As well as the first day of the Poznan meeting, today also marks
365 days until world leaders meet in Copenhagen for the most
important climate meeting to date. It's at this meeting that final
negotiations will occur and a global agreement to save the climate
must be reached.
"Thanks to the National Party's dismantling of New Zealand
climate policy, its plans to hold a select committee inquiry into
the science of climate change, and our past behaviour at these
talks (1), our reputation for Poznan is in tatters," said
Greenpeace Senior Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer.
"Meanwhile our emissions are increasing at a rate almost double
that of the US. All this sends a dangerous signal to the
international community that New Zealand doesn't care about climate
change.
"New Climate Negotiations Minister Tim Groser will have his work
cut out to explain in Poznan why New Zealand is going backwards on
climate change when the rest of the world is moving forward."
Boxer said the scientific imperative to act on climate change
was growing by the day. "Temperature increases, global emissions
and loss of ice at the Arctic and Antarctic have now overshot
scientists' worst case scenarios. The Arctic icecap has entered
what's been called a 'death spiral'. There is no time to
waste."
"As US President-Elect Barack Obama has said, the work at Poznan
is vital for the planet, and the stakes could not be higher.
"It's not too late for John Key to save New Zealand's
credibility by getting serious about climate change. But at the
moment we're at serious risk of becoming an international climate
pariah, with potential impacts for exports from a global consumer
backlash."
"A clear work plan needs to be borne out of Poznan if a deal is
to be reached in Copenhagen. New Zealand must agree to adopt
binding emission reduction targets at the Poznan meeting, he said
(2).
Other contacts: Simon Boxer, Greenpeace Senior Climate Campaigner – 021905579 Kathy Cumming – Greenpeace Communications and Media – 021 495 216
Notes: For a full media briefing on Poznan, go to: http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/poznan
(1) Contrary to political rhetoric, New Zealand has never been a leader on climate change. Rather, we’re well established as one of the climate bad guys on the international stage, and have always sided with what’s known as an “umbrella group” of countries during climate negotiations. This group comprises the US, Canada, Russia, Australia and Japan (although the US’ position is expected to change with the new administration).
This group consistently stalls and stymies any real progress. We saw some very poor behaviour from the New Zealand delegation at a meeting Vienna last year, where the delegation labeled proposed emission targets “too demanding” and fought to water down the agreement. Then in Bali, New Zealand dragged its heels and again refused to agree to the recommended target range.
(2) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has specified that developed countries like New Zealand need to be signing up to binding emissions reductions of between 25-40% by 2020 (on 1990 levels) and an overall emissions reduction target for developed (Annex 1) countries for the period 2013 – 2017 that is consistent with achieving the above reductions by 2020