Greenpeace says the Government’s recently announced Long Term Insights Briefing on Building Resilience to Hazards – including climate change – is deeply ironic, as its policies are pouring fuel on the fire of more severe weather events.
Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson says “Top of the list of hazards should be the Government’s own policies, which are driving us closer to climate disaster.
“Ironically, this briefing was released only days after Luxon quite literally poured more fuel on the fire of climate change by overturning the offshore oil and gas ban.”
Luxon’s Government has repealed more than 35 climate actions that were outlined in the first Emissions Reduction Plan, with no replacement policy for reducing emissions.
“Under pressure from lobbyists, Luxon is fast-tracking coal mining and handing out hundreds of millions in fossil fuel subsidies to try to bring back deep sea oil exploration,” says Larsson.
“His policies will lead to more severe weather and flooding, which are identified in this report as increasingly costly and deadly hazards for New Zealanders.”
The Long Term Insights Briefing flags that agriculture is one of the sectors most at risk from climate impacts – and that economic diversification and nature restoration are key to mitigating this impact.
Larsson says, “Intensive dairying is New Zealand’s biggest climate polluter. And Luxon’s Government is giving the industry a free pass to increase its pollution.”
The Luxon-led government has exempted agriculture from joining the Emissions Trading Scheme until at least 2030. He is also exploring changing how methane is accounted for to further weaken climate targets for the sector – a move that was criticised by leading international climate scientists as an “accounting trick” that “ignores scientific evidence.”
“It is frankly deplorable that the Government can claim to be providing important educational information to New Zealanders with this briefing while doing the complete opposite of heeding its own advice,” says Larsson.
“The briefing is ostensibly ‘intended to spark thinking’ but there doesn’t seem to be much thinking going on in the Beehive about its role in fuelling the storms that are raging on its front step.
“People all around the world are taking action against big polluters, in the streets, in the courtrooms, and on the frontlines where industry is trying to push ahead with their destructive practices. If Luxon’s Government won’t take action, then everyday people will.”
