Hon James Shaw
Minister for Climate Change
16 December 2019 PĀNUI PĀPĀHO
MEDIA STATEMENT
New Zealand will continue to showcase ambitious climate action
With the global climate change talks closing overnight, the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw said New Zealand
will continue to show the world what meaningful, ambitious and lasting climate action looks like.
“Lasting action on climate change demands that we keep working every single day. This is the only way we can keep our
promise to future generations that we will leave behind a world that is better off for what we did,” James Shaw said.
As the head of the New Zealand delegation at the global climate talks, Minister Shaw shared the progress this Government
is making to build a cleaner, safer planet for future generations.
“I talked to people from many countries who are thinking about putting in place their own climate change legislation and
they are using our Zero Carbon Act as a benchmark for what meaningful, ambitious and lasting climate action looks like.
This Government will continue to show global leadership on what needs to be done to leave a safer planet for future
generations,” James Shaw said.
Talks closed with countries not able to agree fully on a provision of the 2015 Paris Agreement known as Article 6. This
concerns the role of carbon markets and carbon trading in helping countries to fulfil their emission cutting pledges.
“We should acknowledge that some important progress was made, which is positive.
But unfortunately we will have to wait another year to get it all sorted. I have been frustrated that there are some
countries who are slowing overall global progress. This is especially frustrating at a time when everything we see
happening around the world points to an urgent need to move further and faster. However I am reassured by the fact that
the vast majority of countries are increasing their ambition,” James Shaw said.
This year’s talks were not expected to produce a major breakthrough on countries’ emissions targets, but it was hoped
Article 6 could be finalised, clearing the decks for countries to focus on more ambitious goals for cuts to emissions
next year.
“Let’s be clear: We are still on track towards a future where we are all playing our part to solve the challenge of
climate change, but we are not going to get there unless countries are working more closely together. Carbon markets
must have fair rules and ensure genuine emissions reductions, which is why getting an agreement on the rules countries
should stick to has been a priority for New Zealand since the world committed to climate action in Paris in 2015,” said
James Shaw.
The 25th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) took place in
Madrid.
ends