New Zealand net-zero plans are just ‘waffle’, say activists
NEW Zealand’s carbon-cutting plans were labelled “meaningless waffle” in a blow to the progressive prime minister.
Jacinda Ardern unveiled policies ranging from reduced car usage to making ebikes more accessible to meet its target of being carbon-zero by 2050.
The proposals, before the Cop26 climate meeting of world leaders in Glasgow at the end of the month, are a forerunner to the government’s emissions reduction plan next May.
New Zealand is under pressure to curb emissions, which are increasing, but the document made little mention of agriculture, which contributes 48 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenpeace said the document was “full of meaningless waffle” that did little to broach the conversation on reducing agricultural emissions.
Generation Zero, a climate group, called it a “disgrace” that failed to meet “unambitious emissions budgets, completely ignores agriculture – which makes up half of our emissions”.
James Shaw, the climate change minister, said there was “an entire work programme” dealing with the agricultural sector and that “we didn’t want to waste people’s time by including things that have either already been consulted on or have other kind of engagement processes elsewhere”. Ms Ardern said the plans would reduce emissions and “can also create jobs and new opportunities for Kiwi businesses”.
The plan comes two years after New Zealand passed its Zero Carbon Act and a year after it declared a climate emergency. Ms Ardern has described action on climate change as a matter of “life or death” but has been called out by Greta Thunberg. The Swedish environmental activist accused New Zealand of being “one of the world’s worst performers” on emission increases.
“People believe Jacinda Ardern and people like that are climate leaders,” Ms Thunberg said last month. “That tells you how little people know about the climate crisis. Obviously, the emissions haven’t fallen. It goes without saying these people are not doing anything.”
Many of the initiatives in the document are from the Climate Change Commission report presented to the government this year, including a 20 per cent cut in car use by 2035.
It wants to reduce emissions from transport 15 per cent, make public transport cheaper and more accessible and introduce incentives to buy electric vehicles. Other ideas include the development of low-emission fuels, such as bioenergy and hydrogen, eliminating the use of fossil gas, reducing food waste and encouraging composting.