Climate change bill before parliament

Action on climate change is being taken with the Government introducing its zero carbon bill to parliament on May 8.

Reducing transport emissions and encouraging electric vehicles are implied rather than stated in an early announcement but are expected to be included in the detail.

“To address the long-term challenge of climate change, today we introduce the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill to parliament,” prime minister Jacinda Ardern says.

“We’ve built a practical consensus across Government that creates a plan for the next 30 years, which provides the certainty industries need to get in front of this challenge.”

Ardern and climate change minister James Shaw believes it will help answer the concerns of New Zealand students who went on strike in March to protest the lack of decisive action on climate change.

“The Zero Carbon Bill outlines our plan to safeguard the future that those school students will inherit,” Shaw says..

“The critical thing is to do everything we can over the next 30 years to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and the Zero Carbon Bill makes that a legally binding objective.

“Carbon dioxide is the most important thing we need to tackle – that’s why we’ve taken a net zero carbon approach.”

Shaw says the priority is to reduce emissions by 1% annually on average, until 2030.

The Bill also sets a target for 10% reduction in biological methane emissions by 2030, and aims for a provisional reduction ranging from 24% to 47% by 2050.

“The independent Climate Change Commission, established by the Bill, will support our emissions reduction targets through advice, guidance, and regular five-yearly emissions budgets,” Shaw says.

“The Bill also creates a legal obligation on the Government to plan for how it will support New Zealand towns and cities, business, farmers and Iwi to adapt to the increasingly severe storms, floods, fires and droughts we are experiencing as a result of climate change.”

Shaw says all parties across parliament have engaged constructively in the process, and that New Zealanders can make their contribution through the select committee process to ensure the Bill becomes law by the end of this year.

“All of us have a part to play our part in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global temperature increases.”