Climate Change Target: 2050

The date for sending in a submission on this issue has passed.

Climate Change is the biggest issue that we face as a species. If we don't act fast to match our emissions to the capacity of the planet - our home - to absorb them, then we are going to be in serious trouble! John Key once said that he was ambitious for New Zealand. We want to hold him to his statement and set an ambitious goal, with an ambitious plan to reduce emissions. We can invest in our future and create green jobs for the thousands of Kiwis who are currently without a job or stuck in part-time employment.

How and When to Submit:

Email your views to 2050target [at] mfe [dot] govt [dot] nz or

Write to the Ministry for the Environment at:
2050 Emissions Reduction Target Consultation
Ministry for the Environment
PO Box 10362
Wellington 6143

Submissions close 28 February 2011

We recommend at a minimum that you include some of the following points:

If you want to expand on this check out www.greens.org.nz/climatechange to read about why we need to achieve an ambitious target, and how we can achieve it.

Say you SUPPORT setting an ambitious target, and that:

• We need to compare apples with apples and stop trying to hide our emissions. Using accounting rules and technicalities to hide emissions increases is not going to solve anything. The planet doesn't care what the rules are, the planet cares about the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The target must be a real and substantial reduction below our 1990 levels.
• If we are going to set a target, set a target. Make it clear, make it transparent and make it a hard number - not only a percentage, which gives room for weaselling.
• New Zealand needs to set an ambitious target to live up to our clean green 100% pure brand, and to take responsibility for our own emissions.
• New Zealand can achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions without crippling our economy. Further - we can do it in a way that will put our economy and our children in a better position for the future.
• It's not clear how a reduction can be acheived by relying mainly on the ETS when the Government's recent amendments to the ETS removed the cap on emissions.
• Five yearly reporting is great, but we need to set interim targets. Path A and B both meet the target, but if we take A we pollute a lot more than if we take Path B.
• Instead of asking what are the consequences of setting a 2050 target, we could ask what the consequences are of not setting a 2050 target.
• Just because "-50 by 50" is catchy doesn't mean that we can't do "-30 by 2020" and even more by 2050!
  

Feel free to expand on any or all of the points above, and include other information especially if it is relevant to you, your life and/or your business/job.

The Green Party has provided some options for achieving the reduction in greenhouse gases pollution that is necessary which are available from the links below.