Press release - December 17, 2015
Brand new climate minister Paula Bennett has today been slammed after praising a report for the United Nations that reveals New Zealand is on track to increase carbon pollution by 30% in 2030.
This is despite the Government’s promise at the Paris climate change talks that it would do the opposite, and reduce emissions by 30% on what they were in 2005 by 2030.
But a statement just published by Bennett ignores these statistics and instead praises the fact the report shows New Zealand has met its target for reducing emissions under the first commitment of the Kyoto Protocol. New Zealand met its Kyoto commitments by buying fake carbon credits from the Ukraine to cover the increase in emissions in New Zealand.
Greenpeace executive director, Dr Russel Norman, says it’s embarrassing that New Zealand’s climate minister is being positive about such a “train wreck” of a result.
“It’s downright misleading,” he says. “This report actually shows that contrary to what we’ve been told, and what was promised in Paris, the Government’s very own projections show we will blow our emissions out of the water in the years to come.
“These official figures show that the Government’s weak promises to tackle climate change pollution are a train wreck.
“Paula Bennett’s got to get a grip of her new job. This first outing really doesn’t bode very well at all.”
ENDS