April 1, 2022

The UN’s secretary general António Guterres has asked New Zealand’s Dr Rod Carr to join an elite world group to look into climate change issues.

Guterres today launched his expert world group to develop stronger and clearer standards for net-zero emissions pledges including businesses, investors, cities and regions and to speed up their implementation.

The invitations to the group of 16 are in their personal capacities rather than as Government representatives.

Dr Carr is Chair of the New Zealand Climate Change Commission, former Chair of the board and once acting governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, a director of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce for ten years and former vice-chancellor of the University of Canterbury.

Despite growing pledges of climate action, global emissions are at an all-time high. They continue to rise. The latest science shows that climate disruption is causing havoc in every region, right now.

Guterres says the planet is in a race against time to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees, and the world is losing.

To avert a climate catastrophe, the planet needs bold pledges matched by concrete action. Tougher net-zero standards and strengthened accountability around the implementation of these commitments can deliver real and immediate emissions cuts.

The expert group’s recommendations for higher ambition and environmental integrity will address four areas:

• Current standards and definitions for setting net-zero targets;

• Credibility criteria used to assess the objectives, measurement and reporting of net-zero pledges;

• Processes for verification and accounting of progress towards net-zero commitments and reported decarbonisation plans;

• A roadmap to translate standards and criteria into international and national level regulations.

Last year at COP26 in Glasgow, Guterres said he would convene a group of independent international experts to make recommendations on how to strengthen current processes to set, measure, report and verify net zero commitments.

The group will be chaired by Canada’s former Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Members include academics, business people, regulators and the former Governor of the People’s Bank of China.

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