21 July 2010

Days before New Zealand co-hosts a climate negotiating meeting in Auckland, environmental organisation WWF-New Zealand is warning that the government will be open to charges of hypocrisy unless it makes good on its international commitment to create a Low Carbon Development Plan.

On 25 and 26 July, New Zealand will co-host, with South Africa and Mexico, an informal negotiating meeting focused on the politics and technicalities of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and monitoring, reporting and verifying emissions reductions. Straight after the meeting, climate negotiators from several countries, including New Zealand will fly to Apia, Samoa, for a meeting of the ‘Cartagena Dialogue’ – a group of countries claiming to support progressive action on climate change.

Peter Hardstaff, WWF New Zealand Climate Change Campaigner said:

“It is hypocrisy for New Zealand to present itself as an honest broker in these talks, host negotiating meetings and label itself as a country supporting ‘progressive action’ on climate change when it is apparently refusing to make good on promises made at last year’s climate summit. WWF-New Zealand calls on the government to publicly commit to creating a Low Carbon Development Plan.”

On 7 July, an open letter from a range of business, academic and non-governmental signatories was sent to Prime Minister John Key expressing concern that New Zealand apparently has no intention of creating a Low Carbon Development Plan, despite agreeing to do this at the Cancun climate summit in December 2010. A full response to this letter has not yet been received.

Peter Hardstaff said: “Creating a Low Carbon Development Plan is an important step not only because it delivers on a promise and demonstrates we are serious about reducing pollution, but also because a considered and planned transition to a low carbon economy will be much better for New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses than the current lack of vision and misplaced emphasis on polluting fossil fuel extraction.”

ENDS

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