Key to go to Copenhagen climate change talks
BY TRACY WATKINS
Prime Minister John Key speaks about his decision to attend climate change talks at Copenhagen.
Prime Minister John Key has done a U-turn and confirmed his intention to fly to Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change conference.
Mr Key said he had decided to go after advice from the negotiating team and after circumstances had changed.
"I have decided that on balance it makes sense for me to be there for the leaders’ meeting.
Mr Key had ruled out attending unless a binding agreement could be reached.
He said today while that remained unlikely, "political momentum is growing which is why in recent weeks a lot more leaders have indicated they will be attending".
He did not want to give the impression that New Zealand wasn’t committed to playing its part in the fight against climate change by staying away.
"The fact is that the Government is committed to doing something about climate change, balancing our environmental responsibilities with our economic opportunities."
New Zealand had a settled emissions trading scheme on the books, a credible emissions targeted and strong representation at the negotiations.
"Important decisions may be made in Copenhagen and it is important that I am there alongside other leaders so New Zealand has input at the highest level."
The leaders' session is on December 17 and 18.
Earlier former head of the World Trade Organisation Mike Moore said the decision would give New Zealand access to higher level talks.
Mr Moore, also a former Labour prime minister and foreign minister, told Radio New Zealand that it made a difference for leaders to front up.
"These things are very structured, there will be informal meetings with prime ministers and presidents, there'll be another tier of ministers, then there's another tier of senior officials so he will get better access than just his ministers," he said.
"But whether this will change the result is another thing, because much of this is precooked (negotiated in advance by officials) as it should be."
Mr Moore said New Zealand's emissions trading scheme (ETS) legislation was flawed but the country had a point of view to present. Mr Key would also be able to use the meeting to build contacts that would help him in years to come.
"He can cement his personal relationships on this and other issues, New Zealand can make its case in a modest way, there ought to be some sense of proportion about this – the whole world is not waiting to hear what New Zealand says.
"If New Zealand does nothing or closes down and every person leaves that would have about as much impact as stopping China for about 24 hours not even that, but it's worth doing we must play our bit."
Climate Change Minister Nick Smith, who pushed hard to get the ETS legislation through Parliament ahead of the conference, is to attend the conference.
Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is going too. He is in a difficult position after his parliament rejected yesterday laws to set up a carbon trading scheme.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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It's day 4 of NZ's official summer season, but I haven't seen any sunshine so far. I find myself wondering if I'm living in a nightmare, where governments apparently want the world to be colder, and want us taxpayers to pay to make it so. I hope everyone is keen on nuclear energy, because that's the logical alternative to fossil fuels. Anyone here (in NZ) keen to have a nuclear power plant in their neighbourhood?
Copenhagen= blueprint for global socialist government. Wake up people, there is no climate change crises! It is sheer arrogance to think your CO2 emmisions can affect the climate.Global warming= global governance and the leaked emails confirm what all the " conspiracy nutters" have been saying for ages.The science is not settled. Dont give up your national sovereignty for problems which do not exist!
Nothing wrong with doing a u-turn. I did a few myself, always when I was proven wrong. I am suspicious that his u-turn was made so he could meet Obama. Is he hoping Obama would sign his arm cast?
Australian politicians have come to their senses and rejected their ETS. I wish our P.C. Politicians would come to theirs!
Well at least John Key is listening to NZers. Does he realise by not going he is sending a message to the world that NZ does not care about climate change. By going, this sends clear signal of where we stand on the issue. It's about time John Key relaised there is more to running a country than just from an economic view....without the environment humans and everything else would not exist. John Key has looked like a weak leader by giving in to China and not meeting the Dali Lama and by also giving into Maori requets just to get a bill through... And for those of you who think climate change is a myth....can you explain why the temperature in Antartica has risen by 5 oC and now has greenery growing on what was once ice? Its about time unbelivers took a reality check.
KEY = Poor leadership...... (Key)"No I won't go!!!!" (Key) "Can't sleep people don't like me!!!" (Key) "What Obama going, quick book me a ticket" (Key) "Thank goodness Sam auckland #38 believes in me!!!"
Global warming has been happening since the last ice age, having a meeting or charging us poor citizens billons is not going to stop it, wake up fools! The whole thing is a gaint scam.
Neil #55
You have just demonstrated the exact point that many are trying to make: Polution and global warming are differant. Not one denies that there is pollution. They simply doubt that there is much that we can do to change the global warming patterns. Two differant topics.
Is there a leader of any nation with any balls who has said "In light of the recent exposure of climate scientists deliberately using false data to support the "manmade global warming" assertion, we will not support the Copenhagen summit or any other transnational climate treaty until a full investigation into the fraud has been carried out. We cannot commit the citizens/taxpayers of our nation to the liability of carbon taxes from an unelected world government entity whose basis for doing so is grounded in bogus science and fraud."
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It is very dissapointing that our World leaders are already starting to back off any definate decisions at Copenhagen. The best we can hope for is a substantial downfall in temperature in the next 12 months to prove them all right. Then we can catch up before Kyoto ends in 2012. !