Press release - December 6, 2007
The New Zealand government is in danger of losing its place as a progressive player in negotiating the Kyoto Protocol's second phase, warns Greenpeace.
"Despite climate change minister David Parker publicly calling
for strong international action on climate change two days before
these talks began, the New Zealand delegation in Bali is showing a
concerning lack of leadership," said Greenpeace New Zealand climate
campaigner Jim Footner from Nusa Dua, where the international
negotiations for a post-2012 framework are taking place.
"The risk is that, due to its timid negotiating position so far,
New Zealand loses the advantage it's gained from a relatively
progressive package of domestic climate measures, compared to other
countries.
"Measures like the 10-year moratorium on new fossil fueled
electricity generation and an emissions trading scheme had put us
in a good position to lead the way on global solutions, but we're
certainly not seeing any evidence of that here in Bali.
"Greenpeace calls on the New Zealand government to step up,
beginning with an explicit commitment to the range of 25-40%
reductions for developed countries below 1990 levels by 2020, as
deemed necessary by the IPCC in order to keep warming at or below 2
degrees.
"Support for this range from key developed countries like New
Zealand will give confidence to major developing countries that
commitments on their part will be not be made in vain.
"The success of the New Zealand government's cornerstone climate
policy - the emissions trading scheme- hinges on the successful
outcome of post-2012 Kyoto talks, because it's these negotiations
which will help set the global price on carbon.
"The New Zealand government's performance here is a key test of
its commitment to actually reducing emissions and helping solve
climate change. So far it's not looking good."
"If we want to be a global leader on climate and brand ourselves
as a
"sustainable nation" as Helen Clark terms it, now's our
chance."
Other contacts: Jim Footner in Bali: +6281337949730
Kathy Cumming - communications officer, Auckland - 021 495 216