NZ should be at Sydney climate change conference

Media statement Thursday, January 12th, 2006

New Zealand should be at Sydney climate change conference

New Zealand’s absence from this week’s climate change conference in Sydney is an opportunity missed, says Alasdair Thompson, chief executive of the Northern Employers & Manufacturers Association.

“We cannot afford to be left behind our major trading partners all of whom are at the conference,” Mr Thompson said.

“We should be actively seeking to join their practical approach.

“The six nations at the conference –US, China, Japan, India, Australia and South Korea - will be proposing ‘industry specific’ reforms to cut climate change emissions and introduce green-friendly technologies.

“The technology based approach is far more likely to address the green house emissions than punitive, carbon taxes New Zealand was proposing to meet our Kyoto obligations which would have damaged our economy.

“Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, which has no action strategies to reduce emissions, the six nations have a common strategy in place and it involves all the biggest emitters.

“We should have been there. Perhaps Climate change Minister David Parker can explain why we aren’t.”

ENDS

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