Crew on Solid Energy's coal ship, the Hellenic Sea, power-hose Greenpeace activists - 2008
Greenpeace climbers unfurl a Target Climate Change banner while hanging from the hull of Solid Energy's coal ship, the Hellenic Sea.
During the three and a half hour activity, the Rainbow Warrior
attempted to block a shipment of coal from leaving the Port by
anchoring in its path, and three Greenpeace activists boarded the
coal ship and attached themselves to its hull.
Within the last few minutes, police and port authorities have
successfully moved the Rainbow Warrior, and the shipment of coal
has left port.
The three activists, along with three people in a Greenpeace
boat alongside the coal ship, have been arrested and taken to
Christchurch Central Police station.
Police who had boarded the Rainbow Warrior have now left the
ship and gone back to shore.
Greenpeace Campaign Manager Carmen Gravatt said the activity was
successful in drawing attention to the double standards at play
with climate policy in New Zealand.
"The New Zealand government paints itself as clean and green,
yet every year we export millions of tonnes of coal for use in
other countries; effectively shipping climate change offshore.
"Meanwhile the state owned company (Solid Energy) responsible
for the coal being shipped today has plans to expand mining,
exports and domestic burning of coal (1).
"For this to be happening at a time when the most important
thing we could be doing is phasing out fossil fuels is completely
crazy."
The coal ship that has just left port carries up to 60 thousand
tonnes of export coal from State Owned Enterprise Solid Energy.
Greenpeace is calling on the New Zealand Government to get
serious on climate change, including putting a cap on coal exports,
halting the expansion of coal mining and strengthening the
emissions trading scheme (ETS) so it discourages the burning of
coal in New Zealand. (2)
"The clock is ticking on climate change," said Ms Gravatt. "We
have an increasingly small window of time to act, yet the New
Zealand government is still pussy-footing around with measures that
look good but won't solve the problem.
"Not only are we failing domestically (our emissions are
skyrocketing) but, by allowing the expansion of coal exports, we're
also upping our contribution to the global problem.
"It is no good putting a few good climate measures in place in
New Zealand if we're simultaneously making millions exporting the
problem to other countries. It is, as the Climate Change Minister
himself pointed out this week, not called "global" warming for
nothing. Emissions anywhere in the world affect us all, and we
shouldn't be adding to them."
Greenpeace says as well as a cap on coal exports and a halt to
the expansion of coal mining in New Zealand, every political party
needs to set a domestic emissions reduction target of 30 per cent
by 2020 (3) to ensure New Zealand actually reduces its
emissions.
Contact: Carmen Gravatt: Campaign Director on the Rainbow
Warrior - 021 302251
Kathy Cumming -Communications onboard the Rainbow Warrior - 021
495216
High-resolution images and video of the activity will be
available free of charge at: http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/media
(Multiple images can be added to the 'lightbox' and downloaded
as a
single zip file).
Images and video contact: Greg McNevin - (based in Auckland
office) - 021577556
(1)In 2007 a total of 4.80 million tonnes of coal was mined by
state-owned enterprise Solid Energy, a growth of 130,000 tonnes
compared to 2006. Out of this 4.80 million, almost half (2.19
million tonnes) was exported. (see 2007 Solid Energy Annual Report
and Accounts - page 6) And as well as expansion of mining for
export, Solid Energy is actively looking for opportunities to grow
the market for coal both within New Zealand and internationally.
(see 2007 Solid Energy Annual Report and Accounts - page 17-18)
This could well lead to more industrial use of coal in New Zealand.
It also demonstrates the weakness of the government's emissions
trading scheme as it currently stands. Solid Energy clearly does
not view the scheme as a deterrent to coal use.
(2)New Zealand's largest coal exporter, State Owned Enterprise
Solid Energy, is aggressively trying to expand the domestic market
for coal in New Zealand. Its 2007 Annual Report (p17) details plans
to convert more industrial users from gas to coal. Clearly the
government's emissions trading scheme is no deterrent, if Solid
Energy thinks that even with a price on emissions from industrial
coal burning under the scheme, there will continue to be demand for
coal to burn in NZ. The ETS needs to auction rather than give away
free emissions permits for industrial pollution (for example
on-site coal burning). The present proposal is for the sector to
receive 90 per cent of its emissions permits for free. Solid
Energy, a state-owned enterprise, clearly recognises that even with
the proposed ETS in place, there is potential to expand the coal
industry in New Zealand.
(3)Emission reduction targets in themselves don't stop climate
change. They do however set the scene for what needs to be
achieved, and give a clear signal to policy makers that they should
formulate policies capable of achieving the target set. The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified a range of
25-40% reductions by 2020 for developed countries like New Zealand
as necessary in order to put the world on track to avoid climate
catastrophe. Greenpeace is calling for the New Zealand Government
and all political parties to set an emissions reduction target of
30 per cent by 2020. Countries that are serious about taking a
leadership position on climate change have set national targets.
The UK has set a target of 20% by 2010 - this is above and beyond
its Kyoto commitment. It is expected to achieve a reduction of
almost 17% as a result. Germany has a domestic target of 40%
reductions from 1990 levels by 2020, which it's on track to meet.
Even Australia, a former laggard when it comes to climate, now has
a long term overall emission reduction target. Sweden recently
agreed on an emission reduction range of 75-90% by 2050. The
National Party has set a policy of 50 per cent emission reductions
by 2050. This is not nearly enough. By 2050 we need to have reduced
our emissions by a minimum of 80 per cent.
For a more thorough examination of the Emissions Trading Scheme
see www.greenpeace.org.nz/ets-report