Press release form the Environmental Defence Society

6 November 2001

Immediate

New Zealand Needs To Ratify Kyoto

The Environmental Defence Society has reacted to a call from Carter Holt Harvey to halt progress towards ratifying the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Climate Change Convention on Climate Change.

Speaking from Marrakech where the parties to the Convention are meeting, Mr Garry Law, Climate Change Convenor for EDS said; “There is every prospect the conference will resolve the remaining issues over rules for applying the Protocol and present a Protocol that is able to be ratified.

“New Zealanders contribute to global emissions at a rate far above the world average. We are part of the problem and must be part of the solution.

“The cost will come into play later this decade. To point to the current global recession as a reason to delay as CHH have done, makes no sense. What the state of the economic cycle will be years from now is anybody’s guess.

It is also disingenuous to point just to the costs that carbon emitters will attract as if they are just an extra tax. What they will be is a shift in where the tax burden falls.

“There will always be a competitiveness cost for some industries. If there was no problem there would be no impact. There is a problem, Mr Law said. Knowing sooner where the costs will fall makes sense so industries can plan around the impact and ideally reduce their emissions in the process.

“Carter Holt fail to even mention that New Zealand will also benefit from selling its forest carbon sinks credits. Without ratification of Kyoto they are worthless.

“The Government is to be commended for its progress towards ratification and domestic implementation. It is not a minute to soon, said Mr Law.

Ph 021 665 764

glaw@lawas.co.nz

PO Box 87 311 Meadowbank, Auckland

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Environmental Defence Society

EDS is a not-for-profit environmental organisation committed to improving environmental outcomes within New Zealand.

The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) is a professionally run, independent environmental group that was established in 1971. It brings together the disciplines of science, planning, landscape and the law.

It operates as a think-tank, providing thought leadership on key environmental issues as well as representing the environment before councils and the courts.

EDS is located at the collaborative and business aware end of the environmental movement, seeking constructive engagement with all sectors, to achieve good environmental and economic outcomes for all New Zealanders. It has influence.

It also plays an education role, helping business, councils, community groups and iwi to better understand best practice resource management. EDS runs national and regional conferences and seminars on topical issues.

EDS is a registered charity and donations to it are tax-deductible.

CONTACT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE SOCIETY

• Website - eds.org.nz
• Phone - + 64 9 480 2565
• Facebook

• Email - manager@eds.org.nz
• Link - EDS National Conference

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