Friday 8 July, 2005
Getting real on climate change
Auckland, Friday 8 July, 2005: Greenpeace today called for some sanity in the debate over New Zealand's potential Kyoto
deficit, following the release of new report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers which calculated that it may cost $1.2 billion
to meet our Kyoto obligations.
"This is bordering on the ridiculous – the entire debate following the revelation that New Zealand may not meet it's
Kyoto target has assumed that we will do nothing further to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions," said Greenpeace
climate campaigner Vanessa Atkinson.
"But let's get real - New Zealand must reduce it's emissions urgently to help avoid dangerous levels of climate change.
If we fail to do that, we will face the double whammy of having to buy carbon credits as well as paying the costs of
increased floods, droughts and other climate change impacts."
"Debating how much carbon credits may cost us is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We need to be
discussing ways to tackle climate change – the biggest threat the planet faces, by cutting our emissions. This means
increasing renewable energy generation, stopping climate-polluting projects like Marsden B coal-fired power station,
increasing energy efficiency and improving public transport."
"We can't afford not to act on climate change. Global insurance company Swiss Re has estimated that extreme weather
events from climate change will cost ₤150 billion every year from 2014. In New Zealand, the $400 million damage from the
floods last year and the devastating costs of droughts are just a taste of things to come if we don't cut our
emissions."
As for Nick Smith's comments that political uncertainty around the Protocol was worrying for business, he is clearly out
of touch with much of the business community. Members of the business community around the world are pushing for more
action on climate change.
Just over a month ago, business leaders from thirteen major UK and international companies including HSBC, BP and Shell
urged the UK Prime Minister for "urgent action" on climate change, offered to work in partnership with the Government to
strengthen progress on cutting emissions (1).
Notes: (1) The Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, HRH The Prince of Wales Business and the Environment
Programme, Letter to Tony Blair and press release, 27 May, 2005.
ENDS