Climate Change Commission Report open for public consultation

Emphasis on public consultation

Commission Chair Dr Rod Carr said that the Advice is ambitious but realistic and makes a clear case to the government for taking immediate and decisive action on Climate Change. 

As a country, we need transformational and lasting change to meet our targets and ensure a thriving Aotearoa for future generations. The good news is that our analysis shows that there are technically achievable, economically affordable and socially acceptable paths for Aotearoa to take,” he said.

Mr Carr urged the government to move faster and support business, agriculture and community to do the same. 

“The Commission has spent the last year working on what is now the most comprehensive strategy Aotearoa has for reducing its emissions and impact on the climate. There are a few actions that are critical to meeting our targets: electric vehicles, accelerated renewable energy generation, climate-friendly farming practices and more permanent forests, predominantly natives,” he said.

Dr Carr said that the Commission is committed to true consultation.

“Through consultation, we are sure that we will receive more valuable feedback and are prepared to make changes in light of what we hear,” he said. 

Key Points of the Climate Change Commission Report:

1. Meeting the Government’s Climate Change targets is achievable at a low cost
2. Technologies required to meet targets already exist
3. Reducing emissions will create new job, business, and export opportunities
4. Most households would see a reduction in their energy bills
5. Action is needed across all sectors of the economy, with a particular focus on transport, agriculture and energy

New economic opportunities

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the Emission Reduction targets will create new economic opportunities and reduce most household bills.

“Reaching our emissions reduction targets by 2050 is both achievable and affordable according to the Commission’s advice,” she said.

She said that during the previous term, her government had set long-lived gases and methane targets and asked the Commission for independent guidance on how to get to them.

The Commission has now offered its advice, saying that the government’s goals are achievable if there is collective and decisive action.

Ms Ardern said that the Commission’s Draft Advice sets out an achievable blueprint for New Zealand to become a prosperous, low-emissions economy. 

“The positive news is that the government’s actions to date have laid much of the groundwork for the transition but that more is now required. The Report demonstrates that we have the tools that we need to achieve our target but has called upon the government to accelerate its work,” she said.

Reviewing NDC commitments

Ms Ardern said that her government is committed to increasing the pace and focusing much more on decarbonisation and reducing emissions rather than overly relying on forestry.

“The government is also committed to improving our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in order to meet our obligations under the Paris Agreement.

She said that her government had asked the Commission to review our NDC commitments, as they were originally made in 2015.

“Since that time we have stepped up our ambition as a nation and asked the Commission if our NDCs are in line with our commitment to limit global warming to 1.5°. The Commission confirmed that they are not and have recommended that they be strengthened. On that basis, we will begin work to revise them this year,” Ms Ardern said. 

Costs affordable

According to the Commission, the cost to the economy is ‘not as great as many had previously thought,’ and that ‘Climate Change is an economic opportunity for New Zealand.’

Ms Ardern said that action on Climate Change is critical to our ongoing economic success and that New Zealand exporters rely on our clean green brand and there will be new opportunities for Kiwi businesses as we adapt to a zero-carbon economy.

“Achieving our emissions reduction targets require both an enhanced and sustained response and the government is committed to that. The Commission’s advice shows that we have made a good start, highlights the economic opportunities ahead and proves it is both affordable and achievable,” she said.

Significant milestone

Climate Change Minister James Shaw said that the release of the Draft Advice is a significant milestone in the Government’s response to the climate emergency.

“During our last term in government, we put in place a bold legislative framework to create a climate-friendly, prosperous future for New Zealand. The Commission has now provided Draft Advice on how best to do that,” he said.

“There are a series of choices that should be taken at a Cabinet level about how we reach net-zero carbon emissions and reduce biogenic methane; but when I look at the strategic policy direction the Commission has set out, I am more confident than I have ever been that it can be done. And the opportunity ahead of us looks to be huge. A strong, inclusive, and climate-friendly economy that supports our recovery from Covid, creates new jobs, and encourages innovation,” he said.

According to Mr Shaw, if New Zealand acts now, it can join other leading developed countries to set an example to the rest of the world and show what can be done – the transition to a net-zero carbon economy in a way that gives people good job opportunities and certainty about how they will provide for their families.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Commission for their hard work, analytical honesty and rigour. What they have achieved will have a lasting impact on the type of planet our children inherit from us,” he said.