Moana Mackey
Climate Change Spokesperson

1 August 2013

How many more reports before Government moves on climate change?

A report released today by the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Sir Peter Gluckman, must surely trigger some Government action to try and mitigate the effects of climate change, says Moana Mackey, Labour’s Climate Change spokesperson.

“The report points out changes in wind patterns, precipitation, and ocean chemistry are expected to have significant impacts on our environment and therefore our primary industries. It also predicts more extreme weather and tidal events.

“This is yet another wake-up call for the National, which has – and continues to be - asleep at the wheel when it comes to addressing the very serious threat of climate change.

“Since being elected in 2008 the Government has systematically wound back every measure put in place by the previous Labour government to address climate change. It has withdrawn from Kyoto, gutted the Emissions Trading Scheme, and removed all complementary measures such as support for renewable energy technologies.

“We currently have no effective price on carbon and this, combined with Minister Tim Groser’s untenable refusal to restrict the flood of cheap international units coming into New Zealand, is having a devastating effect on our carbon forestry sector.

“The report highlights the inherent uncertainty in predicting the exact impacts of climate change but states that this should not be used as an excuse to postpone ‘concerted action’.

“Concerted action is long overdue. What is clear is that only a Labour-led government will take the issue of climate change seriously.”

ENDS

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