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By declaring a climate change emergency, the government has pledged to clean its own home with all government buildings green and cars new to electricity by 2025.
However, this promise is not backed by any new funding, and large tracts of government buildings, such as state houses, are only included “in principle.”
The climate change emergency declaration was made by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and links New Zealand with 32 other countries that have declared a climate change emergency.
ROBERT KITCHEN / Things
Jacinda Ardern received a standing ovation from her Labor group after introducing the motion.
The motion includes a promise to make the public sector carbon neutral by 2025.
It was supported by the Labor Party, the Green Party and the Maori Party, and with opposition from National and ACT, who ridiculed it as an empty gesture.
“The public sector must and will be an example that sets the standard that we must all achieve by 2050,” Ardern said.
All government departments and ministries will need to measure their emissions and offset those they cannot eliminate by 2025.
KITCHEN / ROBERT THINGS
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pauses and answers questions about climate change and child poverty before addressing the House.
Government buildings over 2,000 square meters will need to meet a new energy efficiency standard by 2025, while new construction and leases will need to meet green building standards.
Agencies will be required to “optimize” their car fleet, preferring a reduction of vehicles and electric vehicles for new vehicles, or hybrids where electric vehicles are not appropriate.
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ROBERT KITCHEN / Things
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern introduces the motion.
There is some money to help with decarbonization, the already announced public sector decarbonization fund of $ 200 million.
There was a push for a climate change emergency declaration during the last term, but NZ First blocked it.
The motion itself will have no practical effect on the laws or the operation of the country, but rather symbolically indicates that the government viewed climate change as an emergency.
National Congressman Stuart Smith said National would not support the statement because it was a “mark of virtue” and was not effective.
ACT’s Simon Court also spoke against the motion.
Emissions are expected to rise in the next few years, but fell 1 percent in the first year of the Labor-led government in 2018.
Climate Change Minister James Shaw passed the Zero Carbon Act during the last term, a new overarching system for setting emission reduction targets that created an independent Climate Change Commission, which in turn would recommend carbon budgets for governments achieve those goals.
It failed to get agriculture, one of New Zealand’s largest emitters, into the Emissions Trading Scheme, although the sector will enter the scheme by default in 2025 if another system is not created to price the cost of emissions .
ROBERT KITCHEN / Things
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has declared an emergency.
Shaw also failed to seriously change the dial on transportation emissions, as NZ First halted the proposed “fare reduction” scheme and the vehicle emissions standard.
The statement came shortly after question time on Wednesday afternoon.
When a statement was first discussed in the last term, Ardern said he supported one, but did not give much thought to its importance.
“I don’t see why there should be any reason why Members of Parliament don’t want to show that this is a matter of urgency,” Ardern said.
“However, the only thing I think we need to make very clear is [is that] a statement in Parliament does not change our direction of travel. It’s what we invest in and it’s the laws we pass that make the big difference, and that’s why I think we’re making solid and good progress. “
ACT leader David Seymour said declaring an emergency would be a “marketing stunt.”
“This is a marketing gimmick that won’t stop a ton of emissions. If you have a policy, you don’t need to declare an emergency. If you have to declare an emergency, maybe your policy is not working, ”Seymour said.
