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NZ may back out of emissions target
NZ may back out of emissions target
Auckland, 30
September 2009 - Greenpeace is warning that the New Zealand
Government could back out of its 10%-20% emissions reduction
target, after New Zealand’s climate change Ambassador
Adrian Macey told a journalist attending the climate change
talks in Bangkok that New Zealand could offer a target
weaker than 10% if it doesn’t get what it wants in the
talks.
“It’s a measure of the Government’s lack of commitment on climate change that it's threatening to not even meet a weak target,” said Greenpeace New Zealand spokesman Geoff Keey, who's in Bangkok.
In an interview with Point Carbon, Ambassador Macey said, “If our conditions are not met we reserve the right to drop (our target) below 10 per cent.”
Unlike many developed countries in the climate change talks, New Zealand has refused to offer a unilateral target (a commitment to take action no matter what other countries do).
“It’s really unfortunate that New Zealand is taking such an intransigent approach to tackling climate change when many countries in Asia are taking the lead," said Keey. "China and India have announced solid plans to take action. Indonesia has unilaterally offered to reduce its emissions 26% below business as usual and will do over 40% below 1990 levels with help from developed countries.
“The Philippines made a passionate call for action on climate change yesterday, citing the number of people who've been killed by recent extreme weather in its capital Manila.
"New Zealand is looking badly out of place, relying on a weak emissions trading scheme, under which emissions will actually rise, to claim we're taking action."
Greenpeace is calling for the New Zealand Government to commit to a 40% by 2020 emissions reduction target. It is supported in this by 125,000 New Zealanders who've so far joined its Sign On campaign (www.signon.org.nz).
ENDS
Greenpeace
Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.
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