3 November 2006
Bills to act on climate change

It's time for action on climate change.

"The warnings have been issued, the predictions have been made, we know what it will cost if we do nothing - what more do we need? It's time for action," Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.

The Green Party has put together a series of six Private Members' Bills as first steps to addressing climate.

The Bills address; fixed electricity charges, airline emissions, public transport funding, government procurement, rail electrification and superannuation fund investment.

"These Bills are not a total solution package, merely some first simple steps in the right direction. It will take much, much more before we can claim to really be fighting climate change.

"New Zealand may only contribute 0.2 percent of the world's greenhouse emissions, but our record is nothing to be proud of.

"The latest report from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, released this week shows that between 1990 and 2004 we increased our emissions from 61.9 million tonnes CO2 equivalent to 75.1 million.

"New Zealand is the 11th worst emitter in the world per capita. Way higher even than China.

"There is so much we can do and these Bills should help New Zealand move from just talking about taking action to actually doing it.

"I am challenging both Labour and National, with their new-found commitment to addressing climate change, to support these Bills or come up with something better," Ms Fitzsimons says.

ENDS

NOTE: Copies of the Bills will soon be posted on the Green Party website www.greens.org.nz

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