More on possibility, less on pain
When Shane Jones was given billions of dollars to spend in the regions, some suggested a canny Winston Peters had got one over the Greens. James Shaw smiled.
When NZ First opposition ensured that a proposed water tax went down the drain, and people wondered if the Greens’ aspirations might have disappeared with it, the party’s co-leader merely shrugged. Because he and his party have bigger, sustainably harvested fish to fry.
Jones’ billions might go to the ‘‘first up and best dressed’’, and the water leaving our nation might make millions for overseas interests, but both will be small change when compared with what the Greens and the Government they support have planned over the next few decades.
They have kicked off six weeks of public consultation on a grand pledge to be ‘‘carbon zero’’ by 2050. That pledge is to be backed up by policy and parliamentary process. Shaw himself expects its impacts to be felt in practically every aspect of Government interaction and infrastructure.
If we support the science behind climate change and the global calls for action, and we do, then we must be supportive of this Government’s desire to plan for that change and work towards a ‘‘just transition’’ for all industries and individuals affected by our efforts to meet that existential challenge.
Shaw and others have spoken of the opportunities that exist in smart, sustainable energy and global branding for future carbonzero products; there is a sense of excitement that the ‘‘fast followers’’ who have since fallen by the wayside might now become world leaders in tackling harmful emissions.
These are, of course, legitimate and inspiring points, but anyone considering a possible submission also needs to be mindful of the magnitude of the undertaking and the potential pain for themselves and others. Even if the goal is 30-odd years into the future.
The one billion trees to be planted by Jones will be much appreciated, but they will merely offset the pain for the transport and agriculture industries, in particular; some businesses will need to evolve dramatically, some may disappear altogether. Costs are likely to rise considerably for the rest of us as those businesses take on greater burdens.
Our national fleet of vehicles is one of the oldest in the world, and electric vehicles remain out of the reach for many. Much of our power-generating infrastructure is also older and, in some cases, poorly maintained; who will carry the burden of addressing this and increasing capacity for the brighter future being promoted?
Perhaps the Government hopes people will respond to the trail of carrots it is laying towards that gleaming horizon. Perhaps it also hopes the emphasis on optimism will deliver a mandate for the introduction of the less-appealing stick it knows it must wield in future.
Either way, this is a challenge we must meet. But Shaw, the Greens and the Government need to be clear on the pain to come, as well as the possibilities.