Polluters must pay for greenhouse gas emissions - Greenpeace

Auckland – 27 March 2007- Greenpeace today urged the New Zealand business sector to wake up and accept that a cost on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions is inevitable.

"Today we have seen business screaming about the idea that they will have to pay for their greenhouse pollution. They need to wake up to the fact that climate change is happening, we're causing it and the best way to reduce emissions is to put a price on carbon," said Vanessa Atkinson, Greenpeace NZ climate campaigner.

"If the polluter doesn't pay for their emissions, the taxpayer will have to, both now and in the cost of dealing with the impacts of climate change. Every one of us has to take action, and the sooner we start, the better," she said.

She noted that the report by the UK's Sir Nicholas Stern last year warned that the longer we wait, the more it will cost to cut our greenhouse gas emissions, and that if we do nothing, there will be an even bigger cost.

"The tide of public opinion on climate change has turned – the sooner NZ business accepts the reality, the sooner we can get on with tackling climate change."

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