyoto deficit, not ordinary taxpayers. In particular, the Greens believe a replanting incentive funded out of forestry credits needs to be created as a matter of urgency, since such an incentive would work to reduce the level of Kyoto liabilities MAF are predicting New Zealand will otherwise face by 2012.

"The Greens are the only party offering a workable solution to the problem Dr Smith is talking about. We look forward to Dr Smith's positive thoughts on how the problem might be tackled - and would also hope that Government responses in future to the Kyoto deficit are based on a more realistic price for carbon. "

ENDS

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