NZ climate policy is 'too weak'

BY JIMMY ELLINGHAM

New Zealand's attitude to climate change has been criticised by a former International Energy Agency scientist.

Speaking at a Palmerston North Rotary Club meeting yesterday, Massey University Professor of Sustainable Energy Ralph Sims told Rotarians that New Zealand's thinking on climate change lagged far behind the rest of the world.

Prof Sims has just returned to Palmerston North after four years working for the Energy Agency in Paris, France.

He said New Zealand was the only country he had visited where climate change "non believers" were given prominence.

Under the previous Labour-led government, New Zealand was seen as a world leader, with an emissions trading scheme encompassing all sectors of the economy.

That had changed, he said.

"All of a sudden, we became a little bit of a joke."

Prof Sims urged those who thought New Zealand was too small to make a difference to the world's emissions to consider the figures.

New Zealanders emitted about 16 tonnes of greenhouse gas per person each year.

The average figure for China was about five tonnes, while for India and most African counties it was one tonne.

Having a weak emissions trading scheme would harm New Zealand's clean and green reputation.

"When Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand's only responsible for 0.03 per cent of climate change emissions therefore it doesn't make any difference – that's a nonsense."

He doubted that this month's Copenhagen conference on climate change would solve the world's problems.

"My guess is perhaps not much will happen there, but there'll be a lot of discussion."

Prof Sims said there was tension between developing and developed countries about who should pay the costs associated with reducing emissions.

Developing countries believed they had the right to get rich off their untouched forests and gas supplies.

If nothing was done and global temperatures rose by an expected six degrees Celsius by the end of the century, the planet faced a grim future.

Ideally, Prof Sims said all countries needed to agree to stabilise temperatures so the planet warmed no more than 2C.

Speaking after the Rotary meeting, Prof Sims said he was disappointed about the Government's amended emissions trading scheme.

"It's too weak. It's not going to make much difference.

"It's a token gesture."

Prof Sims has written a book showing the impact of climate change legislation on 12 different cities and towns around the world, including Palmerston North. Cities, Towns and Renewable Energy: Yes in my Front Yard will be launched on Tuesday next week.

CLIMATE FUTURE

Prof Sims took a some questions from Rotarians:

Will the likes of dairy farmers have to pay to meet New Zealand's climate change obligations?

There would be costs, but it would not just be New Zealanders paying as the rest of the world is on the same track. Countries like New Zealand would have to move away from being societies of waste. For example, about 30 per cent of food was wasted.

Where does all the money collected in carbon taxes and emissions trading schemes end up?

It would make sense for the money to be spent on investing in more renewable energy and research.

- © Fairfax NZ News