Bennett’s first act on climate ignores Pacific’s pleas

Paula Bennett’s first act as incoming Climate Change Minister has been to reject pleas from the Pacific Islands for New Zealand to back a 1.5 degree limit to global warming that could give them the chance of survival, the Green Party has said.

Minister Bennett refused to give New Zealand’s support to an explicit goal in the Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to a 1.5 degree increase, despite growing support from allies including Australia, Canada and Pacific nations for a 1.5 degree limit.

“The Minister’s refusal comes amidst pleas from our Pacific neighbours and close allies for a much more ambitious emissions reduction target that could help limit global warming,” said Green Party Pacific spokesperson Marama Davidson.

“Simply paying lip service to the plight of our Pacific neighbours is not enough. The Pacific Islands need a 1.5 degree limit to have a chance of surviving the effects of climate change.

“The National Government is appeasing polluting industries. It needs to stand with our Pacific neighbours and back a global agreement that puts their lives and futures first,” said Ms Davidson.

Peter Emberson, Director of Climate Change for the Fiji Government, said overnight that “any goal that goes beyond the 1.5 degrees celsius is going to wreak havoc on a lot of coastal communities”, and that a 1.5 degree goal is “imperative, we need it now to safeguard our survival”.

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Green Party calls for stronger action by Auckland Council to protect urban trees and native forest

The Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and repla...
Read More

Story

You *wood* not believe it: Greens secure win for urban trees

The Green Party’s advocacy has secured an amendment to the Natural and Built Environment Bill at a crucial stage of the Parliamentary process to en...
Read More

Story

Forestry sector must compensate for slash damage

The Green Party welcomes today’s release of the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into slash and sediment, and are clear that the forestry industry...
Read More

Story

Greens launch petition to protect conservation lands from mining by Mineralogy International Limited

The Green Party has today launched a petition calling for conservation land to be protected from mining by big overseas companies such as Mineralog...
Read More

Story

National's drought of ideas won't help farmers facing climate change

Christopher Luxon and the National Party have once again presented another lazy, back-of-the-napkin policy to Aotearoa.
Read More

Story

Freshwater crisis needs stronger government action

New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and freshwater are in crisis and there needs to be a more ambitious Government plan to clean them up and protect agains...
Read More

Latest Climate Change Announcements

Story

Greens launch petition to save oil and gas ban

The Green Party has launched a petition to save the ban on oil and gas exploration.
Read More

Story

Green voice crucial for climate action

The Green Party is today welcoming Labour’s climate manifesto, but is clear that much more will need to be done to tackle the climate crisis.
Read More

Story

Climate future of communities on the line this election

Green Party co leader James Shaw attended a South Dunedin Future street meeting today to discuss local responses to climate change.
Read More

Story

National’s climate pledge a joke

Today’s pledge from the National Party to deliver net zero carbon by 2050 is a bad-faith, disingenuous, and empty promise.
Read More

Story

National needs to come clean about climate cuts

The National Party needs to come clean about the impact of its plan to raid the climate budget and cancel $2 billion of investment in action to cut...
Read More

Story

New $750m fund part of Climate-Safe Communities plan to protect towns and cities from flooding

The Green Party has today announced a Climate-Safe Communities plan to both cut emissions and protect our communities from the impact of climate ch...
Read More