In the blue corner
New Zealand is in a fortunate position on climate change, where the major parties in Parliament are all in agreement that we must act.
Under the National Government in 2015, New Zealand signed up to the Paris Agreement which meant that we would commit to being carbon net-zero by 2050, and we stand by that. We also supported the Zero Carbon legislation in the last Parliament, which created the Climate Change Commission for independent advice and ratified the Paris Agreement in New Zealand’s legislation.
The floods we saw in the Nelson and Marlborough area last week were devastating. I saw first-hand the damage done to people’s homes, farms, vineyards, and businesses in the northern and western parts of my electorate. Not to mention the roads that were impacted.
The direct road links between Marlborough and Nelson, State Highway’s 6 and 63 were cut-off, meaning a seven hour detour via the Lewis Pass.
Part of the problem in New Zealand is that we built our towns and cities largely on river deltas and therefore allowed homes to be built on flood plains. Now with modern technology we can identify areas that are at risk of flooding.
That certainly does not mean we do not need to act on climate change, and the next National Government will bring a measured and rational approach to lowering our emissions that will be effective and enduring.
New Zealand has a fantastic driver of emissions reduction in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). It works on reducing the effects of climate change by effectively putting a price on CO2 emissions.
Businesses must measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions and surrender an emissions certificate, or NZU, for every tonne of CO2 they emit. The number of emissions certificates is capped, and the cap will be reduced in line with our emissions budgets. On the other side of the equation foresters can earn an NZU for every tonne of CO2 their forest sequesters and sell them on the open market.
A simple and effective scheme that will drive further beneficial choices, such as buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle or replacing a coal boiler with an electrode boiler.
The ETS provides for a far smoother and gradual transition. It still means that we are paying for and reducing our emissions, but it also encourages innovation and investment in new technology.