20 August 2009
Media Statement

Government should listen carefully to expert advice on climate change

Labour’s climate change spokesperson Charles Chauvel today thanked the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Dr Rajendra Pachauri for his frank comments on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas reduction target.

“I agree with Dr Pachauri’s view reported in the New Zealand media today that the Government’s conditional emissions reduction target of 10-20 per cent is much too low.

“The Government must do deeper and more rigorous analysis and come up with a target that adequately recognises the threat climate change poses to New Zealand and the rest of the world,” Charles Chauvel said.

"At minimum, a sector by sector analysis of the pollution reductions that can be achieved should be carried out. The Prime Minister should tell Nick Smith to do this immediately, and the Government should have the courage to revise its targets once it has received the analysis it should have conducted in the first place."

"Let's see some leadership on this issue," Mr Chauvel said.

ENDS

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